The Best Bike Game

If you’re craving a high-speed trail trip over hills and through the mud, but you don’t want to shell out thousands for a sportbike or ATV, you’re in luck. There are plenty of video games that will give you the same thrills, chills and spills from the comfort of your own couch. 

The best bike games run the gamut from motocross racing matchups (like “MXGP 2: The Official Motocross Game”) to wild ATV tricks (like “Pure”). Microsoft holds the trophy for top bike games; the Xbox One and Xbox 360 have a slew of fun titles. 

There’s some info you should know if you’re new to the fast-paced world of bike games. First off, you’re not pedaling furiously on a bicycle. These games focus on motorcycle races, off-road motocross matchups and All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) stunts. 

Standard motorcycle races take place on a pavement track or road. Riders race in the same direction on a circular course, much like NASCAR races. The track is tighter than other forms of bike racing; some tracks are as narrow as 14 feet across. 

Traditional motorcycle road racing took place on closed-off public roads. Most of those events have given way to stadium races on dedicated tracks.  There are still some public road circuits in Europe, and you can experience the freedom of outdoor racing on the Xbox One’s “TT Isle of Man: Ride On The Edge.” 

Motocross racing is the rough-and-tumble version of motorcycle racing. Riders only race outdoors on closed-circuit tracks with right and left turns, high jumps and steep declines. The terrain varies throughout the race. Competitors have to navigate between muddy puddles, grass, sand and whatever else the course throws at them. “MXGP 2: The Official Motocross Game” is a top choice for motocross racing games. 

These races are designed to test precision skills, with up to 40 riders competing around tight turns with mud flying across their field of vision. Don’t call a motocross race a motorcycle race; motocross riders take pride in their tough outdoor style. 

ATV races happen either off-road or on an indoor dirt track. They push a driver’s skill set and their All-Terrain Vehicle to the limit. The best ATV riders in the world take massive jumps and messy corners at top speed. They also have to deal with “roost,” the dirt and rocks that get kicked up from the back end of their competitions’ bike. 

The Xbox 360’s “Pure” is a realistic ATV simulator that doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to gameplay. If your friends want to put their motocross skills up against your ATV tricks, a game like “MS vs ATV Reflex” on Xbox 360 is a perfect match. 

You’ll have a few more considerations to make once you’ve figured out which kind of racing intrigues you (or excites a lucky giftee). Our Tips & Advice will help you choose a game you’ll love playing. 

• Make sure the game you’ve selected runs on your console. Our top four picks run on either the Xbox 360 or the Xbox One. If you’re dying to play a 360 game like “MX vs ATV Reflex,” but you have an Xbox One, you can still play them on your system. Newer Xbox Ones have built-in backward compatibility, and you can use special adapters to pair up older One models.
• Do you like to ride solo, or are you a multiplayer master? You can challenge up to eight other players in online mode in “TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge.” If you want more multiplayer action, “Pure” can accommodate up to 16 online players. 
• Most of these graphics-heavy racing games don’t offer split-screen multiplayer. The environments in these bike games are so intricate and the races are so fast that a split-screen option would take massive console memory and major engineering manpower to create. Luckily, you can still race your friends while you sit in the same room — you just have to go online to do it. 
• Determine which elements of the bike game are the most important to you. Are you looking for a hyper-realistic motorcycle race around a real-world course? Pick up “TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge.” On the hunt for an all-ages motocross game with incredible graphics and thoughtful controls? “MXGP 2: The Official Motocross Video Game” delivers on every front. 
• Controllers, command keys and combos vary in each racing game, and each control system is vying to give you the full engine-revving experience. “Pure” is known for using simple commands on the Xbox 360 controller so you can start racing your ATV ASAP. Serious competitors will love the dual controls in “MX vs ATV Reflex.” The game uses both joysticks simultaneously, one to control the rider’s movements and the other to control the bike’s movements. It adds a greater level of realism but might be trickier for younger players to pick up. Do some research on how your bike game interacts with the controller to make sure you’ll get the experience you want. 
• How much personality do you want to inject into your gameplay? Customization options, like picking different road surfaces or choosing wheel sizes for your motorcycle, make your game a little more personal. They also extend how long you’ll play them since you have plenty of chances to see how different combinations perform on the trail. “MXGP 2: The Official Motocross Video Game” lets you customize almost every aspect of your virtual motocross experience.