Nintendo’s ability to design a fantastic video game is unrivalled by most other players in the industry, and even when the game isn’t developed by the company itself, the ideas that come out of R&D are truly stunning and innovative. Nintendo has demonstrated this fact perfectly with the release of Excitebike 64, the update to yet another classic game. With the help of developers Left Field Productions, Nintendo has once again been able to communicate its ideas and put them into Excitebike 64.

As a bike-racing game, Excitebike 64 immediately proves itself to be thoroughly playable, right down to the handling and controls. Once players have specified a track to race, they must simply be the first to cross the finish line. But this is a deceptively difficult challenge. Due to the twisty, bumpy terrain on each and every track, players must learn to control the bike in a way that will get them around the track quicker. When leaping in the air after a jump, for example, the trick is to catch the downside of the next bump. If the upside of the hill is caught when landing, you will almost come to a complete stop, or maybe even come off your bike. To help you strategise your plan of action, you have two methods of acceleration. One is standard, and should be used to get you around the easier sections of the tracks. The other acts as a boost, and should be used when approaching jumps, giving you greater lift off the hill. But be careful not to blow your engine.

With twenty or so tracks, both indoor and outdoor, some superb handling and challenging gameplay, Excitebike 64 has everything you would expect from a Nintendo classic. Brilliant!