User Note
First of all, I remember playing this game on the demo disc called "Interactive CD Sampler: Volume Three." Even though you could only play on one track (which was the snowboarding level Japan 1), it was pretty fun to play. This snowboarding level was enjoyable to play and did not look half as bad for a PlayStation game made in the mid 90s. After playing this one track on this one game, you figure that you would want to try out the full version of the game by purchasing the game itself. Once you purchase the game, you find out that there are four different levels to choose from (each with three different tracks) with four different vehicles (snowboard, skateboard, bicycle, and roller blades). However, unlike 1xtreme, each vehicle is specific to only one level, for example the skateboard is specific to Los Angeles, the snowboard is specific to Japan, the roller blades are specific to Las Vegas, and the bicycles are specific to Africa (and their three tracks respectfully) but they are not available on multiple levels. This makes the game fairer in terms of each player using the same vehicle at all times. But I do have to say that this game is as addictive as it is difficult.

GAME PLAY - 6 out of 10
This game is a very enjoyable game as long as you have a decent sense of humor. It takes some time to get used to all the negativity in this game but once you go through it all you begin to accept the inevitability. Of course, like most racing games made in the 90s, the game contains the Catch-Up effect which is basically a cap on how a player maintains the lead in a race. At some points during the race, it may seem like you are going to overtake your opponent with ease, when out of nowhere he obtains this incredible force that propels him ahead of you just enough for him to claim a victory. Then, you see that 90 degree turn coming up and you take this turn just a little too wide, which causes your opponent to move ahead of you by 5 seconds!? Really?! This will make it nearly impossible for you to ever catch back up to your opponent in time for you to win before the race abruptly ends. Anyway, let's talk about the types of gates that are involved in the game. There are many different types of gates that appear throughout all of the levels, which can range from points (150, 250, or 500), trap gates (the purple ones), and special abilities. I will not explain the point gates since they pretty much speak for themselves but I will say that you should keep your eyes peeled for the dark green gate, which offers 500 points. The trap gates can be a game changer. These purple gates activate motion traps which seemed to be trailers that move forward and back once a player goes through the gate. You will hear a fatal crash of metal once these so called 'trailers' are struck by players moving at ridiculous speeds. It is best to avoid these gates at all costs unless the time comes to where the race is all most over and you are about mid-way through the pack (or almost last). Now for the special abilities. These types of gates include Speed, Stamina, Strength, and Big Air. The Speed gate is definitely a gate that you do not want to miss and there are most likely two of them on each track so it is not the end of the world if do you miss one. Stamina gates are pretty essential as well, as they give you unlimited stamina for a limited amount of time (I would say about 5 seconds or so). These gates are useful when you are playing on tracks where there are many different types of things that you can run into, like Los Angeles or Las Vegas, and they are also useful when you are fist fighting with the other opponents. Another useful ability for fist fighting is the Strength gate, which increases the power of your strength. So this means, instead of knocking down your opponents with 3 or 4 punches, you will be able to knock them down with 1 single punch (maybe 2). I am not sure what the point structure is for knockdowns but I will assume it is 500 points for one knockdown, in which the Strength and Stamina gates are very important for this statistic. Last but not least is the Big Air gate, which launches you up into the air and is not really necessary at all unless you know that you have a big lead and feel like pulling off a few moves before the race ends. Combining all of these different types of gates and abilities can lead to an impressive increase in your high score.       

GRAPHICS - 2 out of 10
The first thing you see is the main menu. This is actually a rather impressive 3 dimensional main menu, to say the least, in which it offers lots of options from keeping track of your stats to character creation. The models for each character are also displayed in 3-D and they look good but they do not look the same when you actually start the game and play, which is very disappointing. Also, the vehicles are an eyesore as well with the best looking one being the bicycle on the Africa tracks and the best looking level being the Japan tracks for the snowboards. It is one of those games where people say that 'the graphics are so bad that it is funny,' mostly because the animations in the game are too short and they sometimes do not play out the way you think they will. Although, this one saying is the perfect way to sum up this entire review. The traffic in the game is pretty crappy too, especially when you consider the fundamentals of everyday traffic. You would figure that if you were driving on the road and see an ambulance coming by with its sirens on, then you would pull over and pretty much stop right? Not for the traffic in this game. In the Los Angeles and Las Vegas levels, there are some points where you have to cross intersections that contain some traffic. The traffic looks like cardboard cut outs of many different types of vehicles from ambulances to taxis. But this traffic does not stop for anyone especially for ambulances and other emergency vehicles unless you hit one of the vehicles yourself, in which the traffic will completely stop and block your further advancements (of course). Speaking of cardboard cut outs, I suppose that you could say that all of the on-track graphics look like cardboard cut outs from fences and obstacles, to animals and pedestrians. But if you were to hit an elemental specific obstacle, like a wood fence or a metal gate, then you would hear that obstacle's specific sound (which makes sense). So, all in all, not that great on graphics  

CONTROLS - 5 out of 10
The controls of this game are fairly simple (as they usually are with every other PlayStation game) making it easy to maneuver the tracks, perform stunts, and knock your opponents down. Some people who have tried this game may tell you otherwise that the controls are as hard as they are simple. Most of them are right, since there are many factors in this game that can be a bit of a pain at higher speeds, but all you really have to do is practice and pay attention. Mastering corners is a big factor that can be annoying but can also be rewarding if done correctly. The trick is to try and stay as straight as possible without hitting anything that is off to the side of the track. It would probably be better to show you this in a video rather than trying to explain it in a review, but say there is this 90 degree left turn up ahead. Therefore, you should try and aim the turn so that you are as far left as possible at the apex of the turn (without hitting the wall), and going straight right after that, so it sort of 'slingshots' you forward, though it can be difficult on the Los Angeles and Las Vegas levels...it just takes practice. Another factor is the stunts, which can be kind of frustrating at times. The key is to avoid any ramps that are located off an incline or the ones located on corners (since you can not turn your vehicle while in the air). For example, let's say you see a ramp coming up and you think to yourself 'I am going to do this awesome stunt but if there is an incline or hill just beyond the ramp, then it is best to avoid this because you will most likely crash. When hitting these types of ramps, for some reason, the game sort of messes up and pulls you closer and faster to the ground so it makes it nearly impossible to do any kind of stunt. However, you will be perfectly fine hitting a ramp that is off a straightaway. Also, if you want to just finish the track as fast as possible, then it is best to avoid any and all ramps because they will slow you down...a lot. 

SOUND - 5 out of 10
The sound and music of this game is freakin' hilarious! The actual track music is alright because it sounds exactly like what you would expect of an extreme-sport-type game. But the announcer, or narrator (or whatever the hell he is)... this guy is the main event right here. He will tell you exactly what kind of gates you are going through and what abilities you are using. My favorite quote from him is probably the purple trap gate, in which he says "Heads Up!" and right after that you hear metal crashing because everyone is hitting the trap, LOL! Another funny sound effect is when you fail on a stunt. Not only do you hear your own knees scrapping across the ground, but if you are trying to perform an awesome stunt and fail, then you hear the crowd booing even though you do not see any fans around you. But it is all in good sportsmanship because if you do land the stunt, then the crowd will applaud and (depending on what stunt you actually perform) sometimes cheer for your wonderful performance. The fist fighting is just as animated. Swinging punches (or kicking on bikes) at some dude on a skateboard, seeing him get knocked down into a ramp and then goes flying through the air? It just does not get any better than that.

In conclusion, this is a decent 6 out of 10 game (in my opinion) that every PlayStation gamer should own (or at least try). Yeah it kind of sucks in terms of graphics and I guess the game play is difficult for the average gamer, but you should at least give this game a chance if you have not played it before. Personally, I think the game would be better played with friends rather than by yourself against the computer opponents. This sequel to the original 1xtreme is probably the best out of its trilogy, even surpassing 3xtreme which agreeably has better graphics but not as great with the game play. Currently I own the hard copy of this game and I will most likely keep it, since I doubt that the game is worth much of anything nowadays. However, if I did not own this game and just saw it lying around at a garage sale or some kind of flee market for a dollar and a half, then I would jump on it because you basically have nothing to lose. But do not just take my word for it and do not rely on the horrible reviews for this game...try it out for yourself right here on Vizzed!
    

Kruzer : I agree, some reviews and or ratings can be misleading sometimes. You think a game is bad based on the ratings and then you try it and be like, " Hey I actually like this game, forget the ratings!"