Originally developed by Software Creations in 1994, Moto X was scheduled to be released on the SNES when publisher Trimark pulled the plug at the last minute to focus on other projects. This lost racing game was later released for the first time in 2023 by Piko Interactive on physical, limited-edition cartridges. Ratalaika Games, which has redistributed many forgotten classic games over the years, has digitally published this (mostly) unseen project for current consoles for $6.
Being able to experience a completed, abandoned project decades later is always something special. Nintendo famously did this with Star Fox 2 and, more recently, with a pair of finished Virtual Boy games for its Switch Online service. However, while it is cool to play a new, finished SNES game, how well does it hold up to modern standards?
The easiest way to describe Moto X is to compare it to the classic Excitebike, but with Mario Kart-style weapons. One or two players drive motorbikes to the right side of the screen with the goal of earning the fastest time. Finishing in a higher position yields more points, also like Mario Kart. The game never explains this, but one button is the accelerator while another controls the boost. Boosting obviously makes the racer move faster and allows for bigger jumps, but it can overheat over time. It is also possible to pivot forward or backward while in the air to control each jump, but landing crooked can result in a crash that wastes precious time. However, the secret is to jump without pivoting to ensure a safe landing each time. The semi-isometric perspective can also make it a little difficult to determine positioning. For example, you might think you are lined up to collect that weapon but easily wind up missing it from the weird depth of field.
Unfortunately, there are blatant issues that hold back the experience, even for a 1994 release. The biggest comes from the merciless AI. Even the lowest difficulty proves nearly impossible to place at all, let alone achieve the highest score. Also, while there are weapons like the gun, mortar, and smoke screen, they do not have enough influence to make the experience more entertaining or help the player rank higher. These items are just sort of there to serve as a bullet point on the back of the box art (which does not exist). Further, there are several selectable racers, all designed with a ’90s aesthetic, but there is no difference between them. In fact, each racer’s sprite, other than the color choice, is the same despite some characters being much larger physically than others. One is essentially a baby but is identical to the big, hulking dude. Why are these goofy characters even here at all?
I hate to say it, but Moto X was probably unreleased for a reason. While the core gameplay is there, it is nearly unplayable due to the unbalanced, relentless difficulty. Because it is so unbalanced, it feels like it was not play-tested or fully finished. It is cool that Ratalaika included the same overall interface found in its other classic releases, including cheats, save states, and rewind features, but that is not enough to make this game any more fun.
Is it cool to play a forgotten, unreleased game from 30 years ago? Yes, absolutely! But then you start playing it and realize that you were not missing much. Still, it is great that Ratalaika has done its part to preserve this piece of lost media regardless of its quality.
SCORE: 3/10
By: Zachary Gasiorowski, Editor in Chief myGamer.com
X/Twitter: @ZackGaz
Please consider supporting me on Patreon or BuyMeACoffee.
