10 World Vert Titles, 1 Epic Road Trip Product Information All you need for endless hours of single or multiplayer action. Ride as theundisputed King of BMX Mat Hoffman or as one of 10 other top pro ridersincluding Ruben Alcantara, Cory Nastazio, Mike Escamilla, Nathan Wessel, JoeKowalski and many more. The game features hours of exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from MatHoffman's Pro B

Fans of extreme-sports games looking for a diversion from Tony Hawk will want to sign up for the road trip in Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2, in which you'll join 11 other riders on a tricked-out tear across the U.S.--from Oklahoma City to Hawaii.

But before you can hang with the likes of Mat "The Condor" Hoffman or Ruben "Pollo" Alcantara, it's advisable to practice your chops on the Free Ride or Session modes, especially if you're a newcomer to tricks-based sports games. We spent a good amount of time on Free Ride's open-ended play time to master the complicated sets of controller taps needed to achieve trick points.

The levels that you can ride in either Session or Free Ride depend on what you've unlocked in Road Trip. To get to the next destination, you'll need to complete a set of four challenges not once, but three times (in rookie, semipro, and pro). That can be a daunting challenge, especially for beginners, and for more experienced players it can get a little tedious as you search for the final trick that will push you to the next level. That said, after building some new calluses, we found a satisfying BMX groove and zoomed along on our road trip.

The game also includes several multiplayer options, including HORSE, Tag, Halfpipe Hell, Graffiti War, and Push, where you try to out trick your opponent and make his side of the screen smaller by increasing your side of the screen. Graphically, the game detail is superb--from the bikes and riders to the glitzy lights of the Las Vegas background. Our one major technical beef came from not being able to use our own soundtrack, but the game is populated with some fine tunes, ranging from LL Cool J to Iggy Pop. --Agen Schmitz

Pros:

• As tricky and fun to master as Tony Hawk
• Fantastic graphics--from backgrounds to riders
• Numerous multiplayer games

Cons:

• Can be frustrating for beginners to extreme-sports games
• You can't set your own soundtrack

Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2 challenges players to perform hundreds of tricks and signature moves in a variety of realistic, obstacle-filled street, vert, and dirt freestyle courses. Using an intuitive and solid control scheme, the game features two-player H-O-R-S-E, split-screen demolition derby, and graffiti for all three types of courses. Gamers can also play in career mode, moving up the ranks to win the ultimate BMX crown by unlocking new courses and upgrading their bikes and rider abilities. Players can create their own custom BMX courses in real-time 3-D, with more than 100 different variations of ramps, rails, fun boxes, and other obstacles.