Castrol Honda Superbike Racing PlayStation

As the title alludes to, players are thrown aboard the ~Castrol ~Honda racing team in Castrol Honda Superbike Racing. Each player races on the ~Honda RC45 motorbike, which can be customized by altering the gear ratios, transmission (automatic or manual), and tire compounds. Before the racing begins, your racer's name must be set up; after doing so, you'll then be able to choose from a variety of gameplay modes including a Practice and Trainer session, Single Race, or Championship (most of which are two-player, excluding the Trainer session).

The Practice session allows you to select any track (14 in all) and race without competition or scoring; it's sole purpose is to get players comfortable with the controls and track layouts. Trainer sessions are basically the same as a Practice session, only you're racing against another bike. The bike rides in front of you, showing you how you should turn and where you should be positioning your bike on that particular track. In the Championship and Single races, you'll be racing against computer controlled opponents – the latter is a 13-race tournament for the championship.

Because there are a multitude of options, players can alter the difficulty settings and realism. There are a total of six difficulty levels ranging from the lowly "rookie" to the elite "ace". Additionally, auto braking can be enabled causing your bike to automatically slow down into the turns – a great feature for the new players. Players have the option to activate help arrows for turning; if you're going into a left turn, an arrow will warn you beforehand. Other options include steering assist and penalties (turning them off ups the arcade feel).

Depending on the realism settings you've set, your bike can do a few tricks and get damaged. During the race, you'll be able to show off by popping wheelies and other slick maneuvers. If the bike damage is on, your tires will begin to wear down the more you race on them – you can even lose the rear wheel if you aren't careful. The engine will also overheat and running into things causes your bike to get damaged. ~ Jonathan Sutyak, All Game Guide