Downhill Supreme Review

Hey mountain bikers, I've got an app you need to get: Downhill Supreme! Hey casual gaming enthusiasts, I've got an app you need to get: see previous! Downhill Supreme manages to both be an app for hardcore mountain bikers and a nice little title for casual gamers that are just looking for a fun challenge.

While there are no shortage of bike-themed games out there for you to download through the App Store, most notably the Stick Stunt Biker games, none of them have the brand-name pedigree that Downhill Supreme brings to the table. With names like Pinkbike, Devinci, Cane Creek and DVO making an appearance, to name a few of the game’s partnerships, you know you're in for a quality biking experience..

While Downhill Supreme is certainly no hardcore simulation, it manages to pull off an interesting balance of the cartoony and the realistic that makes for some great gameplay. It’s not as wacky as the Stick Stunt games, but it’s also not stodgy and lead-paced like a flight sim. Plus, it’s also pretty cool. For some reason, BMX bike games have always had more of a cool factor over mountain biking, perhaps because of the association with skateboarding titles. But Downhill Supreme does a good job of leveling that playing field.

Speaking of level playing fields, there’s not many to be found here, as there's no shortage of huge jumps and crazy rock faces to climb. Yet with all of the extreme challenges ahead, you will also have to employ some real-life biking skills in order to make it to the finish line. I liked this contrast and blending of flavors.

It also helps that the controls are solid. They come in three different flavors, each with their own merits. You can use tilt, button, and joystick controls to power your biker through the 48 different levels in Downhill Supreme. I figured that, like in many games with multiple control options, one of the three would be the clear winner. But they all seemed to be equally balanced to me and will probably just come down to preference. Personally, I liked the button controls.

The tracks start off with you on the equivalent of bunny hills in skiing, serving as tutorials for all of the jumps and drop offs that will be in store for you later on when the game ramps up to the harder stuff. The physics, bike suspension, and customization options are where Downhill Supreme veers into a deeper simulation. But at the same time, you can also ride recklessly and just take a header off a big cliff if you want to. Just don’t expect to be getting up from it real fast.

Eventually though, if you're going to proceed and get the best times, you will have to learn how to time your speed and slow down before the big jumps in order to maintain your balance and absorb landings. When you cross the finish line, there's a three star system that will rate you based on your performance. The faster and more efficient you are, the better your score will be.

Downhill Supreme isn’t reinventing the bicycle wheel or anything. but it does deliver a solid little game and will please both hardcore fans and casual gamers alike. If you’re a fan of biking games, chances are you might already have this one on your iOS device. I would say it’s a no-brainer to get it.

App Store Link: Downhill Supreme for iPhone & iPad | By Reinholds Berzins | Price: $0.99 | Version: 1.0 | 19.3 MB | Rating 4+