2Xtreme
Sequel to ESPN Extreme Games without ESPN licensing.
2Xtreme, known in Japan as *Street Games*, is a PlayStation racing title developed by Sony Interactive Studios America and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. As the follow-up to *ESPN Extreme Games*, it drops the ESPN branding. Players compete globally using rollerblades, skateboards, bikes, or snowboards.
The game offers 12 courses and four difficulty levels. Points come from tricks, passing special gates, and knocking down opponents. A player's health, which drops when colliding with obstacles or opponents, determines how easily they are toppled by obstacles or rivals. Options allow racing without computer opponents or disabling combat. Exhibition mode lets players run single races, while Season mode spans all 12 tracks, generating standings based on finish time, race position, and bonus points from gates, knockdowns, and tricks. In two-player mode, the screen splits horizontally, and both racers start at the front, making obstacles harder to spot and avoid.
Critical reception was sharply divided. *GamePro*'s Dr. Zombie praised the high-speed action, tough AI, split-screen mode, responsive controls, and rendered backgrounds. Conversely, *GameSpot*'s Hugh Sterbakov found graphics, sound, and gameplay improved over the original but still primitive enough for a last-generation console, though he enjoyed the two-player mode. *Electronic Gaming Monthly*'s Todd Mowatt gave it an 8/10, citing power-ups, character selection, and season competition, while co-reviewer Joe Rybicki gave a 5/10, criticizing the graphics and animation for not using the PlayStation's potential and calling the gameplay unexciting. *Next Generation* noted the game felt more sedate than its predecessor, pointing to the lack of aggressive civilians, little differentiation between tracks, and overly similar controls across sports. The split-screen was deemed "barely adequate," and the absence of PlayStation Link Cable support was criticized. The *Albuquerque Journal* awarded a 4+ rating. A sequel, *3Xtreme*, followed in 1999.
Quick Facts
- Title
- 2Xtreme
- Developer
- Sony Interactive Studios America
- Publisher
- Sony Computer Entertainment
- Producer
- Kelly Ryan
- Programmer
- Phillip Weeks / Bob Gordon / Michael Riccio
- Composer
- Rex Baca
- Platforms
- PlayStation
- Released
- NA · November 8, 1996 · EU · March 6, 1997
- Genre
- Racing
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
2Xtreme was developed by Sony Interactive Studios America and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation. It is a sequel to ESPN Extreme Games and, unlike its predecessor, the game does not bear ESPN licensing. In it, the player races against others in various events around the world using Rollerblading, skateboarding, biking, and snowboarding. A sequel, 3Xtreme, was released in 1999.
Reader's Guide
2Xtreme sharply divided critics. GamePro's Dr. Zombie praised the game for its high-speed action, tough opponent AI, split screen competitive mode, responsive controls, and graphics, particularly the rendered backgrounds. In contrast, Hugh Sterbakov of GameSpot said that though the graphics, sounds, and gameplay were all improved from ESPN Extreme Games, they were still so primitive that they could have been done on a last generation console. However, he felt the fun gameplay in two-player mode outweighed this, though he recommended that gamers with no one to play with buy a different racing game. Todd Mowatt of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave it an 8 out of 10, citing the power-ups, selection of characters, and season competition, while his co-reviewer Joe Rybicki gave it a 5 out of 10, saying the graphics and animation do not exploit the PlayStation's capabilities, and the gameplay fails to improve upon the unexciting original. A reviewer for Next Generation somewhat similarly commented that 2Xtreme seems to be a little more sedate than the frenzied original was. He noted the absence of aggressive civilians, the lack of differentiation between the three tracks, and the over-similar control and feel of the different sports. He also criticized the two-player split screen as barely adequate, and said the game should have supported the PlayStation Link Cable. Albuquerque Journal gave the game a 4+ rating.
Did You Know?
- 2Xtreme was released as Street Games in Japan.
- The game does not bear ESPN licensing, unlike its predecessor.
- Players can choose in the options to race without other computer characters and turn off fighting.
- In two-player mode, the screen is split horizontally and both players start at the front of the race.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is 2Xtreme and what platform is it on?
2Xtreme is a PlayStation racing game developed by Sony Interactive Studios America and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. In Japan it was released under the title Street Games '97.
What kinds of vehicles or boards can you race with in 2Xtreme?
Players can compete on rollerblades, skateboards, bicycles, or snowboards across the game's twelve courses.
How does the health and scoring system work in 2Xtreme?
You earn points by landing tricks, threading through special gates, and knocking rivals off their feet. Your health bar drains the more you accelerate, which makes you far more vulnerable to being toppled by obstacles or other racers.
How is 2Xtreme different from ESPN Extreme Games?
It serves as the direct follow-up to ESPN Extreme Games but removes the ESPN license and branding entirely, standing as a standalone Sony-published title instead.
Did 2Xtreme get a sequel?
Yes, it was followed by 3Xtreme, which arrived in 1999 and continued the same extreme-sports racing concept.
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