X-Moto: Open Source Motocross Platform Action

X-Moto is a game I found, while searching around for something to waste my time with. It supports Mac, Windows, and Linux. The Mac version seems to always be a bit behind the other two, but I was playing with the new version 0.2.7, and I am quite impressed.

It is definitely on its way to becoming a great game and there was a huge tech leap between the last version and this one. New textures, sounds, levels, less bugs, and more. I guarantee, once you start playing, you can’t quit until you have played at least 30 minutes. X-Moto sucks away your time, but it sure is a fun ride.

The Gameplay is roughly the same concept as other games such as the old Dirt Bike Game, that only works on older macs, and not the new Intel chips. The game is 2d, and you’re basically riding a motorcycle, trying to make it over hills and other obstacles. The goal of the game is to collect all of the apples (or sometimes other things in user created levels), and then to get to the flower, which will complete that level. The game is certainly not that easy though, because of the sensitivity of leaning back and forward, it is more about using the gas and brake to keep balance.

X-Moto is almost endless, and it comes with over 100 levels right out of the box. Also if you enable the downloading of user created levels you will have about 800+ levels immediately on hand. Having all of those levels gets frustrating though, because many of them are very hard to complete! I have only completed 54 out of 889 levels. Sometimes it will make you want to pull your hair out, but you can just move on to another level, and get back to the fun. That is what makes this game sticky for me, being able to skip a level, and do something else, and come back to it at another time.

The game is open-source, so you are able to download the code for the game and change it if you desire. There are also different themes, and hundreds of user created levels and mods for it. There is a level editor, but sadly there doesn’t seem to be a version for Mac. If you decide to download this game, which is free, make sure you get the newest version, there really is a huge difference between the last version, and the new one. Having said all of that there are still many bugs to work out with this game, and I had many problems trying to make the new version of it work, but I believe it had something to do with the video settings I had set.

Overall, X-Moto is a great game for race gamers or platform fans. Definitely check it out, here.