Moto Roader MC Review – Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Switch

A crash from the past

I know there’s a market for old, retro games. I know there is. I just can’t personally see why. Maybe up until a point – and for me that would be a select few PS One games. But I suppose we all of us have our own “up until a point” which we find acceptable. Maybe it’s an age thing?

Game Information
Release Date: February 25th, 2022
Developer: Ratalaika Games
Publisher: Ratalaika Games
Availability: Nintendo eShop, PSN, Microsoft Store, Steam

Back when Moto Roader MC was released, I was 2 years old. For me, there is no nostalgia value attached to the game. But for those who are, shall we say, a little more senior than I am, maybe there is.

Moto Roader MC is an arcade racing game that is, in a word, mental. Your goal is to get your little car around a variety of tracks while trying to fend off the rest of the racers. It sounds straightforward but it’s not.

You have two attacks – you can drop a bomb from the back end of your vehicle, or you can shoot a rocket from your front. The idea is that you hinder other racers to give yourself a better chance, but remember, they’re also doing this to you.

Things can get chaotic very quickly. In fact, I completed my first race completely in reverse. I didn’t know I was driving in reverse. The game’s controls are a little whack in that sense. To navigate the menus you have to “Press Run” which to me seems like “press the button that will make your car accelerate in a race.” So I tap the A button on the Xbox controller.

In my first race, the poop smashed the fan really quick and I lost track of where my little car was before I even had a chance to go forward. I found myself, pushed down on the A button, and continued the race. It wasn’t until I noticed that my rockets were firing out of my back end while the other cars were shooting them from the front that I realised A was reverse, and X was go forward. But A is “Press Run” in the menus. How confusing?

It’s very easy to lose track of what’s going on in Moto Roader MC. I found myself bouncing off of the walls like a pinball being smacked around for most of my short time with the game. I won a few races by sheer luck, but I never felt like I was skilling my way to a win.

One upside to the game is that it’s a very, very, very easy 1000 gamerscore or Platinum trophy. You get an achievement or trophy just for taking part in the races, and there is no requirement to actually win or meet any other demanding conditions. If that’s important to you, fill your boots. I’m not that bothered about such things, yet… I still got the 1000G because it was easy and I had an hour to spare.

Moto Roader MC will only appeal to those who already have fond memories of the game from years gone by. And if you are one of those people, good for you. You can spend your pension on something other than scratch cards this week.

Review Disclaimer: This review was carried out using a copy of the game provided by the publisher. For more information, please read our Review Policy.

Primary version tested: Xbox Series X