Mad Skills Motocross 3 Review: Madness on a Dirt Throne

Mad Skills — Mad Advertising

It's time to sit upon the dirt throne for another round of side-scrolling madness with Mad Skills Motocross 3. Of course, when I say dirt throne, what I'm really referring to is a toilet. That's right — a toilet. Though, without tearing away and shedding a little light on the concept, it'd be difficult to put two and two together. And that's sort of why I'm immediately drawn to speak about the game trailer that Turborrila put out a few weeks back.

Admittedly, when we soak up a game trailer in the early phases of development, we're always hanging on to the hopes of seeing something phenomenal. And let's face it — without a spool of gameplay footage to flesh out the promo — our interests can often deviate. But then, when it comes to Mad Skills Motocross 3, something just sort of appeals to the viewer — and it isn't even the gameplay snippets, either.

Perhaps it's the animation, or maybe even the deep level of authenticity that dares to tell it how it is. Whatever it is, it doesn't exactly strike us as a game that wants to be ported to a 70″ screen or played for days on end without so much as a water break to boot. What it does portray, however, is human nature in its rawest form.

There's a guy, and there is an Android. Throw in a mundane office environment and a quick opening to leave reality for a few minutes — and you've got yourself the trailer for Mad Skills Motocross 3. Simple, yet weirdly effective. What more could you want?

Ah yes — the game!

Wacky trailer aside, Mad Skills Motocross 3 does genuinely serve up an addictive little experience within its surprisingly lengthy package. As a free-to-play game for iOS and Android, it does tend to stand out quite well on a smaller scale, and the contents shovelled within are enough to keep you clawing for the podium for hours on end.

Having spent a lot of time with MX 2, delving into the latest entry was definitely a breath of fresh air for the side-scrolling genre. With a spool of improved tracks, a fully-fledged career mode and a whole heap of customization to boot — it was surprisingly quick to see how far Turborrila has ramped up the overall experience. That said, even with the enhanced mechanics and fleshed out gameplay that undeniably surpasses its predecessors, there are a couple of things that definitely tweaked a nerve along the way.

Mad Skills Motocross 3: In a Nutshell

Mad Skills Motocross 3, in a nutshell, is a pretty simple game to sink into — and definitely a concept we've seen before. As the rookie racer with a hunger for the podium, it is up to you to qualify and conquer the circuit over several countries, each possessing unique tracks and rivals. Along the way, of course, you'll need to rack up reputation and cash — both of which you can use to upgrade your bike, ship in new parts and, in turn, escalate your overall power.

Sadly, as simple as it all seems, there does come a time after about an hour into the career where your game comes to a grinding halt. The qualifiers have all been completed, and the next country is open to enrol in. Unfortunately, as the bike parts are delivered in real-time, you can't upgrade your power and progress until they reach your doorstep. Of course, there is the in-game currency (golden coins) that can effectively speed up the process and have you back on track in a matter of seconds, though the temptation wasn't quite there after sinking a mere sixty minutes into the game.

Mad Skills Motocross 3 will launch on May 25 2021 on iOS and Android.

But why did I want to come back?

With all of that said, Mad Skills Motocross 3 did find a way to channel curiosity into the back of my head. I wanted to return to upgrade my bike and continue powering through the qualifiers. I could feel the need to improve my times in the championships and prove that I could climb to the apex of the leaderboard. Adverts and in-game currency aside, I could definitely feel the twinge in my brain that always tried to course me back to the throne.

To conclude…

Overall, Mad Skills Motocross 3 is a fantastic side-scroller that almost any mobile gamer and MX fan around the world will most definitely relish. All in all, it's clear how much devotion Turborrila has for the extreme sport, and the liaising between the developer and MX fanatics definitely shun through in the experience itself.

For a free-to-play game that doesn't require a great deal of focus, it's definitely a worthy admission to the side-scrolling scene. Whether you're spilling hours into the career mode or just dropping in to win a race or two — Mad Skills Motocross 3 can keep you hooked through its addictive nature and fluidity. Minor flaws pushed aside, Turborrila's latest chapter is most definitely capable of keeping you entwined for a few shakes. Even if you are on the dirt throne.

Mad Skills Motocross 3 is available today on iOS and Android. You can follow the updates for the game via the official handle here. Or, if you're feeling the love for the latest instalment already, why not check out Mad Skills Motocross 2? After all — they're free.

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