Taking the Wheel

A major appeal of extreme sports games is they're not the same-old, same-old. That's why an off-road racer like "MX vs. ATV: Untamed" seems more exciting than a traditional driving experience, such as "Indianapolis 500 Legends."

Both games are good. "Legends" looks and feels like so many NASCAR laps, though more charming. But "Untamed" is bigger, badder and brazen -- even though it must look familiar to fans of the "MX" series.

You don't have to be a dusty, real-life biker to get drawn into "Untamed." You just need a desire to drive fast on buckled dirt roads and to jump motocross bikes and all-terrain vehicles over huge mounds.

"Untamed" revs up fun racing as a solo mission and online. But since I'm a dork, my favorite part is stringing together ridiculous poses midair, like tossing my feet off of an ATV's backside while landing from a jump.

The game lets you feel like you're driving two distinctly separate vehicles. The bikes roll like bikes. The ATVs bounce like ATVs. The game designers didn't just program one kind of steering mechanism for every vehicle.

If you're a newbie, you can win "MX" races even if you're terrible if you pick the "easy" setting and settle into the excellent, turn-on-a-dime steering controls. But whether you're great or awful, you'll get a multifaceted racer offering dozens of tracks and minigames.

By contrast, "Indianapolis 500 Legends" offers much narrower action, although it makes the best of what it is. What's best is the steering is perfect, especially using the Wii wand as a steering wheel.

But it is super niche-y. "Legends" is designed to appeal to race fans who want to drive autos of the 1960s, the kind made famous by guys such as A.J. Foyt.

These crazy little rocket-esque cars were perhaps future-looking in the Ed Sullivan era. They're small, thin and slower than my brother's muscle cars.

The routine of "Legend" is a wee too normal. You drive fast, keeping your finger on the gas pedal at all times. You turn left. You try to catch the drift of cars in front of you, then slingshot around them.

It's also not fun to qualify for races. On the other hand, you can get pretty excited trying to dodge wrecks and speed to the finish lines. (You have to drive flawlessly to win.)

"Legends" tries to feel bigger than it is by including film footage of races from back in the day. Still, it seems like it would be a little gem for car enthusiasts, while a little slow for everyone else.

By the way, in both "MX vs. ATV: Untamed" and "Legends," you must win races and challenges in order to unlock more cars and tracks. I realize this is pro forma for car games. But I'm sick of it.

Why can't a racing game just let me start off with the sleekest, coolest autos? By keeping most of the cars in the garage until the end, these games are saving the best for last. I don't like that. I also eat ice cream as an appetizer, sometimes. I'm really not very patient.

("MX vs. ATM: Untamed" retails for $60 for PS 3 and Xbox 360; $40 for PS 2 and PSP; $30 for DS -- Plays fun. Looks good. Easy to challenging, depending on which settings you choose. Rated "E." Three stars out of four.)

("Indianapolis 500 Legends" retails for $40 for Wii; $30 for DS -- Plays fun, though short and limited. Looks good. Moderately challenging. Rated "E" for mild violence. Two stars out of four.)