Since it is Christmas time, I figured I would review one of the games that I have the fondest holiday memories of. December 25th, 1997 was the Christmas that I received my first PlayStation, and with it a few games. In my possession at the time was a demo disk, WCW/NWO Thunder, and Jet Moto. While I was a huge wrestling fan, Thunder SUCKED (I'll do a review some other time), so I was left to spend my Christmas playing a game I had not even heard of up until that moment.




Jet Moto is a futuristic racing game, where riders fly around the track on jet bikes at high speeds. The racing is part motocross, with tricks and typical bike handling, and part Wipeout, with grapples and floaty physics. Players begin by picking a sponsored racer (by Mountain Dew, Butterfinger, or the like no less!) and then their desired mode. All the standard racing modes are present: Vs., practice, and championship all are present and do the usual things.


There are 10 tracks in all for you to race on, with 3 being unlocked from the beginning. A variety of ascetics of beaches, swamps , and ice all make for some interesting designs. A few "suicide" courses also exist, with the riders going back and forth to complete checkpoints into oncoming traffic. Most of the tracks feel fresh and interesting, with a few being a little too tight for comfort.

Musically, Jet Moto leaves a bit to be desired. With only a handful of music tracks, it is unsurprising that not all of them are very good. Only the theme for "Nightmare" is really worth listening to. All of it has that early PS1 not-quite CD quality to it and loops pretty quickly. Sound effects also dont stray too far from the realm of the poor. Engine noises sound ok, but collisions and rider "grunts" are awful. The turbo noise starts to get really old as well.


Graphics are pretty typical for early PS1 as well. I find the game runs at a pretty steady pace most of the time, but like all of the 3D games of that time, clipping, pop-ins, and draw distance are all pretty bad. textures are also pretty offensive, especially on the swamp and snow courses. Jagged edges sometimes make obstacles difficult to tell apart from the ground.

Through all of it's technical failings, Jet Moto hits one part right: fun. The game feels satisfying and fast, and the bike handles exactly as you want it to once you get the hang of it. Most of the tracks are a blast to fly through, and coming in first and unlocking new ones is easy enough to allow for progression, but hard enough to make it feel rewarding.


Overall, Jet Moto was a fine introduction into the PlayStation library for 7 year-old me, but the true love for the library came with much better games. Still, Jet Moto is one of those games I keep going back to every now and again when I want a nostalgia hit.

Have a wonderful holiday season and let me know what old holiday games you still go back to!
~Neo

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