Superbike 2000 offers three modes of play: Quick Start, Single Race and Championship. The Quick Start mode allows you to jump right into the action without worrying about qualifying rounds or practice sessions. You can compete with as many as 20 computer opponents on a set track. In Single Race mode, you get to compete in a single championship race complete with qualifying and practice rounds. Once again, you can compete with as many computer opponents as you wish and you can select from any one of 13 circuits. The Championship mode is the crème de la crème, allowing you to race a full championship season through all 13 of the circuits.

One of the main differences between Superbike World Championhip (SWC) and Superbike 2000 (SB2K) is the style of play. The original Superbike title offered an excellent arcade style racing experience while Superbike 2000 has added a new dimension to the game. It's managed to weave it's arcade style action with a realistic racing simulation. The end result is one of the best racing games to come out in quite some time.

The graphics in Superbike 2000 are absolutely incredible. Not that the original Superbike wasn't breathtaking itself, Superbike 2000 still manages to raise the bar a few levels. The entire game is photo-realistic, from the bikes and riders to the tracks and environments themselves. It comes across almost like it would if you were watching the race on television. The game offers three different cockpit views with improved HUD features that now make information available regarding tire grip, wear and rider intervals and more. The track designs and graphics are some of the best seen in a racing title. While some objects remain 2D sprites (trees, etc.), the overall effect remains stellar. The level of detail is astounding in terms of the riders and their movements and there's even weather effects featured in the game.

In terms of audio, Supebike 2000 has made some improvements but still lacks that EA Sports touch. Commentary consists of a British announcer ringing off the names of each of the riders before the start of a race. The announcer will also keep you alert of any crashes that might have taken place ahead or behind you on the circuit, but there's no commentary during the race in regards to who's winning the race or things of the like. The sound effects are slightly better this time around though, as each of the 6 bikes has their own set of distinct sounds. There's a lack of ambient sound though and this is one area, if any, that the Superbike series could definitely improve on, especially when you consider some of the audio marvels that EA Sports continues to put together.

Superbike 2000 has everything you'd want in a racing title. The stats package has been updated for the 1999 SBK Superbike World Championship Season with new stats, bikes, riders, teams and tracks. There are 13 circuits from the 99 season such locals as Phillip Island, Brands Hatch, Laguna Seca and Nurburgring. As I mentioned above, there are 6 different bikes available in the game: Ducati 996, Honda RC45, Yamaha YZF, Aprilia RSV 1000, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, and the Suzuki GSX-R750. There are 20 different riders to race against each with varying difficulties and riding styles. Motion capture has been used to offer up a little more realism when riders crash their bike.

There are several options in the game that you can tweak as well. Areas such as bike damage and engine failure, bike setup features including rake, trail, suspension settings, gear ratios and much more. You can customize your bike and your settings to reflect your level of skill, and beginners can jump right into the game via the Quick Start mode with the help of braking and throttle assists, auto transmission and adjustable rider difficulty settings. There are track fly bys and replay features that will show you the race from a multitude of different camera angles. Everything that you'd ever want in a racing game is all right here in Superbike 2000.

In terms of multiplayer, there are several options available. There's a two-player split-screen mode that while nice in design, seems to be the only time during the game when I experienced lag. There's also support for LAN and Interplay play. There currently aren't any servers up for Superbike 2000 though, since the title was just released, so you might find it hard cruising for some competition.

Superbike 2000 is a winner through and through. The presentation had been pretty stellar to begin with but the gameplay has been improved ten fold. The added emphasis on simulation and overall AI and physics design has given the series new life. If you're at all into the motorbike racing world, Superbike 2000 is a game you don't want to miss.