Jet Moto Review

One thing I love about PlayStation Plus Premium is that it has opened the doors to many games from the past that I never got around to playing when they were current. One such title is a futuristic arcade racing game from 1996 developed by SingleTrac, the developers of the much-renowned original two Twisted Metal titles on the original PlayStation. This title, of course, is Jet Moto.

Jet Moto is a futuristic hover jet-ski racing game that came out in 1996, two years before I received my original PlayStation console for Christmas in late 1998. I recall seeing it for rent at my local video store many times, but I never rented it back then. I was more into car racing then, and it never appealed to me enough to try it out. It wasn’t until a few weeks ago, when I finally sat down for a few hours to try it, that I realized I had missed out on a fairly solid PlayStation 1 racing experience. 

Racers

Jet Moto is a fun experience right from the first race. It eases you into the game with a wide-open track against 20 other racers. You can choose one of those 20 racers to go through a championship on one of 5 teams. Each racer has distinct strengths and weaknesses, as in most racing games, and it’s up to you to determine what type of racer fits your particular style. I tended towards the lighter, quicker racers for the wide-open tracks, like Joyride, and switched to the heavier racers with better handling on tracks with tight corners, like Suicide Swamp. The teams have sponsors like Butterfinger and Mountain Dew, which I found quite fitting for a racing game, and I enjoyed seeing the signage all over the tracks for various brands from that era. Some people may take issue with in-game advertising, but I enjoy it when it’s done right.

Level Design

The level design in Jet Moto is very well done. Each track offers a ton of variety, and very few feel even remotely similar to one another. There are wide open areas with bridges and jumps. Conversely, there are very tight areas with numerous obstacles and things to avoid. I found the tighter levels a bit less enjoyable because navigating the field of racers is tough when you’re so close together. A slight hit is enough to knock you off your vehicle. I didn’t like that you had to win the season mode on the highest difficulty level to unlock all the tracks, but there is a cheat code to unlock those if you’re having trouble beating it. The tracks in the game range from flat circuits to tracks with varying elevations. These include large jumps from the forest to the water, navigating ice shelves, and leaping across the remains of a highway. There is a lot to see throughout the ten tracks in the game, and you’ll never feel like you’re going through the same old areas. 

Grappling Beam

The grappling beam is the biggest differentiator between Jet Moto and similar racing games because it lets you latch onto metal beams and quickly pivot around a turn. This creates a risk vs reward situation. If you release the grapple too late, you can smash into the post and lose valuable seconds. Release it perfectly, and you might gain that extra second or two, which will be all the difference at the end of the race. It’s a unique addition that we haven’t seen replicated in too many other games and one that consistently changes the outcome of a race. You can even turn it off in the settings if you find it’s not for you and want a more traditional race. 

Boost

There is a boost meter to manage, allowing you to have up to 4 boosts per lap. You can use these strategically during the race. It’s a good thing to keep for those parts of the track that you may have trouble navigating or for the end of a lap when you need those extra bits of time to get the win. It’s also helpful when you have a group of waves, you can zip over quicker than when trying to manage your weight distribution. Knowing how to distribute your weight is imperative to getting a good lap time, and it feels very similar to those who have played ATV racing games like ATV Offroad Fury. It can be frustrating at first, and you’ll have your spinouts here and there because of the touchy controls, but it does get easier as you get more experienced with the game. 

Game Modes

There are a few game modes to sink your teeth into here, with the Season Mode being the primary mode. You can also do custom seasons and single races. There are even head-to-head races with someone else on the same console if you want to. There isn’t a co-op season or anything like that, which isn’t unexpected for a racing game from 1996 anyway. I do feel like this game lacks much longevity. Once you’ve beaten the game on the highest difficulty, that’s everything to see. If you’re good enough, you can finish it in one afternoon. 

Presentation

The graphics look pretty good for their time, featuring a lot of color and detail. The foliage and finer details look a little rough by today’s standards. The frame rate can also stutter occasionally, given the high level of activity in any given race. I enjoyed the menu and in-game audio. You’re not getting any licensed tracks or anything here, but the compositions fit the game very well, and it had a bit of a surfer vibe.  

Final Thoughts

Jet Moto is a fun racing game that provides a few hours of enjoyment. In a world of games that last dozens and dozens of hours, sometimes it’s nice to go back and play something that doesn’t require you to invest weeks and weeks of your time. It won’t blow you away with its gameplay, but it features some enjoyable mechanics that set it apart from other games of its era. It’s a nice trip back in time to see the types of games the PS1 was churning out early in its life, and one that is worth revisiting.