Game Reviews

BMX Cunning Stunts

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BMX Cunning Stunts
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| BMX Cunning Stunts

You've already spotted it, haven't you?

I'm going to go out on the limb here and suggest that the last two words in the game's name probably caught your eye before the first one did. Those of you tittering at the back can pipe down, right now.

What initially appears to be a rather juvenile way of garnering some attention actually feels at home in BMX Cunning Stunts. This is a game that flashes up 'narley' on the screen instead of 'gnarly' when you pull off a flash set of mid-air tricks, not to mention the fact that a symbol more commonly found on disabled toilets is used as the game's help menu icon. Controversial.

Almost like a kid desperately trying to impress his mates, BMX Cunning Stunts is actually about as wild as a bunch of accountants putting together a budget report, a series of faux pas undermining any credence to real BMXing for which Jump Games might have been aiming.

BMX Cunning Stunts sets out a fairly simple stall, the idea being to prove yourself on each course to unlock the following one. In addition to picking up points, each level comes with a set number of challenges that have to be met in order to progress.

Using the touchscreen to both steer and power your bike, earning points is a question of riding up to jumps that litter the courses and tapping the middle of the screen as late as you possibly can to soar into the sky.

At that point, icons representing the tricks you've unlocked (each round add further moves to your roster) appear on both sides, the idea being to hold your finger down on one to pull off said stunt before you run out of air.

Manage it and you're rewarded with batches of points, extra ones heaped into the bargain if you manage to combine more than one trick in the one jump. Bonus points can also be picked up by leaping into green icons scattered at the top of jumps: seconds are added to the clock if you manage to pick up other blue icons similarly located on all of the maps.

It's all standard, and the game itself looks fine, but it takes a tumble when it comes to the tricks themselves. Mid-flight, the whole experience becomes a little jerky, combos highlighting how, visually at least, the moves don't actually link up.

The design of the maps isn't especially creative, either, most of them comprising rectangle shaped arenas with jumps and ramps spaced evenly around.

None of that stops BMX Cunning Stunts being fairly fun to play while it holds your attention. It may not win any awards for originality and that title is likely to put off as many as it attracts, but a play on words is not without one or two stunning moments of its own.

BMX Cunning Stunts

Despite its lack of street cred, BMX Cunning Stunts manages to be mildly entertaining, even though it's unlikely to hold your attention for long
Score
Keith Andrew
Keith Andrew
With a fine eye for detail, Keith Andrew is fuelled by strong coffee, Kylie Minogue and the shapely curve of a san serif font. He's also Pocket Gamer's resident football gaming expert and, thanks to his work on PG.biz, monitors the market share of all mobile OSes on a daily basis.