How to play Motor Psycho online
- Steer: left and right arrow keys
- Accelerate: hold Z (left button)
- Jump: X (right button)
- High gear / low gear: up arrow / down arrow
- Choose one of the four tracks: F2 (Select) on the title screen, then Z to start
- Start over during a race: F3 (Reset)
Gameplay
You have just finished building a custom racing bike and enter it in the MotorPsycho Competition, a race known for its obstacle-filled courses. It is you against the clock. The bike has no brakes, so the only way to lose speed quickly is to drop from high gear to low. Ramps let you fly over cones, arrow signs and other riders, and some jumps keep you in the air for a long time. The panel at the top shows your speed, gear and remaining time.
Points come in steadily as you cover the track: one point per section on the ground and two in the air. Launching off a ramp fast enough to jump earns 1,000 points, and clearing an object without hitting it earns a bonus. When the race ends, you get 1,000 points for every rider you passed and 5,000 for every second left on the clock.
| Jumped over | Points |
|---|---|
| Rival rider | 3,000 |
| Arrow sign | 2,000 |
| Cone | 1,500 |
| Ramp | 500 |
Handling settings
On a real console you could tune how the bike handles. With the left difficulty switch set to B (F5 in the emulator), a settings table appears, and a joystick in the second port sets two values: how quickly the bike leans into a turn (1 to 12) and how quickly it straightens up again (1 to 25). Setting the switch back hides the table, and the values stay until the console is switched off.
Tips
- Downshift before sharp bends. Without brakes, low gear is your only quick way to slow down.
- Jump the other riders. At 3,000 points, clearing a rival is worth more than any other jump.
- Save time for the finish. Each spare second is worth 5,000 points, far more than most jumps.
- Weave through traffic quickly. Short, sharp joystick moves get you past riders better than long swerves.
The story behind Motor Psycho
Motor Psycho, also written MotorPsycho, takes its name from a pun on “motorcycle” and “psycho”. It was developed by BlueSky Software, which also made Scrapyard Dog, Ninja Golf and Basketbrawl for the 7800, and it was part of the last batch of 7800 games Atari released in 1990. Players often compare it with Pole Position II, with jumps and hills added and no qualifying lap.
Reviews were mixed. Raze magazine gave it 81%, liking the graphics and the challenge but not the sound or the lack of variety. Atari’s own Atari Explorer praised its tight controls and realistic motorcycle handling, and rated it above Pole Position II.
