THQ didn't skimp on options for
Motocross 2001 and this applies both to controlling the bikes and setting them up. Since this style of riding involves a lot of time in the air, you have to be concerned with horizontal orientation during a jump. Using the D-Pad to move Up and Down changes the tilt of the bike mid-air. This lets you get bigger air, but can mess you up on a landing. If you're tilted too far back, the landing will be ugly, but the same goes for hitting a slope or bump tilted too far forward. So, mastery of each track means learning how to use the landscape to maximum advantage.
Whether you choose the 125cc or more powerful 250cc bikes, set-up is mighty important. Motocross 2001 lets you change Tires to match track conditions, Pipes to skew toward top-speed or acceleration, Suspension, Sprockets and Power Tune. All changes either affect how the bike handles or whether it's geared toward speed or acceleration. As with other racing games, everyone has their individual style and preference for these areas, so it's nice that THQ gave us the option to make changes. Depending on whether you feel like gambling, it's possible to adjust Game Options so that conditions are consistent or variable, and you're also able to adjust Sound, Difficulty or Display Options. The save system is a simple password that comes up when you complete an event, and is entered from the main screen to continue.
There's nothing terrible about Championship Motocross 2001 except that darn Freestyle Mode, but everything here smells like Average Game. If you love motocross racing, there's a certain challenge to completing the tracks and trying out different bike configurations, but most of us will be happy to play something else on the road until we get home to a console or PC.