There are over 1,000 downloadable games at pcgameworld.com, one of the major sources of PC Game Demos.  My goal for this column is to provide the reader with a guide to these demos.  Specifically, I will tell you which ones are worth your time and your hard drive space and which ones are not. 

All demos will be rated on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest. Five different points will be considered in the evaluation process:

Playability
Graphics and Sound
Computer Specs
Fun Factor
Overall

As a former motorcycle rider, including dirt bikes, I love it when bike demos are released.  Most of them fall short, since the sensation of tripling the highest in-town speed limit in 6 seconds is hard to reproduce.  But every once in a while, a demo comes along that grabs me.  Microsoft's (can you believe it - Microsoft!) Motocross Madness 2 is fun once you get the game down.  This game is about one thing: catching air.  And doing stunts, but mostly it's about lots of air.  Sure, it's unrealistic, but if you like the idea of doing a "Superman" or a "Tail Grab" 200 feet in the air, without the prospect of serious injury to the real you or your real bike, then this demo is a must have.

The demo is limited to two tracks and two different motorcycles, which are essentially the same bikes, with different color schemes. I couldn't find any real performance issues between them. However, the tracks are different. There's the "Stunt" track, which is all about the A-I-R that I mentioned earlier, and the "National" track, which is a racing track. The Stunt track is the best, really. The time is limited to a little over 5 minutes, and you compete against other players (computerized). The best part about the stunt track is that you can rip the throttle, launch off of a 40-foot hill, catch 200 feet of air, pull off a "Nac-Nac," land safely, and earn 5800 points for it. [Let it be known - I didn't score any points for over a half an hour - it takes a while to get familiar with this game.]

There is also a multi-player available on both tracks as well, which is pretty cool.  You have to download some small software from the Microsoft Gaming Zone, and then you're ready for competition with other human players.  

The sound is one of the highlights of this game.  The farting wail of a 250 2-stroke is a helluva great sound bite.  Even in the open straights, the thing sounds just like a dirt bike all the way through.  Whenever I crashed, I could hear the rider grunting and vomiting oxygen, like he had just tasted his own boots on a serious drop.  Yessir, the sound is pretty sweet in the demo.  The graphics are pretty good, but that is taking into consideration the fact that we only have two tracks to play on with the demo.  3D card holders will be pleased, but I am sick and tired of "Fog" in the distance.  I realize that there is no way to render all of the graphics with the limited wares that I have, but I only hope that fog goes by the wayside the same way that 2D games did in the mid-90's.  

The National track is the "Voodoo Basin," which you'll find a couple of screen shots of to the right.  I made my primary objective in the Voodoo Basin to tag the Channel 8 helicopter and chop off my own head with one of my amazing air launches.  I was unable to complete the mission.  So I found the Helipad and sat there until the chopper came down for a refuel or restock of the fat-ass cooler full of beers that I know they have in there.  The chopper landed right on me, and I was knocked over and immediately returned to the race with no beer or anything.  The National Track is a waste of time.  

There are plenty of distractions on the Stunt track that can take you completely away from the task at hand, which is to outscore your opponents with stunt points.  First of all, can you jump the barn?  Heh heh... just try it for a laugh.  Next, jerk your bike up the big 'ol hills to the south.  They look ominous, but you can make it.  Tear off in the opposite direction of the hills and discover that Microsoft does not like its boundaries crossed.  You'll see what I mean.  Enjoy.

Playability: Learning curve is about 30 minutes.  Maybe longer, depending upon your ability to work those stunt key combinations. It took me awhile, but then again, I'm old.  

Graphics / Sound: Graphics are pretty good, as I stated before.  I hate the Fog Factor, but it's something you're going to contend with today's 3D technology.  Fog enables the programmers to build intricate environments, but only so far.  The sound is fabulous.  The little 250 that you ride in the demo has sound that is pretty close to a real bike, with the skipping throttle and everything.  Landing a 200-foot high jump in the wrong fashion will produce a sound that is pretty close to the time you fell hard on your chest and lost all of the oxygen in your lungs.

Computer Specs:  [recommended PII 300+] - PII 233 with at least 64MB RAM & 8MB video acceleration.  Win95 or higher with DirectX 7.  Sound Card needed.  28.8 Kbps modem for internet play (hahaha - weak).  Note: internet play also requires 64 MB RAM.  Unfortunately, the good games are requiring higher profile systems - which you are seeing here.  

Fun Factor: Oh, baby this game is fun.  I was late for numerous events due to the fact that I wanted to see if I could get a better score than 6900 on the "Heart Attack" maneuver.  I never did.  PS - the "Heart Attack" should actually be called the "Hart Attack," which is named after Carey Hart, a professional motorcross rider who truly created the stunt, where he kicks both of his legs above his head and flies perpendicular to his bike (the same move you can perform as well!).   

Overall: Definitely worth the download once you get the moves down.  The multiplayer feature is fun because you get to test your ability to do tricks with others.  I suck at this demo as far as competition goes, even though I pumped the better part of 25 hours into it.  Not to mention more than $15,000 worth of motorcycles in the real world.  But it's still fun to play.  Just launch off the out-of-bounds area and tell me that isn't fun.  

TOTAL SCORE: 8

MOTORCROSS MADNESS 2
Demo Size: 45 MB
System Requirements [P200/32MB/Win95/98/3D Accelerator/DirectX]
Download Time: 56K: 2 hours 42 mins, 128K: 41 mins, DSL/Cable: 10-15 mins.
Download Here: MOTORCROSS MADNESS 2 FROM MICROSOFT | MOTOCROSS MADNESS FROM PCGAMEWORLD.COM