2008. 2008. 2008 and 2008. Hmm... Everything in SBK Superbike World Championship revolves around the 2008 season but the game was actually released in 2009. To be exact, the game came out in March 09.

At first I was very skeptical about the game. Yes, there are quite a few games that are pushed back, but when it comes to sporting games that revolve around set dates, usually, the games are released on time. After playing this game I'm glad that it was released after actually being completed. I've played and reviewed UEFA Euro 2008 and that game should have never been released the way that it was. It was the worst PSP game of all time and it was almost unplayable but due to the championship they had to release on the set date or fail to make any sales.

In the case of SBK Superbike World Championship, despite the fact that most of the dates have 2008 in them, the game is actually very solid and very competitive. If you like motorcycles games, especially speed bikes, this is a very complex and well made game. The most impressive feature to SBK is the realism. Depending on your desire and riding ability, you can customize your level of realism. On the easiest settings the game is very arcadeish and just about anyone will be able to perform well in just about any race but as you increase the level of realism, things get tougher. Much tougher. I'm honest enough to admit that on full realism I am a terrible bike rider. Because I'm very competitive and don't like being last I end up pushing my bike too hard and by doing so I end up falling and wrecking most of the time.

But this is the beauty of the game; it caters to all racing levels and considering that you can adjust your own realism and the difficulty of your opponents, finding a comfortable place should not be impossible and as you get used to the game and especially to the tracks, increasing the difficulty level only makes this game just that much more competitive and fun. Now, I do realize why this game is half the cost of what most other new releases cost when it comes to Xbox 360 games. Despite the fact that SBK Superbike World Championship includes several modes of gameplay, in reality the game is rather limited. Most of the game modes are almost identical with just a few exceptions. 'Instant Action', 'Quick Race', 'Race Weekend' and 'Championship' are almost identical in the sense that all you do is race around a track and try to come out in first place. Yes, in 'Championship' and 'Race Weekend' you have the option to do a qualifying race, warm-up and even a qualifying practice whereas in 'Quick Race' you jump strait into the race, but realistically speaking, the 'Challenges' are the only true real difference compared to the other game modes. The Challenges Races are actually tasks that you have to perform and where you can actually earn medals. The 'Challenges' seem easy and boring at first. For example, the first few races focus on you staying on track and getting from point A to point B in a certain amount of time. The challenges get more difficult with time. Eventually you have to perform slides, wheelies and even stoppies and even bike acrobatics. As I've said before, if you're into speed bikes, this is definitely a game that you may want to check out.