Being an early 3DS adopter sucked. I didn't really feel it back then, and I'd end up having a better time with the system than with its predecessor for some reason. But it's no surprise that a low-scale free eShop release like 3D Classics: Excitebike would have, um, excited launch players desperate for some variety. The promise of no-bullshit stereoscopic 3D on the go, plus improved hardware and online functionality, should have had more of an initial offering. For what it's worth, Arika's first experiment with a full-3D remake of an NES icon went well, albeit conspicuously lacking in new content or multiplayer options. It's nonetheless among the 3DS' best pick-up-and-play software, a natural outcome when the source material's strong to begin with.

The original game needs some context. Excitebike introduced many Famicom gamers to fast, relatively detailed side-scrolling action on their TVs. Its motocross theme stood out in a throng of otherwise predictable racing titles, either from the VCS/Intellivision/ColecoVision era or SEGA's recent SG-1000 lineup. Most importantly, this was one of Shigeru Miyamoto's baby steps towards the game engine needed to make Super Mario Bros. a reality. Only a month after Namco's own Pac-Land showed the arcade-going populace what a side-scrolling athletic adventure could be, here's a similarly ambitious cartridge toying with what was previously a choppy, taxing graphical experiment on home machines. (Let's not forget all the fairly smooth scrolling titles coming out on MSX or Sharp X1 during this time, though!)

Miyamoto's team could easily have settled for a low-risk, multi-lane derby racer with a motorbiking skin. What they instead made was one of the earliest innovations in this genre, a hybrid incorporating the developers' platformer concepts. I think it's best to approach Excitebike today as a physics experiment in disguise, with either game mode asking players to balance dexterity with urgency. You've got just as many awkward jumps to land at awkward angles as you do opponents to dodge and overtake. And the swift pace of play ensures there's always some thrilling combo of track pieces and drivers in clumps to manage. Getting used to the controls and ideal riding positions for each scenario takes practice, but I always feel rewarded for nailing each course. The low amount of content wouldn't have stung in 1984, either, since this still dwarfed almost every other Famicom cart in replayability.

Combined with a nifty track editor which Japanese players could use to save creations on the Data Recorder add-on, this was yet another system seller for Nintendo's soon dominant platform. How fitting, then, to use it again as freeware on a rather underequipped new console decades later! Sadly this was one of the most notable games one could try prior to staples like Pushmo, Etrian Odyssey IV, Bravely Default, Kid Icarus: Uprising, etc. And that meant extra scrutiny and emphasis for 3D Classics: Excitebike which it couldn't possibly live up to. Of course, I was having too much fun with Pilotwings Resort and the surprise Ambassador freebies, but I don't envy anyone making this at Arika as news of middling pre-orders and launch attention trickled in.

This remake doesn't try to reinvent the two-wheels, for the better. All the Famicom game's pros and cons remain, now magnified by the dev team's mix of polygonal models, flat shading, and glasses-free 3D. Going from the active 3DS operating system to the static eShop didn't sell me on these 3D capabilities, but games like this sure did. There's still something special about the bizarre diorama effect these 3D Classics provide, a kind of immersion which M2 carried forward into their own series. In terms of aiding the game loop, the 3D implementation doesn't do a whole lot; I'm just glad it's as unobtrusive and flattering to the visual style as Excitebike deserves. Increased view distance thanks to widescreen's easily the biggest win here, making the game easier and more satisfying for all but the most masochistic players.

Where 3D Classics: Excitebike fails to deliver is its multiplayer feature set. That is, if there was any. I'm baffled that Nintendo and Arika skipped out on letting players share track editor courses with each other. No online leaderboards flies in the face of score play, dis-incentivizing players from learning every quirk of the engine to attain impressive results. And no versus mode, or any pro-oriented extras like mirrored stages, further reduces this remake's value. Whether these were oversights and rushing or conscious omissions to save on time and resources, I come away disappointed with what could have been. It doesn't really get in the way of what's already great here, but it stings for anyone buying this now before the eShop closes. Make this free again, Big N!

Even more regrettable was the demise of Nintendo & Arika's 3D Classics to come. Who in hell asked for a redux of Urban Champions?! At least they got around to highlights like Kid Icarus and especially Kirby's Adventure, both of which shine in stereoscopy even without the polygonal/voxel treatment. But then this line just stopped dead, either because of poor sales or their priorities going elsewhere. This didn't happen with SEGA & M2, thankfully, yet they weren't ever going to try the more liberal approach Arika took with 3D Classics: Excitebike's presentation. The voxel-esque look, bolstered controls and visibility, and having multiple save slots for usermade courses makes it the definitive way to play this '84 NES notable today. Citra runs this perfectly, too, but the ideal experience for an early 3DS tech demo requires the system itself. Get this now before it's pulled alongside the rest of the eShop—I'm not paying extra for 3D glasses my PC monitor would vibe with.