Downhill Domination

Downhill Domination is a mountain biking game for the PlayStation 2, developed by Incognito Entertainment and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment in 2003. A port was then released to Europe and Australasia in 2004, and later on to Japan under the name MT Bikers: Bakusō Mountain Bikers (MT Bikers: ).
==Gameplay==
Downhill Domination is an arcade-style racing game. The main objective is to be the fastest rider to reach the bottom of the mountain. The race itself is divided into three types: 
*Freeride (FR), featuring large courses with minimal boundaries. Players can experiment and find their preferred route.
*Technical Downhill (TD), featuring medium-length, full-of-obstacle courses, where technique and precision are required.
*Mountain Cross (MX), featuring small courses that are full of manmade hills, moguls, sharp turns, and berms. Mastering the jumps is integral here; bad timing can slow the rider down.
There are a few mechanics that can help players advance the game, such as: 
*Tricking, which can be performed in the air by pressing the shoulder buttons and the triangle button. If landed successfully, it will grant players points, which later will be converted into cash. Tricking can also boost the rider’s energy, which is required for sprinting and thus making them cycle faster.
*Combat, which can be done by pressing the square button (left attack) or the circle button (right attack). A successful hit will slow the opponent down, and also grant points and energy boost to the players.
*Pickups (power-ups) can also be found scattered through the courses. There are 5 types of pickups in the game: Energy, Adrenaline Boost, Combat Upgrade, Quick Mount, and Extra Points.
Initially, the players are introduced to 6 fantasy riders to choose from. By progressing through their careers, players will unlock new courses, bikes, sponsorships, and earn cash. Players can buy bike upgrades and other bonus items such as soundtracks and new gameplay features at the Bike Shop. New riders can also be unlocked by completing certain career or gameplay modes.
==Riders==
===Fantasy Riders (Main)===
*Ajax - An underground Hip Hop artist from the USA. His top skill is tricking.
*Cosmo - A rebellious, British aristocrat who would rather live his own life than pursue a higher education. His top skills are sprint and tricking.
*Jonnie - An avid shark researcher from Australia. Her top skill is speed.
*Kalolo - A fire dancer from a seaside village in Tonga. His top skills are speed and combat.
*Mai - A bike messenger from Japan who's trying to find her "zen". Her top skills are sprint and tricking.
*T-bag - An eccentric, adrenaline junkie of unknown origin, who owns a bike shop somewhere. His top skill is tricking.
===Fantasy Riders (Bonus)===
*Drud - An Everest tour guide from Germany.
*Rakel - A farmer from the Swedish countryside.
*Kineticlops - A guest rider from War of the Monsters.
===Pro Riders=== 
*Brian Lopes
*Eric “E.C.” Carter
*Missy "The Missile" Giove
*Richie Schley
*Tara Llanes
*Naoki Idegawa (MT Bikers: Bakusō Mountain Bikers, replaces Richie Schley)
==Courses==
===Racecourses (Starters)=== 
* Mt. MiDoule, Italy
* Red Pass, Utah
===Racecourses (Unlockables)=== 
* Mt. Imasaki, Japan
* Mt. Konawaki, Hawaii
* Mt. Liddellroch, Scotland
* Mt. McSchley, British Columbia
* Mt. Quintanaroo, Peru
* Mt. Zorkovaska, Russia
* Salt City, USA
===Bonus Courses===
*Dual Slalom
*Moshbowl
*Super Jump
==Soundtracks==
There are a total of 40 soundtracks in the game. Some are created for the game, while some are licensed songs from various artists.
Artist(s) 	Song(s)
1 Louder 	Fracture
1 Louder 	In Traction
Andy Hunter 	Go
Big Idea 	Aaah!
Big Idea 	Listen Up
Blood 	Feel the Rage
Blood 	Godlike
Brian Setzer 	8-Track
Cinder 	Soul Creation
Cirrus 	Breakbeat Suckers
Cue Boho ft. Krisdagong 	I'm the Winna
Cue Boho ft. Krisdagong 	To the Hill
Death by Stereo 	Let Down and Alone
Dragpipe 	Simple Minded
Drumattic Twins 	Feelin' Kinda Strange
EOG 	End of the Line
Freezepop 	Bike Thief (Schnellspanner Remix)
G Man 	Double G
Goddess 	Scream and Shout
Goddess 	You'll See
James Brown 	I Got You (I Feel Good)(Digital Johnson Remix)
Kazzer 	Pedal to the Metal
Krush 	Survive
Krush 	Wannabe
LMO 	Knight Rider
Melissa 	Do You Wanna Fly?
Morphine 	Thursday
Propellerheads 	Bang On!
Run-D.M.C. 	Mary, Mary
Saliva 	Your Disease
Slipknot 	(sic)
Southern CultureOn The Skids	The Corn Rocket
Stick It 	Here We Go
Stick It 	Wild Ride
The Black Eyed Peas 	Let’s Get R*tarded
T-NO 	RailSkinner
T-NO 	CityScape
The Donnas 	Take It Off
The Herbaliser ft. Blade 	Time 2 Build
TobyMac 	Extreme Days
==Reception==
Downhill Domination received "generally favorable reviews" according to Metacritic.Downhill Domination for PlayStation 2 Reviews. Metacritic. Retrieved May 5, 2024. IGN gave it a score of 8, praising its gameplay and level designs, although also stated that the game isn’t “terribly inspirational”, “innovative”, or “original”.Perry, Douglass (July 23, 2003). Downhill Domination. IGN. Retrieved May 7, 2024. The game itself has been referred as “SSX on bikes'' by few. The criticism of the game is mostly targeted towards its audio and voice acting, with the latter stated to be repetitive.
==Trivia==
*Downhill Domination is the first mountain biking game for the Playstation 2.First-Ever Downhill Mountain Bike Racing Game Provides Outdoor Adrenaline Thrills in Downhill Domination for PlayStation 2. PS2 News. Archived from the original on October 20, 2006. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
*Other than being featured as a playable character, Eric Carter also assisted the game’s development with its course designs.Downhill Domination credits (PlayStation 2, 2003). MobyGames. Retrieved May 5, 2024. Official PlayStation Magazine - Issue 70 - Downhill Domination Behind the Scenes. Youtube. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
*Downhill Domination can be seen as an arcade game in Twisted Metal (2012) by Eat Sleep Play, which was the successor of Incognito Entertainment.Easter Eggs - Twisted Metal (2012). Youtube. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
*In the game's demo, the players are provided with only two riders, although they're different characters for each version:
** For Downhill Domination, it's Cosmo and Mai.
** For MT Bikers: Bakusō Mountain Bikers, it's Tara Llanes and Naoki Idegawa.
==Notes==
:a.Santa Monica Studio assisted on development.
==References==
Category:Game