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Fun game, but awful steering

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: July 03, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I am so annoyed! As much fun as this game has potential to be, I want to send it back because of how bad the steering is! I oversteer everything. And I don't care how a regular monster truck handles, this is not realistic. Everytime I am on the edge of a cliff or bridge (cut me a break..I am learning!) I get thrown off the side no matter how hard and sharp I am turning the wheel to stay on.. Yet when I don't want it to turn, I find myself doing donuts. Whats the deal????
I am never going to unlock a truck at this rate.

Fairly decent and fun game but could be better

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: July 18, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I was happy to see that there was a Monster Jam branded monster truck game since my five year old son is such a huge monster truck fan (and I have to admit, I've gotten into them a bit through my son). Though this game is pretty fun, it does have some major faults, though it represents a pretty good value if you can get it for less than $20.

First of all, the good aspects of the game: For those of you who are into the Monster Jam monster trucks, it really is a thrill to control your favorite monster truck throughout the different venues. And though you do have to unlock quite a few monster trucks, you are able to play some popular monster trucks from the very beginning: Grave Digger, Monster Mutt, Blue Thunder, and King Crunch for example. Supposedly the venues are modeled after the actual stadiums, but I can't really tell -- a monster truck stadium is a monster truck stadium to me. The tracks for the races seem fairly well thought out though some tracks are very frustrating. You not only compete in outdoor races but also in one on one stadium races and freestyle competitions where you do stunts and smash cars. Overall, it's a lot of fun, particularly playing freestyle competition using your favorite monster truck to do stunts and small cars.

Unfortunately, there are several issues that make the game less than perfect.

- First of all is the control. Others have pointed out how easy it is to oversteer, and I have to agree. It seems some trucks are more prone to oversteering than others (Gravedigger to me was the worst). I sure wish they tightened this up a bit. It is possible to get used to it, but it really is touchy. Also, I had a minor issue with button layout. You can rearrange the buttons, but I didn't like how "boost" was set at pressing the direction pad right as sometimes in the heat of playing, I press down which changes the camera view. I wish they used the back "B" button instead.
- Second, during the races, if you bump against another car (as often happens during races), you always always ALWAYS get pushed off track or flip over. The computer cars NEVER seem to be the one pushed off track or spun around, and this seems to happen regardless of which monster truck I use (It would make sense if a truck was heavier than another and tended not to get spun around or bumped off track). In this regard, I wish that there was some way of knowing what differences there were between trucks. For instance, in some racing games, different cars would have different characteristics -- more speed, less acceleration, more weight for example. With this game, you have no idea what the different characteristics of the trucks are if any. It does seem like there are differences, though. When I play with Gravedigger, I seem to be able to achieve higher jumps on Freestyle competitions but then the control is more prone to oversteering.
- Third, it really is a pain to unlock more monster trucks. You unlock trucks by getting points through stunts you do or smashing objects. However, you can only earn points during the "Championship" circuit (as opposed to single events -- a single race or single freestyle event). Additionally, say you play a freestyle event and earn 10000 points. But, because you did not finish in the top three, you don't get to move on to the next event, so you play that freestyle event again. The second time you play, you earn 12000 points. But, you don't earn 12000 points. You only earn 2000 "new" points (because you only earned 2000 more than your highest). So even though in total you earned 22000 points, you only have credit for 12000. Well, when you are trying to earn 75000 points to unlock a new monster truck, this takes a long time. I felt like this was needless. Just add all the points not just "new points"! Come on, guys!
- Finally, sometimes the camera doesn't move fast enough. You usually see from the vantage point of behind the truck. However, if you get spun around the camera starts to rotate around too slowly, even if you recovered, and it's hard to tell which direction you're facing. This is crucial during the races as it wastes time.

Graphics wise, I thought it was ok. I didn't find it awful or distracting. This is the Wii after all, not a Playstation 3. Also for the races, in order to win, you should know that most (if not all) of the tracks have shortcuts in them. Drive around slowly, and you'll see them. Battle mode is fun -- the kids absolutely love crashing into each other.

Overall, this is a very fun game, and like I said, it's a thrill to control your favorite Monster Jam trucks. Too bad the experience is hampered by touching steering and needlessly onerous truck unlocking scheme. A pretty good value for less than $20 (Amazon happened to have it on sale when I bought it). Plus, my five year old just goes nuts over driving his favorite trucks!

Could be Better

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: August 19, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I dont play this game because it belongs to my boys, they love it. But i will have to agree with most of the reviewers here, the graphics are not great and the steering on this game is not great. Kids, i'm sure they will say the love it as mine do, but i dont think you will find a lot of adults that would say this is a great game.

Fun game......

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: May 27, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This is a great game. My boys enjoy it almost as much as I do, my boys are 7 amd 3, by the way. My only complaint would be that the controls take some getting used to, other than that, I highly recommend this game.

fun, but not a good game....

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: June 30, 2008
Author: Amazon User

A few things about the game, the controls are horrible, steering is poor at best. I can never win a race or let alone have a chance of winning because of the oversteer on these trucks. I'm 34 and me and my son whose 5 play this game, he has fun driving around and wrecking things. As far as racing he doesnt know any better.

Fair at best

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: July 10, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I was disappointed with thsi game. The graphics are lousy and the continual scream of engines gets on the nerves. I guess I should have considered what kind of game I was buying but I still think this one is weak.

Wii graphics just dont cut it

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 1 / 4
Date: May 09, 2008
Author: Amazon User

The gameplay overall is very fun, it just lacks quality on the graphics side. Which i guess is to be expectided from wii games sence they lack HD graphics capibilities. The driving is very hard to get used to as well. IT turns faster than you turn the wii-mote and sometimes it turns slower. It also felt like I had to have it completly verticle or it would lose signal to the wii.

The steering wheel causes sensor problem

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: June 09, 2008
Author: Amazon User

this is not as easy to play as it looks. First of all you can't treat it like you're in a race car because if you go fast you'll lose control. You have to go extra slow in order to make your turns. I found that the padded sticker on the wheel causes glue streaks on the remote control sensor. When I play other games the streaks marks would cause problem w/the remote being recognize. I want to send it back. I don't know if it's just a defective one or is it just the way they are. My little boy likes it even though he's almost three. He can make it spin and he likes monster trucks for this reason I give it two out of five.

The best games

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: June 09, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I think it is a good game in its genre, and that depends on the taste of people, the game is excellent but not have good graphics. We recommend

Monster Jam is Fun!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: May 31, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I bought this game after going to see the live show at Naples, and the game is really what a Monster Jam game should be and more.

It's got many trucks (like 20) and you need to unlock some of them, you can play in many different ways or modes (free-style, race in stadiums and circuits, etc.)

The control is touchy, but once you get used to it, it is really fun.
I recommend the game to any monster truck fan. The graphics, as in any other wii games, are not hi-def, but are very good overall, the trucks look like the real thing (my favorites are Gravedigger, Bulldozer and Predator) and you can smash almost everything in the tracks (the trucks show the damage too) It is like being a part of the actual live Monster Jam Show.

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