Streetdog BMX Review: A Solid Trick System That Doesn’t Quite Land on Both Wheels | The Gamerheads Podcast

Platform reviewed: Steam (PC)

Price: $24.99

I first got to play Streetdog BMX at PAX West a few years ago. I tried it on a whim while waiting for an appointment to check out another game. I enjoyed the demo and walked away thinking it could eventually rival Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, depending on the direction the developers took it. While the final version is a lot of fun to play, there are still areas where Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater does things better, and I was left wanting more from Streetdog BMX.

There’s no progression system for my character. In Tony Hawk, I can level up different stats, which gives a sense of growth over time. Streetdog BMX doesn’t have anything like that

It’s impossible not to compare the two games. Both focus on riding around large parks, pulling off tricks, and completing goals. Both also include a character creator, although the customization in Tony Hawk is much deeper. In Streetdog BMX, I can adjust things like my character’s hairstyle and color, whether they wear glasses, a basic selection of clothing, and the colors of different parts of my bike. As I progress through the game, I can also find hidden apparel to use for customization.

I don’t fault Streetdog BMX too much for its customization options, since I wasn’t expecting a super robust suite. However, there’s no progression system for my character. In Tony Hawk, I can level up different stats, which gives a sense of growth over time. Streetdog BMX doesn’t have anything like that, and it ended up feeling like a noticeable omission. I didn’t feel like there was anything to work towards, outside of completing challenges in each park.

Speaking of parks, each one is well designed, with plenty to explore and discover

The tutorial in Streetdog BMX walks me through most of the different types of challenges I’ll encounter in the main game. Unlike Tony Hawk, which gives me a straightforward list of objectives, Streetdog BMX uses challenge areas that I first need to find before I can complete them. I also had to finish every challenge in the tutorial before the first park unlocked.

The first few challenges were easy enough, but the final one was a timed challenge that required earning all three medals. I had to locate five different “No Bike” signs and wall grind each one, which was not an easy task to pull off within the time limit needed for a gold medal. Thankfully, future parks only require earning a certain number of medals to unlock them, rather than collecting every medal from the previous level.

Speaking of parks, each one is well designed, with plenty to explore and discover. One of my favorites featured a lot of halfpipes and long declines. It felt like an old sewer area, and it was a blast to get a ton of air and chain together tricks.

Things get trickier when I try to combine a flip with a rotation in midair. That requires pushing in on the left stick and then rotating it to spin the bike

For the most part, pulling off tricks is pretty straightforward. I use the left stick for grinds and general movement, while the right stick handles most tricks. To perform a flip, I push in on the left stick, and for more advanced tricks, I push in the right stick. Things get trickier when I try to combine a flip with a rotation in midair. That requires pushing in on the left stick and then rotating it to spin the bike.

I would have liked to see an option to remap the controls, although I understand how complicated that could get given the number of tricks the game supports.

There isn’t any licensed music in the game, which might be a drawback for some players. That said, since this is an indie title, I didn’t expect a soundtrack on the same level as Tony Hawk. Honestly, I can always mute the in-game music and throw on my own playlist. The music that is included didn’t really do much for me, but at the same time, it would have felt strange if there was no music at all.

With such large parks to ride around in, I often felt limited to completing challenges in very specific areas

My biggest complaint is how the challenges are implemented. With such large parks to ride around in, I often felt limited to completing challenges in very specific areas. For example, there are challenges where I need to perform a trick over a certain ramp. Not just any ramp in the park, but one specific ramp that’s highlighted in green.

Another example is the high score challenges. I’m given a set amount of time to hit a target score, but only within a small, designated section of the park. This is very different from how Tony Hawk games handle challenges, where I’m given a time limit for a run and can complete multiple objectives anywhere in the park during that time. In Streetdog BMX, I technically have unlimited time to explore the park, but simply riding around and doing tricks doesn’t really accomplish much.

I would have liked to see something like a park-wide high score challenge, maybe even a timed one. As it stands, the way challenge areas are implemented makes the large parks feel underutilized, which is disappointing given how well designed they are.

Final Grade: B

The best part of Streetdog BMX is simply riding around and pulling off tricks for fun. Unfortunately, the game doesn’t really reward that kind of free riding. Instead, it relies on challenge areas, which require me to first locate them and then stay confined to completing objectives within those specific sections of the park. The foundation for a great trick-based biking game is here, but the way challenges are implemented holds back any sense of freedom and my overall enjoyment of the game.

Review code provided by Gameifyouare