Trick combinations almost feel like a trip through the spin cycle of the washing machine because of the quick game speed, especially while spinning in the air. Mirra is a refreshing change. The game isn't sluggish in the air by any means, but it moves slowly enough that you can actually see your rider perform various trick combinations and make last-second improvisations to boost scores. The land speed is a bit slow and frustrating on many of the stock bikes with which riders start the game, but the high-end bikes are much quicker on land and in the air. About the only complaint I have about the gameplay of Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX is a slightly permissive physics model.
Players stay on their bikes a little too often after clumsy landings, especially side landings.
But it's a very small blemish on an otherwise perfect gameplay system. Each rider has fairly rounded features and looks human. Pedaling on the ground and body movements during mid-air tricks are realistic. In a small but important detail, the wheels of the bike are round. That's something that Neversoft needs to work on with the upcoming Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX, if the octagonal wheels in the demo within Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 are any indication.