Jet Moto (1996)

Jet Moto was the first game of the series released in North America for the Sony Playstation on October 31, 1996 . It was later released in Europe as Jet Rider in February 1997, then in Japan as Jet Moto on August 7, 1997. The PC port was released for North America on November 13, 1997. Jet Moto was re-released in the Greatest Hits category in August 1998.

Gameplay

A popular misconception is that Jet Moto is merely a Jet Ski game but in reality the vehicles are actually hoverbikes that tackle a variety of terrains and obstacles. In Jet Moto there are 4 teams sponsored by real-life brands such as Mountain Dew and Butterfinger.
The game offers several game modes including Single Race, Custom Circuit, Full Season, and Practice. Playing Full Season allows the player to unlock the tracks in the game on the highest difficult available to you. Stunt Mode can also be unlocked after completing a Full Season. There are also cheat codes that modify the gameplay including physics, some of these modifications also can be unlocked during a race in Stunt Mode. The game also offers splitscreen multiplayer. The PC version of the game instead offers online multiplayer up to 14 players.
The tracks range from beaches to swamps and snow covered mountains and ice flows. A track variant exists called a Suicide course where instead of the track being a loop is instead has checkpoints at two ends of the track with the start in the middle. Players will wind up heading into oncoming traffic and risk collisions.

Development

The game was in fact pitched as a science fiction motocross game. The Jet Moto bikes having no wheels was a deliberate decision to reduce the needed polygon count so that the game could afford to render 20 bikes on screen.
Developers intended to have players eliminated when riders would wipeout and fall off the track but realized that the mechanic would not be any fun.

Riders

Mountain Dew

Dakota
Wild Ride
Miko
Irons
Shannara

K2

The Max
Gunner
Quick Jessie
Harris
Chien

Axiom

Technician
Tetsujin
Shirow
Stone
Blackjack

Butterfinger

Masala
Arroyo
Rhino
Mace
Bomber

Tracks

Joyride
Blackwater Falls
Suicide Swamp
Ice Crusher
Cliff Diver
Hammerhead
Cypress Run
Willpower
Snow Blind
Nightmare