Ever since the release of the dominant Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series, there really hasn't been that much in the way of competing titles when it comes to fun and easy pickup-n-play extreme sports gaming. Perhaps the pure excellence and almost instantly huge popularity of THPS simply made it unviable for anyone else to try and out-do. Whatever the case, whenever there has been a similar game to THPS from a company other than Activision, it tends to sway towards forms of extreme sport other than skateboarding, such as BMX racing and trick riding. Dave Mirra BMX Challenge for the PSP from Oxygen Games is one such game, and while it is not going to take the portable extreme sport gaming genre by storm, it's definitely a title worth checking out for some no nonsense bike riding fun.

Given this genre of arcade extreme sports makes for great pickup-and-play gaming on consoles, it's no surprise that this is the focus in BMX Challenge on the PSP. While there is a Career mode to supplement the game's two easy going "Quick Play" and "Exhibition" modes, even this mode itself is only ever one or two menu button presses away from the action. You have two types of events in this game spanning all the modes - Race events and Trick events, both of which are self explanatory.

While the Career Mode can be quite basic, there is some depth on offer in the form of customization, such as the ability to edit your rider and upgrade to better bikes, although the amount of options associated with those two are not going to blow you away - just basically cosmetic value here. The amount of venues on offer are also not going to blow you away, with only a handful to experience, although there is one aspect to the game that will impress content wise, and that's the trick list, which features a boat load of easy and hard to pull off tricks, ranging from the basic to the more exotic. It's unfortunate though that the only place in the game you seem to be able to see the trick list is via the Career Mode's main menu, and not in-game, which is quite puzzling. You can see them all in the game manual as well (they span a whole two pages!), but this is still not as convenient as it could have been.

If you have ever played a game in this genre before (like THPS for instance), then the mechanics and fundamentals of this game will be instantly familiar. Pulling off tricks is done by getting air on ramps or half pipes and then executing the desired button presses, with the ability to string tricks together into combos using manuals and grinds which, by the way, are definitely the best way to rack up a lot of points, much like that "other" game. This is definitely not a bad thing though, as the street style trick riding that is manuals and grinds do require a fair amount of skill to properly master, which you'll be required to do if you want to fully appreciate the levels on offer.

I guess at this point in the review I should point out why I happily compare a BMX game like this one to a skateboarding game series like THPS. The reason for this is simply because, while you are indeed riding a bike in this game, you may as well be riding a skateboard, because there really isn't anything significant about this game that captures the specific nature of BMX extreme sports riding. Obviously, given that bikes require constant leg movement to go forward while skateboards are more included to let slopes and body shifting to maintain their speed, interaction on the gamer's behalf will be needed to move forward in this game, but this is done by simply holding down the "X" button, so you quickly forget you're even doing it. The only time the game reminds you that you're on a BMX is when you effortlessly land a trick backwards, which usually means a sore backside on a skateboard, but naturally works fine on a bike.

There is one unique element in BMX Challenge however, and although it's not really bike specific, it's a pretty cool element to this type of gameplay. I'm referring to the game's "adrenaline" system, which is represented in-game via a bar down the right hand side. What you can do is use this bar by tapping "X" to unleash rapid peddling from your rider, increasing your speed to the point you can launch high enough to do multiple back flips on a standard half pipe, or you can use it to execute special moves. This is definitely a fun inclusion and can make for some insane heights and hence some insane vertical trick combos.

Graphically, BMX Challenge is about average and nothing to write home about, but this pays off in two key areas. First of all, the frame rate is silky smooth and not once did it deter from this description throughout our time with the game. Secondly, the load times are very reasonable and won't leave you bored for long at all, which is a pretty good achievement as the levels aren't exactly small. They may not be the most visually detailed, but the balance between visual appeal and practicality is a good one with this game.

Dave Mirra BMX Challenge is a fun and easy going game, but the mechanics and framework are really not unique at all and generally feel a little rehashed. If you have ever played an arcade based extreme sports game in the past, very few surprises will be offered here. With that said though, for a PSP game, you want quick no strings attached gameplay on the go with more in-depth meaningful gameplay on demand, and this game offers both of those. If you find enjoyment in this type of genre and currently lack a similar title on your PSP, then it is definitely worth picking up as it successfully mimics a genre which is simply down right fun.