Genre: Racing
Publisher: SCEA
Developer: Climax
Release Date: October 17, 2006

When the PlayStation Portable launched in March 2005, Sony Computer Entertainment America made sure to line up as many of its flagship properties as possible to ensure there would be something (familiar) for everyone. One of those properties was the ATV Offroad Fury series, which was represented on a handheld for the first time with Blazin' Trails. Though it sold well enough to later be branded a Greatest Hit, the game did not receive an overwhelming amount of critical praise. In the few short minutes that I played it, I could tell right away that the poor control scheme and iffy graphics were keeping the game from the finish line.

ATV Offroad Fury Pro, on the other hand, comes across as a reactionary title. The changes made to the game are not just a reaction to its predecessor, but also MX vs. ATV: On the Edge, which hit the system in February. Not only was On the Edge a well-built game, but it was packed to the brim with tracks, gear, and vehicles. Freed from the restrictions of an ATV racer, it had bikes, buggies, sand rails, and even golf carts. Most of all, it was a blast, only hampered by the excessive load times that plagued nearly every aspect of the title.

Sony has been outdone before and probably will be again, but it's great to see them try to put up a fight. I have been playing a preview build of ATV Offroad Fury Pro for a few days now, and I am largely impressed by what it has to offer. In fact, I have to wonder why they haven't dropped the ATV moniker altogether; just call it Offroad Fury and let everyone know right away that this is an entirely new venture. Regardless of the full title, ATV Offroad Fury Pro makes Blazin' Trails look like an amateur, with flashy graphics, a heap of varied content, and a tighter feel to the analog stick.

I'm not typically a graphics junkie, but the visuals in ATV Offroad Fury Pro grabbed my attention from the start. The riders are large and well-animated, and the tracks are very well-designed. The standard supercross tracks seen in similar racers are present, but with some welcome, key differences. Embedded in some of the tracks are sets of wooden logs that must be overcome, as well as construction equipment in the background and sometimes a helicopter in the sky. The rugged outdoor tracks have diverting paths with some nice foliage in and around the courses.

I noticed a couple of weather/puddle effects in the game, with decidedly difference results. When you splash into one of the large, beautifully-rendered puddles, the water "sprays" onto the screen and creates an impressive dripping effect. On the other hand, an outdoor level on a snow-covered course revealed one of the more embarrassing effects I have seen in a long time. Large, square pixels popped up on the screen, in no way replicating the intended falling snow effect. Granted, this is a pre-release copy, so I can only hope that this issue is addressed before the game hits retail.

Most notably, the title features a fantastic framerate that never faltered in the hours I spent with it. It appears to be running at 60fps, but I can only speculate. Whatever the framerate, it looks fantastic and addresses the issues many had with Blazin' Trails. The loading times are pretty good, typically landing between 25 and 35 seconds, with up to an additional 10 seconds for the auto-save feature, should something need to be saved. Compared to other racing games on the handheld, 30 seconds is no big deal.

ATV Offroad Fury Pro has quite a bit to offer in terms of vehicle types. All-terrain vehicles are (obviously) present, as well as bikes, buggies, trucks, rally cars, and even Ski-Doo snowmobiles. Everything controls really well with the analog nub, though you can also use the d-pad if you prefer. As is the norm with these titles, you can pre-load your jumps on the ATV and bike by holding down and then pushing up just as you come off of a ramp. This move is absolutely essential to your success, as not pre-loading will often force you to slowly drive over every small bump on the track.

Several race types are available in the game, including Supercross, Rallycross, Nationals, Circuit, Endurocross, Rally, and Snowcross. Each race type has its own set of tracks and objectives, as well as its own specific set of useable vehicle types. Additionally, the Freestyle mode allows you to either play around on a large course conducive to tricks, or fulfill objectives (drive through a dozen targets, link five unique stunts). The various gametypes can be played in the Single and Championship modes, depending on how long you want to play.

A track editor has been included, and your created tracks can be shared with others and played online in ad-hoc or infrastructure modes. I was unable to connect to the server, but I doubt I would find anyone online at this point anyway. Additional mini-games, such as pool and a card battle mode, will be included in the retail release. Those who pick up both ATV Offroad Fury Pro and the forthcoming ATV Offroad Fury 4 for PlayStation 2 will be able to swap data between the versions, unlocking classic tracks from the previous games in the series and other new content.

Though music was playing on the menu screen, there was no sound at all during the races. This made it difficult to start each race (as no visual cue is present), but I have no doubts that the final version will be bug-free and ready to go when it hits retail in a couple of weeks. However, I was able to take a look at the jukebox in the options menu. Thirty-three tracks were listed, including tunes from Alkaline Trio ("We Can Never Break Up"), Andrew W.K. (I Want to See You"), and Lostprophets ("The New Transmission"). It has something for everyone … assuming everyone loves rock.

ATV Offroad Fury Pro looks to be a very significant improvement over the disappointing Blazin' Trails. It has the looks, the skills, and quite a bit of fresh content, but we'll have to see if it all comes together well in the final version. It's hard to say at this point if it will top MX vs. ATV: On the Edge, but it certainly looks to be a very close race. Check back in a few weeks for our full review.