There are times when racers fail to meet the standards of what today's gamers expect. Over the years we've seen some average efforts and some downright awful additions to the genre. But thankfully, SBK-07: Superbike World Championship isn't one of them - in fact, as soon as it arrived, I just knew it was going to be something fresh and different. Zooming direct from publishers Black Bean comes this fantastic adrenaline-fuelled motorbike racer, filled with everything the average racing fan could desire. So grab your helmet, pull on your bike leathers and rev that throttle, because this is going to be fun!

SBK-07 is an action packed racer with a choice of eleven tracks. Although they don't vary much in their look (they are mostly just roads around a bit of sand plus stands filled with animated spectators at the checkpoints) it is definitely playable. You might argue that there isn't much in the way of interesting scenery to enjoy as the twisting roads and sparse environment zooms by, but it is very much a reflection of how these tracks look in real life. Personally I liked the minimal effect, and you don't want to be looking at the scenery when you're in a race with twenty-one other riders all competing for first place. The bikes themselves are well-rendered and graphically impressive, and overall there's a great atmosphere to the racing, thanks to the accomplished visuals.

Getting to grips with the steering can be a little hard during these races, especially when it comes to corners and the annoying sand that slows you right down if you ride over it. Because these are modified bikes though, there isn't a lot you can actually do to improve the tyres, engines and general performance, other then picking and choosing the right bike for you from the choice of fifteen available. However, the lack of customisation isn't a problem as the range of bikes on offer makes up for it.

As you prepare for the big race at the start point with all the other bikers and their engines buzzing with impatience, you soon forget all about the smaller details and are only focused on winning the race. The speed at which these bikes whiz by is thrilling, but if you're really struggling with the controls and the sharp corners of some tracks, you can go for a bit of training before you race by selecting one of the practise sessions from the main menu. There are lots of alternative choices at the menu screen, from Quick Race where you compete with various world champions, to Challenge, where you get to tackle speed limits and try to pass through the checkpoints exceeding the speed target. This adds a new and exciting dimension to the game.

If you want to stick to simpler races, then go to Quick Race, select the bike you want and the weather conditions, from a choice of sunny, clear, cloudy, rainy or random, and get racing. I was staggered by how amazingly accurate it is, the rain realistically blowing onto the television screen as if you are really there at the heart of the action. The varying weather conditions are a good thing to have on a game like this, making the tracks more challenging when they're slippery. It also creates another dimension on the road and helps make the dull environment a bit more interesting.

The sound is quite impressive too; I loved the realistic way the bike's tyres screech as you drive around the bends, but the music is the element that wraps it all up. Whenever you complete a contest and preview the race, exciting, powerful rock themed tunes accompany the highlights. It fits perfectly for a soundtrack to these tough motorbike competitors racing to win and proves to be very stimulating, especially if like me, you've collided with the other racers and all three or four of you are tumbling from your bikes to the ground.

There are some extras, featuring 'Umbrella Girls'. All this basically means is collecting and unlocking images of young women to ogle at. Being a young woman myself this isn't really my thing, but I suppose most men will fancy the women on offer (you first get to see them when the loading menu is up). There are also 'prize card decks' (black, red and golden cards) to unlock various extra content too. There isn't any online gaming to access, which is a shame, especially if you have really enjoyed the game and want to race against online competition any time, but split screen is available. Besides, there's enough content in the single player mode to keep you going for a while, including a Professional option if you think you've trained well and are good enough to go with this more challenging mode.

SBK-07: Superbike World Championship is a great bike racer; with fun gameplay, sharp visuals, good sound effects, rock & roll music and enough adrenaline to keep you pumped, this is definitely one game that stands out from the crowd - and if you make a space for it on your games shelf, I'm sure you'll agree.

Reviewed by Jessica Roberts for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).