Monster Energy Supercross 3 Video Walkthrough on Realistic (450)

[Frag Maniac]

I took some time off to play Chernobylite, which was both interesting and a bit annoying at times due to having to micromanage your rep with your crew. This will be the final walkthrough I do of this game, and once again, it's great to be back on the better sounding, more capable 450 bike. These first 2 rounds are at Anaheim 1, and Glendale.

Anaheim 1

There's a couple good places to pass AI on this track, and the 450 makes fairly easy work of it, so I gave the AI a 10 sec head start.

I got pouring rain on this one, but it's not nearly as much of a problem on the 450, just a bit of fishtailing now and then out of berms. It starts with a sharp left bend, over a small mound, then a triple over small jumps, into a high, steep 90 right berm. The next section is a double/triple combo on small jumps, then immediately into a 90 right over a bridge jump. This double/triple combo section is a good place to pass AI. You then have a whoop section that starts with a short flat, and into a big air triple off a big jump, ending this section with a high, semi steep 90 left berm.

This takes you into a rhythm section that can be doubled all the way through, which is another good place to pass AI, and ends with a 90 left under the bridge. You then have a near 90 left right after, into back to back big air doubles that each take you over the wide start chute on either side of the first turn. This leads you into a 90 right to the only worrisome rhythm section, which is a double/double/double onto tabletop/double/single combo. This section isn't really anything to worry about on the 450 though.

This takes you into a high, steep 180 right berm, through a fast whoop section, then into a high, steep near 180 left berm, then diagonally along the start chute, into a high, steep near 180 right berm, and off the big finish line jump for a big air double. You then pass by the holeshot line after a sharp left, taking the following section with a triple off small jumps on subsequent laps like the first. The highlight for me was at the 6:02 mark on the final lap, passing teammates Cooper Webb and Marvin Musquin one right after the other just before taking the bridge jump. At the final time check I had a just under .74 sec lead.

Glendale

This one was dry, and the AI ride it much more competitively. There's also a nasty rhythm section where it's hard to pass AI, as they can unpredictably fly across track and at times land on you from big jumps. Thus I gave them a 7 sec head start.

It starts with a sharp left bend, into a double/triple/triple/triple/single combo, then into a 90 left, over a small jump you skip off, then into two flat straits connected by a high, steep 180 left berm followed by a small jump double. This takes you to a 90 right, then a roll over a small jump, into another rhythm section, which I usually take as a double/double onto tabletop/double/big air triple combo. It ends with a small jump and a high, steep 180 right berm right after it.

After the 90 right berm is a small jump, then a long, flat strait on the start chute, into a semi fast, sweeping left with a shallow berm. This takes you into that nasty rhythm section I call carnage alley. Ideally I like to stay on the left side of the track after this turn, and take this section as a double/triple/triple/triple combo, but when AI are present, you need to just pick a clear lane and hope they don't dive bomb you. You then take a high, steep 190 left berm into a fast whoop section, then triple off a med jump, then a big air double off the big finish line jump.

This next section can be tricky to hit right, but can also allow you to pass AI. It's basically a couple doubles off med to small jumps, then into a 90 left, immediately into a big air triple off a big jump right after, then a 90 left with 3 more med jumps back to the holeshot line. I usually double, overshooting the 2nd jump to bounce jump off the 3rd with tempered speed, in order to start this first rhythm section with a small jump double. This allows for the same double/triple/triple/triple/single combo as with the first lap on subsequent laps.

This was a pretty challenging race. Any small mistake and the AI will catch and pass you, so I yoyoed back and forth a bit. I also lost 5 positions on an unintentional turn cut I got reset on. I DID however recover quickly from each mistake to take back my position. The highlight for me was catching lead rider Zach Osborne at the 6:39 mark on the final lap, but playing a cat and mouse game going into the nasty rhythm section instead of trying to block pass him entering it. I knew such a move could possibly not go well and cause me to lose momentum and not hit the rhythm section well. The irony of it was I didn't hit the rhythm section like I wanted to anyway, but managed to salvage just enough speed to stay near him. What saved me was coming off the berm after it higher than he did, which allowed me enough speed off it to catch and pass him on the final berm before the finish lime. At the final time check I was actually .178 sec behind, so I have no idea what amount of slim margin I won by.

Sorry for not tagging the spoilers this time. I tried, but it was either me having a brain fart from lack of sleep, the forum glitching on me, or some possible change in the spoiler tag code I'm unaware of. It was actually putting most of this post in a spoiler.

 

[Frag Maniac]

Here's rounds 3 and 4, a Triple Crown at Anaheim 2, and Oakland. I was having some hand soreness due to injuring the thumbs and pinkies on both hands, so there was some crashes.

Anaheim 2

No pouring rain here, but the track was wet and slippery. The player usually fares better than the AI in such conditions though, so I gave them a 10 sec head start. It starts with a tight left bend, a hop over a micro bump just after the holeshot line, then a double over 2 more such bumps. You then take a 90 right on a shallow berm, into a short whoop section. You then have a shallow 180 right berm, a small jump onto an on/off on a tabletop, exiting the tabletop via a hop to a sharp, shallow left berm. Immediately after the track splits into a short descent on the left, and a small jump on the right. I always take the right, which involves a hop off the small jump to an on/off on a tabletop. It is important to hit the left front of the tabletop to get enough speed to clear the small jump thereafter, and set up for the double/big air triple combo which completes this section.

Landing that big air triple around AI can be tricky, as it's best to go into the following rhythm section starting on the right side, which is elevated more to help clear the first jump when speed is low. This means sometimes slowing and radically swerving left before taking the turn, if you landed the triple on the right to avoid hitting AI. The benefit of starting this rhythm section well is managing a double/double/triple/double/double combo, which is FAR easier to pull off on the 450 vs the 250. You then go into a high, steep 180 right berm, followed by a double to an on/off on a tabletop via a med jump, this section finishing with double jumps all the way.

You then have a high, steep 180 left berm, into a section that starts with a short whoop stretch, and ends with a big air double off a big jump. You then take an immediate 90 right, which I choose to hit at it's apex vs berm, then across the wide, flat start chute. I use the white line marking the far side edge of the start chute as a braking marker, but just to let off gas for the double right after over a big jump off a med one. You then have a high. steep 180 right berm right after, then a very short, low speed jump off a big jump, which steps down to a med jump. This chute cross section is often a good place to pass AI.

You then go left, diagonally cross the start chute, then take a big, flat 180 left in deep sand, and back across the holeshot line, using the same technique on the aforementioned micro bumps, but with more speed on subsequent laps.

Spoiler

The highlights for me were, managing to retake the lead after crashing on the big air triple landing on the final lap of the 1st race, being fortunate enough to get unstuck by Cooper Web from a slippery reset after crashing on the final lap of the 2nd race, and finally getting redemption when lead rider Jason Anderson crashed on the big air triple landing on the final lap in the 3rd race, allowing me a crash free victory with a just over 1 sec lead at the final time check. The other two races were won by a margin so slim it could not be determined.

Oakland

Fortunately conditions were dry here, because I really wanted to shred this wild and crazy track after all that crashing. There are enough tricks to juice speed and pass AI on this track, and it's FAR easier to nail the triple in the rhythm sections on the 450, so I gave the AI a whopping 15 sec head start. When waiting that long to start, it begins with a weave through Tuff Blocks, which is just passable enough to allow for a slick double/triple combo in the first section after a dogleg left across the holeshot line. You then have a semi high, steep 180 right berm, and a rhythm section comprised of a jump up to an on/off on a higher table top off a small jump, finishing with a double/double/double/double combo. You then go into a dogleg right to a big air double off a big jump, over a small jump, then another dogleg right onto a flat strait.

This strait finishes with a massive high speed jump over 3 ascending jumps that's sort of like a stretched out dragon's back. It then drops down where you need to weight back and brake over a small jump double into a 90 right. It then steps up from a small to med jump, which you can bounce jump off to set up for a triple/triple combo off a speed boost from a small jump downslope landing. It then goes into a high, steep 180 right berm, after which you can use a med jump to land a triple on a small jump, to set up for a big air triple off a big jump. You then take a high, steep 180 left berm, into two fast whoop sections separated by a high, steep 180 right berm.

You then have a high, steep 90 left berm, then over a small jump, then a flat section across the start chute. You then finish with a jump over a big jump, which I recommend letting off gas for where the dirt changes color at the edge of the start chute, as it immediately steps down to a small jump, with a near 90 left on deep sand right after. You then intersect with the dogleg left just before the holeshot line. On subsequent laps I take this section as a double/double/double combo, bounce jumping the last 2.

Spoiler

The highlight for me, was catching and passing lead rider Jason Anderson right at the 2 Laps to Go mark, then managing to recover quickly after a silly nose wheelie crash in the turn after the strait on the final lap, securing a just over 4 sec lead at the final time check. And here I thought I was done with the crashing.

 

[Frag Maniac]

Sorry for the delay, it's often taking an extra 3 days for YouTube to process to 1440p now, and in the wait, I actually forgot I hadn't posted rounds 5 and 6 before I embarked on taking time to play Days Gone again, this time on Survival II with no upgrades. So much of the wait on these 2 rounds is my 64 yr old brain not processing as fast as it used to. LOL

As mentioned, this is rounds 5 and 6, San Diego, and Minneapolis.

San Diego

This was in pouring rain, and there are places where you can catch and pass AI, so I gave them a 10 sec head start. It starts with a tight left bend, and a roll over a micro bump, then a double over 2 small jumps. You then take a 90 left, hop a small jump onto an on/off on a med tabletop, exiting by doubling over a small jump, then into a high, steep 180 right berm. This takes you into a short rhythm section, where I double/double, which I land leaning right for a 90 right. Then there's a longer rhythm section that I double/double/double/triple/single through, the 2nd double being a hop off a small jump over a med jump, the other doubles with small jumps, and the triple a med jump over smalls. It ends with the aforementioned single, which is small.

It helps to end that rhythm section leaning right and at the apex of the 90 right thereafter, as you can pass AI this way. This takes you into another rhythm section with a double over smalls, and a big air triple off a large jump over mediums. You then have a high, steep 180 right berm that takes you into back to back whoop sections separated by a high, steep 180 left berm. These whoops are larger and more spaced out than normal. You then take a big air double off the big finish line jump, into a very tight right, which I'm inclined anymore to take mid track, vs at it's berm or apex.

This takes you over a med jump, onto a wide, flat strait, into a very sharp right which I take at it's apex, and a half circle left back to the holeshot. The sharp right and half circle are all on wide, flat terrain as well. The first short section after the holeshot line is taken the same on subsequent laps due to similar speeds.

Spoiler

The highlight for me was finally catching and passing lead rider Blake Baggett just after the start of the final lap. At the final time check I had a just under 1.5 sec lead.

Minneapolis

This was fast and dry, and if you hit the jumps well, there are good places to catch and pass AI, so I gave them a 12 sec head start. It starts with a sharp left sweeping bend, into a double over smalls, and a triple/triple over mediums and smalls. Then you have a 90 left, then over a dragon's back, and two flats connected by a high, semi steep 180 left berm. This takes you into a 90 right, into a rhythm section I do a double/triple/double combo on, which starts and ends with smalls, with mediums in the middle. This takes you into a high, steep 180 right berm, into a fast whoop section, and then a very sharp near 180 left, which I now take at it's apex.

This takes you diagonally across the start chute, into a very sharp right with a high, steep berm. I take this turn at it's berm to ensure enough momentum for the big air double off the finish line jump right after it. You then take a double on med jumps, ending this section with a high, steep 180 left berm. This takes you into a rhythm section I double all the way through. It helps to end that section leaning left at the apex of the 90 left after it, which takes you into a big air triple, then immediately into another 90 left, with a Med jump right after, then across the bend of the start chute, back to the holeshot line. I can't stress enough the need to end that all double section leaning left at the apex of the left thereafter, as otherwise you can swing wide into the Tuff Blocks, something I had to recover from twice in this race.

I used to take that Med jump before the holeshot line on subsequent laps with tempered speed to set up for hitting marks better on that first rhythm section, but have found that launching off it with good speed can more or less yield the same result, sometimes even better. This I would not attempt on the 250 bikes though.

Spoiler

The highlight for me was being able to recover from some bad mishaps with Tuff Blocks, starting at the 4:30 mark, then again at the 5:26 mark after having passed lead rider Justin Bogle, then finally being able to pass Bogle and Cooper Webb for good at the 5:45 mark of the final lap. At the last time check I had a just over ,2 sec lead.

 

[Frag Maniac]

These are rounds 7 and 8, Arlington and the Detroit Triple Crown.

Arlington

This race was dry and fast, and there are good places to catch AI here, so I gave them a 10 sec head start. It starts with a sharp left bend across the holeshot line into a double/double/triple/single combo in the first rhythm section, the first double being an on/off onto a tabletop. You then take a Med jump right after making a 90 left, then the track has two flat straits connected by a high, steep 180 left berm followed by a small double. You then have a 90 right I take at the apex, into the next rhythm section which is a double off a med jump over a small, then a big air triple off a big jump, then a single into a high, steep 180 right berm.

You then take a big jump, and traverse the start chute into a sweeping 90 left, then off a med jump, then immediately into a 90 left off a high steep berm. You're then into the next rhythm section, which I usually double all the way through, finishing with a high, semi steep 180 left. You then have a fast whoop section, into a high, steep 180 right berm, followed by a small jump double, into a big air double off the big finish line jump. This takes you into a big sweeping left bend with med to small jumps. I focus more on leaning left, hitting the apex, and trying to avoid swinging wide into Tuff Blocks than hitting rhythm marks on jumps here.

You're then back to the holeshot line, and the first section is taken the same on subsequent laps due to same speed.

Spoiler

The highlights for me were avoiding a crash when landing off track on that big sweeping left bend at the 47 sec Time Remaining mark, then getting right back on track allowing me to catch and pass lead rider Davi Millsaps at the 13 sec Time Remaining mark (sorry about the crash Davi). At the final time check I had a just under 2.28 sec lead.

Detroit Triple Crown

This track was also dry and fast, with good places to catch and pass AI, so I gave them a 10 sec head start, which is a lot for these shorter Triple Crown races. It starts with a fast dogleg left across the holeshot line, into a triple/triple/single via bounce and skip jumping weight back. Then there's a 90 left into a short rhythm section where I double, then double onto an on/off on a tabletop on med jumps, then single off a small into a 90 left. This next rhythm section I take wide at the right where the track is flat to avoid being slowed down by the med jump on the left. It then continues on to a med double followed by a big air triple off a big jump, finishing with a high, steep 180 left berm.

It then goes into a fast whoop section, then a high, steep 180 right berm, into a triple via a bounce landing on the 3rd rounded med jump, into a double, then a big air double off the big finish line jump. This takes you into a short flat strait with a near flat 180 left after, that I take at it's apex. You then have a very long strait that starts out flat and ends with a big air double off a big jump, that I overshoot and do a bounce jump double off a dragon's back jumping to a small jump I skip off the top of, or sometimes clear.

This provides good momentum to coast into and accelerate out of a high, steep 180 right berm, to a triple/triple/single combo on the left side of the track where it's split by Tuff Blocks. Occasionally I'll do a triple on the right side to avoid AI, but a triple here really helps catch or pass AI. This rhythm section ends with a short flat into a high, steep 180 left. You then go immediately into a steep med jump, and back to the holeshot line on a short, flat strait. The first section on subsequent laps is usually taken with more full triples and a better line on the left at the end due to a longer approach and a bit faster speed.

Spoiler

The highlights for me were block passing lead rider Eli Tomac at 28 sec Time Remaining in the first race, doing the same with Ricky Johnson at the same spot in the final lap of the 2nd race, then managing to pass him again after a mishap hitting a Tuff Block, and passing lead rider Cooper Webb at 2 TO GO in the 3rd race just before the big air triple. At the final time check I averaged a just over 1.1 sec lead.

 

[Frag Maniac]

Here's rounds 9 and 10, Atlanta and Daytona. These are both fast, competitive tracks.

Atlanta

With dry conditions, a fast track, and AI that ride it fairly well, there's usually not a whole lot of leeway one can give on head starts here. I did however manage to bump it up to 7 sec, having given them 5 sec on my Hard playthrough. It starts with a sharp left bend across the holeshot line, then what is normally a double/triple/triple/double combo on small, then med jumps, but I got out of sync on the 1st lap and had to settle for a few sloppy bounce jumps. You then have a high, steep 180 left berm, into a double/double/big air triple combo on med to large jumps. The big air triple lands you in front of a high, steep berm on a very sharp right, then along the start chute, then into a sweeping near flat left.

I take this section full gas to overshoot a med jump triple, bounce jumping off the 4th large jump, then landing another triple just grazing the top of the 3rd med jump to land just before a high, steep 180 left berm. Good momentum off the berm helps to carry you into a section with med sized whoops. You then have a high, steep 180 right berm, into a med size double onto an on/off on a tabletop, exiting with a double hop over a smaller med jump, then immediately into a big air double off the large finish line jump. After landing the big air triple there's a flat section that starts with a short strait that takes you under a bridge jump, a 90 right followed by a half circle right in deep sand, then over the bridge jump.

The bridge jump lands you on the bend part of the start chute just before the holeshot line. The first section can be taken with the aforementioned double/triple/triple/double combo on subsequent laps due to same speed.

Spoiler

Unfortunately the only highlight was at the 5:03 mark having passed lead rider Tim Ferry at the end of the whoops just before the finish line, whom had just crashed there. With a little over a lap to go and closing in on him, I'm sure I would have been able to pass him had he not crashed, which is what I would have preferred, but this is the way the game sometimes plays out. At the final time check I had a lead of just over 2.1 sec.

Daytona

Another fast track known for it's long straits, and outdoor near motocross style, also with dry conditions this time. I gave up on my usual scrubs on the big jumps, opting to get the traction boost of weighting back off of them, which allowed me to give a 7 sec head start here as well, vs the 5 sec I gave on my Hard playthrough. Prior to this with scrubs I was finding it tough on this difficulty to even get fastest lap time. It starts with a fast dogleg left across the holeshot line, that ends with ripple bumps. I found I had to brake starting at the holeshot line to avoid getting front heavy and overshooting the apex of the near flat 180 left. You then have a mild whoop section in deep sand, into a shallow 180 right berm.

This is the first rhythm section that I normally always doubled all the way through, but I started finding on the 450 if you sync up a landing or two well, you can manage full on triples, or at least near triples via skipping off the 3rd jump. This allowed me to pass AI and further improve lap times. This ends with a shallow 180 left berm I take at the apex, into a big air triple off a large jump. It's a short run up to the take off jump using the apex, but I found on the 450, if I weight back off of it, the traction boost allows clearing it fully, getting the benefit of a speed boost landing on the downslope of the 3rd jump, which I also weight back on to get a further boost.

This takes you into a very long straight that starts and ends with whoops, between of which is a large jump that lands you flat on a crossing of the start chute, then a series of med jumps and tabletops thereafter. It is key to maintain good momentum here, and avoid contacting AI. I found a weight back jump off the large jump, vs doing a scrub, gave me better speed, so better momentum in these med jumps. I didn't even need to focus on syncing landings, instead just going full gas and weighting back when landing. This strait ends with a shallow 180 left berm, into a med jump double to an on/off on a tabletop, where it's crucial upon exiting the tabletop to fairly precisely land a double on the downslope of a smaller med jump, to maintain enough speed to hit a triple off a bigger med jump. Landing this triple well on the downslope of the 3rd med jump allows you to ride very fast through the rest of this section, which ends with a couple of doubles over small jumps, and a big air triple. You can either pass AI here, or get passed, all depending on how well you land that double off the tabletop.

After the big air triple is a shallow 180 right berm, which I take mid track. This takes you into a short double/double/double combo over med jumps, into a shallow 180 left berm, which I take mid track as well. You then have a short run up to a dragon's back, that drops you down to a lower level with a med jump double after the drop hops you over a small jump. This immediately takes you into a big air double off the big finish line jump, which lands you merging onto the bend of the start chute just before the holeshot line. Landing this big air double on the downslope of the 2nd jump, plus weighting back on the landing, allows a good speed boost. Weighting back if you overshoot the jump and land on the flat will make you wheelie out of control though. The section just after the holeshot line is taken the same on subsequent laps due to same speed.

Spoiler

The highlight for me was catching and passing all 3 lead riders on the rhythm section before the long strait and the start of the strait at the 1:35 Time Remaining point. I was a bit worried they'd catch back up when I sort of cased the big air double on that lap, but a good run through that rhythm section before the long strait and on the strait itself allowed me to secure a good gap. At the final time check I had a just under 2.5 sec lead.

 

[Frag Maniac]

I now have rounds 11 and 12 finished, after taking a few weeks off to play Race Driver: Grid. These rounds are Indianapolis, and Seattle.

Indianapolis

The AI here were noticeably more competitive on Realistic than on Hard, so I gave them 3 sec less on the head start (12 sec). It starts with a fast dogleg left over the holeshot line, into a double/triple combo over med jumps via a weight back bounce jump off the 3rd jump. The start was actually harder with a 12 sec head start than with the 15 sec I gave them on Hard due to the Tuff Blocks barricading the start chute not having drawn into view completely. The next short rhythm section is best handled by landing leaning left to finish the first section to take the 90 left, then doing a double/double combo on the med jumps, finishing with a bounce jump while leaning left on the last med jump to take another 90 left.

This sets you up for a double/triple/double combo in the next longer rhythm section. You then have a high, steep 180 left berm that takes you into a fast whoop section. Next is a short but very critical section with med jumps, where you need to take a 90 right, then double onto a tabletop, and double off of it, then immediately take another 90 right. It's key to hit the tabletop on the front of it's left side, then hit the apex of the next right turn, in order to avoid crashing with a rear tire collision on the exit jump, and get good momentum on the next section, without swinging wide left off track.

That next section can be taken as a double/double on/off on tabletop/double combo, or better yet, a triple/double combo as shown at the 5:42 mark. You then have two short straits connected by a high, steep 180 right berm, then a big air double off the big finish line jump. Lately I take the apex in the 180 right leading to the finish line, instead of the berm. It's pretty fast either way, but the apex avoids being squeezed off track by AI. On the 450 I let off gas just before the dirt turns color at the base of the finish line jump, to ensure landing on the downslope of the 2nd jump, vs overshooting it. This is largely due to there being a split track 180 left berm just after the landing, which is separated by Tuff Blocks. I always take the inside track and coast into it, then accelerate out of it.

Next is a strait that starts with whoops and ends flat, which goes into a 90 left, then a short section with 3 closely spaced jumps with two small med jumps and a large med in between. You need to square off your turn into these jumps, as taking a fast apex approach can swing you off track on the next section. I generally use the first jump to bounce jump off the top of the middle one, then over the third, but at times clear all 3 in 1 jump. After another 90 left, there's a big air triple over 3 big jumps. This lands you on the dogleg bend of the start chute, then across the holeshot line. Landing this jump on the downslope of the third jump, especially if you weight back while accelerating off of it, can allow you to pass AI. The first rhythm section is taken the same on subsequent laps due to same speed.

Spoiler

The highlights for me were being able to triple right after a crash at the 3:10 mark on that short tabletop section after the whoops (landed at the far end of the tabletop), which minimized the damage, and catching and passing lead rider Ricky Johnson at the 39 sec Time Remaining mark. At the final time check I had a just over 2.2 sec lead.

Seattle

I was dead set on allowing the same 10 sec AI head start I did on Hard mode here, due to a few times finishing right on the tail of the lead rider. It felt much harder on Realistic because the AI in general were much more competitive, and the lead rider especially (usually Cooper Webb) would get way off the front. There were a few key areas of the track where I had to improve to do this. It starts with a big 180 left bend, then across the holeshot line, into a double/single combo off small jumps, then into a fast dogleg right, which as always with such turns, I take at it's apex. This sets up a double/double/triple combo in the next rhythm section, followed by a high 180 right berm.

You then have a relatively short rhythm section with small to med jumps, which is a double/double/double combo, the middle one being an on/off on a tabletop. This immediately takes you into a high, steep 180 left berm, then to a big air triple over big jumps. How this big air triple is landed and how you take the turn after is the 1st of the 3 key track areas I mentioned. It helps to land on the right side of the downslope of the 3rd jump when AI are present to beat them through the sweeping, flat 180 bend thereafter. It is also imperative to be angled a bit right, and ready to lean hard right just after landing to take this bend at it's apex. Conversely, it's best to land on the left side of the downslope of the 3rd jump when AI are not present to allow for any corrections that may be needed before you hit the apex of the bend. A lot of time can be gained or lost here, partly due to the jump faces being steep and sending you high.

After the sweeping bend there's a big air double off the big finish line jump, followed by a med length strait with a couple of tiny ripple bumps. As always, it helps to land this big air jump on the downslope of the 2nd jump, and get a weight back acceleration boost off of it into the strait. You then have a high, steep 180 left berm, which is best taken at it's apex when AI are present. This takes you into a very long straight, that starts flat, and finishes with med jumps. The jump section is the 2nd of those critical track areas. It starts with a subtle double, which if hit well will accelerate speed. I found if you go full gas and weight back off the front face of the tabletop after it, you can do a weight back bounce jump off the 3rd jump, then skip across the top of the last two jumps. This also lands you well for a high rail on the high, steep 180 right berm thereafter. This really helps to get up good speed for the very long whoop section that follows.

This brings you to a short rhythm section after a 90 right, that transitions you to another long strait that has a very subtle dogleg right bend. This section has always been critical to hit well, but not one of the 3 new ones I've discovered. You mainly need to slow and square off just enough to NOT get hung up on the apex Tuff Blocks going into it, and lean right while doing a double/double combo. This has always been a small section with big possible gains to pass AI. Coming out of it is a semi sharp dogleg right onto that long strait, and it's best to hit it at it's apex on the downslope of the last jump if you can. This next long strait is half flat, and finishes with jumps. The jumps start at the very subtle dogleg right, and this is the 3rd critical area of the track. This is the rhythm section the start chute merges onto, so you are now just left of the holeshot line. Just by hugging the apex (right side) of this dogleg bend, you can pass AI here. I basically stay full gas at the first half of this rhythm section, then taper speed accordingly before coming to the 180 right berm at the end. This section is taken differently on subsequent laps due to higher speeds. It's basically a sort of fast and sloppy triple/double/triple/double/triple combo, all via skipping off the tops of the jumps. Sometimes the sequence changes, but it's most always done with skipping off the tops of jumps.

Spoiler

The highlight for me was finally catching and passing lead rider Cooper Webb at the 5:58 mark of the final lap. Just prior I had accidentally swung off track a bit to the left at the 5:47 mark just before the berm that leads into the long whoop section. Some might consider that against rules, but the game has an automatic slowing system when you go off track, and the rules state as long as you don't use it as an advantage, it's fair play. I gained no speed or position by it, in fact Webb even beat me through the whoop section. It wasn't until the turn into the short transition rhythm section after that I was able to pass him. The odd thing is, there are tracks like Nashville where the AI often go off track on the long hard rhythm section, then rail really fast on the flat concrete along side it, and get right back on track faster than if they'd taken the jumps, but the player is always auto slowed down a lot when going off track there. At the final time check I had a just over .5 sec lead. I was SO glad this one was over, because Coop was often too far ahead to catch with a 10 sec head start.

 

[Frag Maniac]

Here's rounds 13 and 14, the Houston Triple Crown, and Nashville, probably the easiest and hardest tracks respectively.

Houston Triple Crown

At first I was going to try a 12 sec head start, thinking I wouldn't be able to do 15 sec like I did on Hard. It turned out 15 sec was not only doable, but I got a bit better average lead at the end than I did on Hard. It starts with that fast dogleg left, then across the holeshot line which I now lean hard left for at full speed just after the Tuff Blocks on the right side go from black to yellow. This allows a perfect line between the Tuff Blocks blocking the track. This makes the double/triple/triple combo of the first rhythm section (the 1st triple via a bounce jump), a bit easier to hit. You then have a high, steep 180 left berm, into a fast whoop section, then a high, steep 180 right berm, into a rhythm section with 3 tabletops. Previously I always just doubled out of the right berm to make sure I hit on/offs on all 3 tabletops. This time I got fairly good at railing that berm high and hitting a triple off it, then using the face of the first tabletop to double to an on/off on the next one, and then link the next one. There were times I missed that triple though, so I basically made sure I hit it the first time through, then being in the flow of AI the next two laps carried me through it a bit easier. I then went into safe mode the last 2 laps to make sure I didn't blow it, going back to the double then 3 on/offs method. This section finishes with two small jumps I skip over one at a time, then a high, steep 180 left berm at the end.

The next section is a double/triple/double/double combo, the 2nd to last double being an on/off on a tabletop. It's important to very briefly tap gas weighted back while leaning right off this table top, in order to maintain a good line at the 90 right's apex during the last double landing to get through the narrow bridge tunnel after crossing a short flat. You then have another 90 right immediately after the tunnel, then a med jump double into a section with small, spaced whoops. This takes you into a wide, shallow 90 right berm, then to a big air triple off the big finish line jump, then over the bridge jump just after the landing. I usually scrub the big air triple, then let off gas just before the bridge jump to try to land on it's downslope. Next comes a short flat, strait, which becomes a big sweeping bend with two dogleg lefts. There's a large med jump just after the 1st dogleg for which I temper speed a bit and swing wide before this jump and take it while leaned left hard. I take it a bit faster than I used to, because I've found the ideal scenario is to land leaned hard left just before the bend angles left again, which is on a flat just before a small jump. If all goes well I hit the apex of that next dogleg left while landing that small jump. You then merge to the dogleg left of the start chute, back to the holeshot line. The 1st section is taken the same on subsequent laps due to same speed.

Spoiler

The highlights for me were discovering a triple into the 3 tabletop section was doable, and being able to finish with a just over 2.6 sec lead in the 2nd race. Not much went wrong in that race. At the final time check I averaged a just over 1.9 sec lead.

Nashville

I always dread this track the most. The AI are very aggressive on it, which you can tell even by how their bikes sound at the start, the jumps are hard to hit well, the whoop sections are hard to take fast like the AI can, and can send you high, and if you make even minor mistakes anywhere, the AI go whizzing by. Besides all that, the AI are prone to doing crazy things. They'll fly radically high abruptly across track to correct their mistakes, or even land WAY off track on the whoop section that follows the hardest rhythm section, which often leaves them landing on top of you, or even colliding with you head on at high speed. At least a few times I came in 2nd very close behind the lead rider when allowing them a 7 sec head start, so I settled for 6 sec, which is still 1 more than I gave them on Hard. It starts with a sharp bend left, which I slow for, coast through, then accelerate fast out of to hit a fast low triple off a gradually sloped tabletop after crossing the holeshot line. On Hard I only managed to skim across the tops of jumps after that first triple, but I am now fairly consistently hitting a triple/triple/triple combo right off the start. This takes you into a sharp semi shallow 180 left berm, then into a double/double/double/double/double combo, the middle 3 of which are on/offs on tabletops, the last tabletop having a bit of a saddle vs flat top. This section ends with a near 180 right off a high, steep berm.

You then go diagonally across the start chute, into a fast, near 180 sweeping left bend with moderately shallow berm, into the track's toughest rhythm section I call carnage alley. It can be tricky to both avoid AI and maintain good speed in this bend without losing traction. That said, as long as you don't get slowed by too much contact with them, the flow of the AI can also help carry you through a triple/triple/triple combo on this section, which is the ideal and fastest way to take it. The big risk is what happens on the last landing, you have to hope to avoid getting landed on. The middle of the track is the safest place to land if there's room, as you can get bunched up on the inside of the 180 left thereafter, or squeezed out on the outside by the centrifugal surge of AI swinging through the turn. At any rate, this 180 left has a moderately steep berm that I use as best I can, to get up speed for what has to be the worst whoop section on any track. I have found the best way to take these whoops is avoiding a right side entry on the first long section, and not weighting back until just after you've crossed the first whoop. Otherwise it's like being tossed around on a bronc, I kid you not. A high, steep 180 right berm connects you to the next shorter whoop section. It's more forgiving on which side is ridable without the Bronco Billy show, but I've found it's best to slingshot strait off the berm vs railing it wide, to keep AI from passing you on the inside.

This takes you to a big air double off the big finish line jump, then immediately into a big air triple off a big jump after a 90 left (where I don't use the berm), then immediately into a big air double off a large med jump after another 90 left (where I again don't use the berm), which takes you across the bend of the start chute to an on/off on a tabletop. You know the expression be there or be square? Well, in this sequence of big jumps, it's be relatively square or you WON'T be there. Meaning you need to carefully square your turns, because apexes will send you flying off track, and going wide into the berms will slow you down too much (so square no one cares if you're there). At any rate that aforementioned jump across the start chute bend takes you back to the holeshot line. The 1st section is taken a bit different on subsequent laps due to a bit slower speed having landed a big jump out of a turn at the start of it. I tried my best to double/double/triple/double it, but at times failed landing the 2nd double well enough to hit the triple.

Spoiler

The highlights for me were not crashing or going off track on this tough course, and catching 2nd place rider James Stewart at the 2:40 mark after him passing me when I botched the triple in the first rhythm section, then taking the lead at 2:55 just after lead rider Justin Barcia crashed at the end of the 2nd whoop section. At the final time check I had a just under 1.1 sec lead.

 

[ZedClampet]

I've only watched the first two videos so far. So you give them a headstart to keep them from crashing you? That's pretty counter-intuitive. I like it.

I'm surprised it lets you land on the upside of hills with little to no penalty. That's pretty good since the AI makes it harder to hit the hills just right.

 

[Frag Maniac]

I've only watched the first two videos so far. So you give them a headstart to keep them from crashing you? That's pretty counter-intuitive. I like it.

I'm surprised it lets you land on the upside of hills with little to no penalty. That's pretty good since the AI makes it harder to hit the hills just right.

Actually there's a couple misconceptions there. I give them head starts because once you know how to play the game well, it's too easy to beat them even on Realistic mode if you don't. Trust me, there's FAR more of them getting in the way and crashing me if I have to pass all of them to get the lead. Once you get the hang of the start process, it's also not too hard to get a good jump off the start, at which point it's free sailing. You can see this by watching my original videos on Med AI level, and even some of the ones on Hard AI level I gave them no head start. Keep in mind while Med and Hard were easier AI, I was also less effective at playing the game back then. The main reason I was able to start giving them head starts was I found out weighting back at the right time really boosts traction, and therefore acceleration. Supercross and Motocross experts like Ricky Carmichael and Jeremy McGrath talk about this a lot, and most riders use the technique. You have to be careful where and at what bike pitch angle you weight back though. It can often times cause you to wheelie out of control if done wrong. If you look closely, you can see myself and the AI weighting back quite often and getting a speed boost from it. I've known this for some time, I just never thought I could master it at first, as I kept wheelie crashing.

Which brings me to your other comment, where you said it let's you "land" on the upside of hills with little to no penalty. I think what you're referring to aren't actually "landings", but what are called "bounce jumps". That is not to say landing on the upside of hills doesn't rob momentum. There are extreme examples of how it can severely slow momentum, like the 3:37 point in the first video where I tempered speed too much to avoid overshooting the short big air double like I often do on that track. Bounce jumps are typically done while at speed on rhythm sections that have med size jumps with faces that aren't too steep. You just go at them full gas and weight back when hitting them. You have to get the feel for what jumps produce what kind of trajectory though. Some will send you flying way high in the air, which can counter the effectiveness. Others if hit just right will actually propel you forward a bit without flying high. It's a combination of when and how long you use gas or weight back, and where on the jump face you take off from, as well as the slope of the jump face.

It takes a lot of practice to see what tracks produce what results with various techniques. It takes a lot of extra experimentation for me though, since I am at a disadvantage using a keyboard vs a controller. That means I can only slightly vary how long or when I apply gas or weight back. I've seen people play the game on controllers though, and they can go faster if they're really good, but the rider movement also looks far less realistic, so I'm OK with keyboard, even if it takes a lot longer to master it.

@ 4:08 in the first video you can see where I overshoot my jump a bit on the rhythm section I double all the way through. Had I panicked and not reacted, that would have indeed robbed my momentum. Instead I quickly weighted back and accelerated off of it, which you can see by the rider's butt quickly sitting down on the back of the seat. This forces the rear tire to grip taking off of the jump, vs slow the bike, giving you enough speed to clear the next double. Such a jump doesn't always look like a bounce, but the reason it's called a bounce jump is there are many cases where you're coming at the jump a lot faster, and at that point the tire being compressed against the jump forces a bounce effect. You can see this happening more obviously on tracks like Houston, where the first rhythm section has a small jump double, which if taken at speed, sends you into a med jump which is well sloped. The bounce jump sends you off it fairly high, but also gives you enough distance and speed to land back to back triples.

There's a ton of calculation and testing that goes into the riding and mechanics of this sport, and track conditions factor in a lot too. They tweak as much power and effectiveness as they can by precisely mapping engines and dialing in suspensions. For some riders on some tracks, they even dial down the engine power a bit if the rider is losing traction too much while accelerating. One of the latest component innovations is Dunlop's new scoop tire, also called a paddle tire. They used to be only for sand and really loose dirt, but a disadvantage on harder packed dirt. They changed the profile of it so it rolls through hard pack better while leaning through turns. Eli Tomac switched to that tire recently on a track where it took him a while to take the lead. He'd been practicing on it for a while, but his crew was worried when the track started drying out later in the day, it would become a disadvantage. He just gave his mechanic a stern look when he suggested swapping it, and said, it's fine. He then proceeded to smoke the competition once again. So the rider's preferences are definitely one of the biggest factors, and not to be taken for granted.

 

[Frag Maniac]

OK, I have rounds 15 and 16 done now, and since I've been away for a little while enjoying Spider-Man Remastered, I decided to capture a training race too. So this set includes Denver, East Rutherford, and the twisty little Compound 7 track.

Denver

This is a relatively fast track with a couple rhythm sections that can be hard to hit consistently. However I found if you can managed to hit triples in those rhythm sections, even just rarely, it helps a lot. There are other ways I gain speed on this track, but the triples are what put me in 10 sec head start territory. It starts with a sharp left, then over the holeshot line, then ideally a perfectly landed small jump double into a triple/triple combo. I was having a really tough time hitting that, so instead I bounce jumped doubles through it the first couple laps. I was literally looking like a bronc rider getting bounced out of the saddle, not anything impressive. However I did manage on the second lap to rail the high, steep 180 right berm just after it to manage a triple strait off it. That section on that lap sort of ended up being a triple/triple/double/almost triple combo, the last triple landing atop the jump. Previously this was always a section I doubled all the way through, as was the first. I also managed an almost triple/triple combo on the first section a couple laps, the second triple landing atop the jump. These are not true triples, but still worth mentioning in that vein as they're almost as fast, and allow you to catch AI.

The third section is a big air triple, bookended by two loose, almost dogleg turns. These turns, especially if you land well coming into them, is where you can gain time on AI via fast, direct, well leaned cornering. The fourth section has yet another big air triple, this time with 5 small to med spaced out jumps before it, the first two ascending, the last 3 descending. So they're almost like loosely spaced dragon backs. I generally just blast into these applying a very brief weight back to bounce off them without going too high. Then into that 2nd big air triple, then strait into a high, steep 180 right berm, which it helps to rail as it takes you into a long whoop section. If you carry enough speed here, it's a place top pass AI. This takes you to a high, steep near 180 left, then diagonally across the flat start chute. The next turn is a near 180 right I like to take at it's apex, and if done well, this is another place to pass AI. You then have a big air double off the big finish line jump, then a 180 left I take at it's flat apex, crossing the holeshot line just after the turn. You're going a bit slower into this first section on subsequent laps, but the triples are doable both from the start and on subsequent laps.

Spoiler

The highlights for me were being able to hit those triples (even if almost at times), and finally catching and passing lead rider Blake Baggett with an aggressive block pass near the end of the final lap, after battling to get past Cooper Webb for 2 laps. At the final time check I was just over .5 sec behind Blake Baggett, so no telling what margin I won by. A very slim one though.

Compound 7

This comes chronologically after Denver, so I'm putting it here. This is a very short track, so short it amounted to 8 laps, vs the usual 6 or 7. It's frustratingly tight and twisty too, so much so I was constantly overshooting jumps due to the need for a very light throttle touch, which is all the harder on keyboard as you can't feather gas. There are jumps that have such short landing areas that I was landing sideways to line up the next turn. I don't normally do head starts for AI on these tracks, as they can be frustratingly hard to race, but once I finally got the feel of it, I managed 10 secs. It starts with a short, strait run to the holeshot line, where you bend dogleg left into a fast, big air triple off a semi big jump. You then have a short, flat strait, into a 90 right, with 2 small jumps just before it. I take it at it's apex, vs the redundant berm, mostly coasting into it while leaning hard right. If done well as shown on the 1st lap, you can completely avoid the first small jump, and slide over the 2nd, just by swinging wide left before going into it. Next comes a fast whoop section, into a 90 right, which I take at it's moderate berm, then into a short small jump section I double/double through.

This takes you immediately into a high, steep, 180 right berm, then into a med jump immediately after. This is the first of those jumps from hell that won't let you throttle much. To make matters worse, the turn going into it has the effect of feeling like more than a 180 due to how narrow the track is going into and coming out of it. The med jump just after compounds the feeling. Once I finally got the throttle touch right, I found I could lessen the angle I landed with, which kept a faster flow going. That landing being ideally at the apex of a 90 left. This takes you to a short flat strait, then into another 90 left, then immediately into a big air double off the big finish line jump. Immediately after landing this jump, ideally at the bottom right of the 2nd jump's downslope, you need to be angled left to square off yet another left turn. This takes you into a section with several small to med jumps I generally skip over via bounce jumps as best I can. The focus is more on carrying momentum through the turn prior, without swinging wide right off track.

This takes you to another 90 left you must square up for, as your line and speed here are key for this next section. Thankfully the left has a nice moderately high/steep berm to maintain momentum. You want to moderate speed out of it in order to take the med jump just after it slowly enough to hit the tabletop just after at it's front, then on/off to another on/off on a tabletop just after. A light throttle is necessary to land the 2nd tabletop well too, otherwise you can easily miss the combo after. This makes it much easier to drop down off the 2nd tabletop to the downslope of a small jump that carries you into a triple/triple combo to end this section. This is a great place to catch or pass AI if you hit this sequence. Landing that 2nd triple is a bit awkward, as it takes you immediately into a 90 left that is completely flat.

This is yet another 90 left you must be sure to square up, or you can easily swing wide right going into the fast whoop section thereafter. The AI are uncannily fast on this whoop section. The end has 2 larger whoops spaced just beyond the rest. I find it best to let off gas at the end of the smaller whoops, then lightly bounce off the 1st bigger one. The reason for this is there's a high, steep 180 left berm just after, but it falls off just past the halfway point. So you need to take care to slingshot strait 180 off this berm before getting to where it falls off. Otherwise it will sap your momentum and you will get passed by AI and maybe even miss the triple jump after it, which btw is that triple in the first rhythm section, as that berm merges with this section just after the holeshot line. So, needless to say you carry less speed into this first section on subsequent laps, but you can still hit the triple as long as you hit the berm well.

Spoiler

The highlights for me were finally getting the feel of the track, not going off track by my own mistakes, and catching and passing lead rider Eli Tomac at the 30 seconds Time Remaining point. I did go very slightly off track momentarily once when landing that triple, but it was due to James Stewart bumping me with a subtle flick of his handlebars at the 3:13 Time Remaining point. If you set the YouTube viewer at .5 (half speed), you can clearly see him doing this. This kind of stuff is why I don't have any problem crashing AI with an aggressive pass. I was very lucky not to crash on the Tuff Block I ran into. If I hadn't immediately angled my front wheel left, I'd have toppled over it vs glancing off of it.

East Rutherford

This is another fairly fast track that the AI ride pretty aggressively and competitively. However since I blew a 4 sec lead on a 180 in the last lap of this race on Hard mode with a 7 sec AI head start, I figured I could shoot for 10 seconds, especially since I went to triple town this time. It starts with a sharp bend left, up a short rise, the top of which is the holeshot line. This rise makes dropping to the first section a bit blind, but especially with a row of Tuff Blocks completely obscuring it from view. I went to using the left edge of the stadium's big screen to judge where the middle of the track would be. I had a really good first lap, because I not only doubled off that drop into a triple/triple combo, I also had back to back triples in the next 2 sections via a double/double/triple/triple/double combo, then a triple/triple combo. The triple/triple is actually far harder to hit, as it requires a perfect landing line and speed coming out of the prior section. The 2nd section is entered off a high, steep 180 right berm, the 3rd via a 90 right best taken at it's apex from a wide entry angle.

After the 3rd section is a high, steep 180 right berm, then immediately into a big air double off the big finish line jump. You're then into a flat, square cornered area with two 90 lefts, then over 2 med jumps on either side of the start chute crossing, then into a 90 right to a big air triple off a big jump. The area before the big air triple is a great place to pass AI, via leaning hard into the turns, lightly pulsing the throttle to keep speed up, and taking the jumps with moderate speed to stay low. It's best to use moderate speed on the big air triple as well, so as to land on the downslope of the 3rd jump, and get a weight back speed boost for the triple ahead, which is med descending to small jumps. This takes you to a high, steep 180 right berm, into a fast whoop section. You then take a high, steep near 180 left berm then diagonally across the start chute, then into a near 180 right (which I take at it's apex), into a short whoop section. At the end of the whoops is a high, steep 180 left berm, the top of which cleverly conceals the holeshot line you dropped down from off the start. This first section is taken differently on subsequent laps due to slower speed out of the berm. I generally did a bounce jump double into a triple to an on/off on the tabletop, exiting the tabletop with a double.

Spoiler

The highlights for me were being able to go triple crazy on the first lap, and catching and passing lead rider Marvin Musquin at the 10 sec Time Remaining mark. I had a bobble accidentally splitting through the Tuff Blocks at the apex going into the short whoop section prior to that, but it was clearly more of a disadvantage than advantage, as he whizzed right by me. At the final time check I had a just under 2 sec lead.

 

[Frag Maniac]

And here we have the final round at Las Vegas, home of the wicked fast Monster Alley. The AI were noticeably faster on Realistic, so much so that I couldn't manage to get the fastest lap time. As they say in this sport though, it's more about consistency than perfection. I settled for the same head start I allowed the AI on Hard mode, 12 seconds. To achieve this I made one small change in technique.

Las Vegas

It starts with what I usually take as a dogleg left across the holeshot line, to rail the 180 right berm. I changed up how I take this turn, now usually taking it at it's apex. With this approach, the first rhythm section can't always be taken as a double/double onto tabletop/double combo, but I found the 450 has enough power to still manage the on/off on the tabletop via skipping off the tops of the 1st two jumps while weighted back. You then have a loose 90 right that I usually take on it's lower right side, into a skip off a med jump from a small jump, into a double/double/double onto tabletop/double/double onto tabletop/double/single combo.

This brings you to Monster Alley, which is two fast, long straits, connected by a semi large jump with a dogleg right just before it, and a right bend after it. There is ample opportunity to pass AI here if you lean hard into these bends and hit a line that keeps you from sliding. Coming out of Monster Alley you can reach speeds as high as 77 MPH, after which the strait continues, but turns into a series of small to med jumps. I basically just go at these jumps full gas and weight back with each landing. It's easy to hit a quad the first jump, the series commonly ending up a quad/triple/single combo.

After Monster Alley, you need to focus on slowing for the 180 right on a very shallow berm grade, which is split into two tracks, each having their own berm lip. I generally coast through the inner track after braking. This takes you to a big air double off the big finish line jump, to a bigger tabletop bridge jump, which is best landed on it's downslope for a weight back acceleration boost into a short whoop section. After a high, steep 180 right berm, there's another short whoop section, then a 90 right under the bridge tunnel. This takes you into a short flat section where you cross the start chute, then take a 90 left.

The 90 left is best taken mid track to set up for a big air triple off a big jump, which takes you immediately into a 90 left, then over a med jump, and across the start chute again, back to the holeshot line. The track area between the bridge tunnel and holeshot line is commonly territory for vying for position. Quite often I'm nudging AI one way or the other on the big air triple to secure my line, even at times causing them to fly off the track on the left turn after it. One of the main areas of contention though is the 180 right just after the holeshot line, and why I changed to usually taking it at it's apex. As a result I am now passing AI there, vs being passed.

On subsequent laps, the first section is usually taken the same, but if there's no AI to contend with, I take the 180 right after the holeshot line just a tad wider, to allow a smooth double/double approach to the tabletop. Sometimes I even managed this WITH AI present, as long as they aren't too aggressively attacking the apex. It DID however require swinging a bit wider out of the apex to manage the double/double. There was also at least one lap I just took the 180 right deep into the berm to get around multiple AI that I thought might slow me down at the apex.

Spoiler

The highlights for me were at the 2:39 mark managing a pretty good sequence through the difficult rhythm section before Monster Alley after prior swinging wide at the holeshot turn, then nearly getting squeezed off track on the higher left side of the jump on the next right, and finally catching and passing lead rider Chad Reed just after the bridge jump on the Final Lap. At the final time check I had a just over 1 sec lead.

Thanks to all whom viewed and responded to this series of walkthroughs on this game. I will now be uninstalling it and installing Monster Energy Supercross 4. Supercross 4 varies quite a bit in that they implemented a skill tree system where your basic riding skills are severely dumbed down until you gain enough XP and success using them that they can be upgraded. For this reason I have no idea whether a walkthrough will be feasible, or how long it will take before I do one if I do, as I've already decided I will be upgrading skills fully before I embark on one, again IF I do.

I've already seen footage of both Supercross 4 and 5, and I have to say, I much prefer the graphical look of Supercross 3, and the rider movement even looks more realistic to me. Of the first 3 games, Supercross 3 also has the most fluid movement and control of what I've experienced so far. I can only hope after fully upgrading skills, Supercross 4 will look and play better than what I've been led to believe by the footage I've watched. I will keep you posted one way or the other as I progress through it.