In recent times Valantino Rossi has been the man when it comes to bike racing. Over the past few years he's been on top of more podiums than Paris Hilton and it's rumoured that this season's officials actually ordered him to break his own leg to even things up a bit. His fame comes from the equal measures of technical ability and riding flare that he possesses but, sadly, his success is not all good news. As great as Valantino is and as impressive the number of newcomers he has drawn to the sport, the downside of his notoriety is that many people who know his name know very little more about the MotoGP series he competes in and even less about the separate Super-bike championship that is equally exciting.

For a while, bike racing console games have been in a similar situation, with MotoGP the only one most gamers could name. This masked the fact that more and more were being released every year and it's not just the high profile ones such as the recent Tourist Trophy where there is some real talent at work. Hoping to join the growing list of critically acclaimed titles is Super-Bikes: Riding Challenge from Italian developers Milestone.

When you first slot the disk in and hit the PS2's ignition things begin promisingly, with an intro sequence to rival any other racing game on the system. Riding Challenge continues to hold its own with its in-game graphics, which although not quite as crisp and detailed as those of some other titles, are still more than adequate, especially when looking at the environments surrounding the tracks. The same is also true of the animation, which features a virtual absence of any slowdown, something which is even more impressive considering the pace of the action and some of the things the game tries to achieve.

Things drop off slightly when it comes to sound. Once again there really is nothing wrong, but there's also not much that's outstanding. Bike noises are realistic in terms of the way tyres squeal and engines change pitch as you move up and down through the gears but beyond these basic things though there isn't that extra level of depth that makes it anything special. Whilst the noises for each different category of bikes are different, there isn't the easily recognisable individuality to the sound of each machine. The roar of the engine is also noticeably flat in some respects; for example, you don't hear the tone change in any way as it digs in up a steep hill or the sound of it racing as you hurtle down the other side.

"So far, so ordinary" you're probably thinking and your opinion may not alter when you hear that Riding Challenge features a Free Ride jump in and play section as well as a more structured Career mode, where you have to complete challenges in various disciplines and work your way through three tours, each for an increasingly powerful category of bike, to be able to compete in the full championship. That's where all the formulaic stuff comes to an end, however, because the developers have tried to do something different with the gameplay. In the past the best bike racing games have concentrated on being either serious simulators or edge of your seat arcade thrillers. Rising Challenge takes this convention and sends it hurtling headlong into the tyre wall, because Milestone have not only tried to bring elements of both styles together, they've also chucked in a load of other things at the same time.

To begin with, each bike has an intricate front and rear braking system and individual statistics in a variety of different categories, such as torque and displacement, which all sounds very realistic and serious. In contrast, however, the actual number of unique variables for each machine is very limited, as are the number of bikes available, at around forty. There's also no option for any sort of manual modification and the result of these things is that the game has a simple, quick play feel. The tracks are also a conglomeration of different designs, with faithful recreations of proper racing circuits like Donington Park lining up alongside fantasy tracks such as one set around the streets of London. All of the courses are available in Free Ride and also feature in the Career mode, which begins with a first tour that uses the lowest level bikes. The emphasis here is on precision with handling and track placement and things are enjoyable enough without ever getting really exciting. However, that all changes when you move on to the next grade of machines in the second tour.

The first race here is on the Colli Senesi, one of the most entertaining arcade style tracks in the game and, at about the same time that the rumble of the cobbled streets beneath your tyres hits you, the increase in speed does as well. Gone is the gentle feel that accompanied the first tour as you now find yourself battling against a bike that appears to be one of those mechanical bull-riding machines with a jet engine strapped to it. This new found speed is very realistic, but when it's combined with the fact that you're always racing against seven other competitors, the whole experience begins to takes on a beautiful arcade racing feel, which lasts until you allow as much as a millimetre of tyre rubber to leave the track. At this point you're plunged back into reality with crashes that are not only unforgiving but cause lasting damage to your rider for the rest of the race, thanks to an on screen health bar that drops every time you and your bike are separated by your carelessness. If you end up throwing yourself around more than Norman Wisdom then the bar disappears completely and you rider cannot carry on.

The health bar is not the only interesting feature Milestone have included; they have also decided to throw in a bit of role play as well, with your rider being rated in various different categories such as braking and cornering. The completion of races and challenges is rewarded with experience points that can be used to increase your rider's abilities and also purchase more stylish equipment, some of which also protects you better if you decide to go skidding along the tarmac on your backside.

Developing your abilities over time is not something that is completely new to racing games but Milestone have again decided to go with their own take on this and include categories not only for technical attributes but mental ones as well, such as intimidation and willpower. These are most important in overtaking manoeuvres, with each computer rider having their own bar, which begins to deplete when you get close up behind them. If you can stay tight for long enough to empty the bar, the rider will panic and make a mistake, which should be enough for you to easily slip past. The psychological element isn't all one way though, as you also have exactly the same bar present on-screen at all times. You know when another rider is putting you under pressure, because you feel and hear your heartbeat and, in the same way, if your bar completely disappears you're also more likely to make a mistake. Although things often happen very fast in the game, making the whole bar affair a bit hit and miss, it's a really nice idea. The fact that it's not only been included for you but for the computer riders as well and the way the non-human racers not only make slight positional errors on the track but also leave it completely at points makes it all feel like you're racing against actual human competitors, rather than the perfect drones of some other games.

Super-Bikes: Riding Challenge is a real melting pot of different ideas that could have come together on the track about as successfully as Nicky Hayden and Dani Predrosa, resulting in a game that tried to do as many things as possible rather than doing anything well - but that definitely isn't the case. It's true that some of the ideas don't gel together as smoothly as others, and the game's biggest problem is that it may still fall between two stools by being too unforgiving for casual racers but not hardcore enough for real bikers. What Milestone have created then is something similar to a young Valantino Rossi, a rough diamond that shows promise in a wide number of areas; it's a game that will not only give you an enjoyable time, but possibly also future bragging rights as you can say you played the original before the series went on to become big.

Reviewed by James Hamblin for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).