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Dave Mirra’s Freestyle BMX 2 Changed My Life

THE Best BMX Game Ever.

I’m not gonna sugar coat it, 2016 has been a pretty shit year so far. First was the bad news about Lemmy from Motorhead, then David Bowie. We then found out about Kelly McGarry which was also incredibly sad news but nothing hit me quite as hard as the tragic death of iconic BMX legend Dave Mirra. This is news people are still trying to get their head around and many people mourned his loss in different ways;

Let's all show some love for the king of BMX! Paint your pedals gold in memory of @davemirra and use the hashtag #goldpedalsformirra

A video posted by Eric Bahlman (@ericbahlman) on Feb 6, 2016 at 10:19am PST

#GOLDPEDALSFORMIRRA was an awesome idea Eric Bahlman came up with after Mirra passed. Riders all over the globe did the same sort of thing a few years ago but it was Blue for Joe Tiseo back then.

Gotta edit the photo!! Thank you Mirra!!!

Posted by Robbie Wright on Sunday, 7 February 2016

Robbie Wright paid homage to Dave in his own way by reenacting the famous Basketball Hoop Tyre Tap. Massive props for that man!

Soo stoked on this big thanks to @bert_thomas_tattoo_ftft RIP Dave Mirra the best that ever done it. #Bmx #Skynyard #tattoo #davemirra

A photo posted by Billy Purcell (@billypurcell) on Feb 7, 2016 at 10:34am PST

Billy Purcell got an incredible tattoo of Dave Mirra’s full face helmet in remembrance.

I think it’s pretty fair to say that Dave was an inspiration to us all; Raleigh Drivers, Racing Enthusiasts, BMXers, well… riders of any discipline for that matter! Even people who never picked a BMX up in their life were torn up about the news of his passing. I’ve had countless friends who don’t ride asking me, “is that Dave Mirra from Dave Mirra’s Freestyle BMX 2?” – They may have played his game many years ago on PS2, Xbox or Gamecube and can still remember the name after all these years.

It made me think just how much one BMX game could influence so many people, so I thought I’d delve a little deeper into the game and pick out a 3 of my favourites from it…

THE MUSIC:

The soundtrack to Dave Mirra’s Freestyle BMX 2 was an absolute classic. This wasn’t JUST a soundtrack but was a collection of songs which were loved by BMXers around that era. They had everything in there; from a bit of rock with Rage Against The Machine to some deep rap lyrics from Gang Starr. Check out the complete track listing below and get reaquainted with some incredible songs.

#1 – This is undoubtedly of my favourites and the track which sent chills down my spine after the news about Dave would have to be ‘The Moment of Truth’ by Gang Starr. A certain part of this song certainly hit home, I think its around 1:37 – Really made me think…

#2 – She Sells Sanctuary by The Cult was another track which set the nostalgia in full swing after turning my Xbox on for the first time in ages and playing Dave Mirra’s Freestyle BMX 2. It’s been about 10 years, what was I playing at?! – Classic tune and fits the game so well.

#3 – Black Sabbath – Paranoid was such a tune and still remains so to this day! I loved this track way before Dave Mirra’s but it was a right treat when I got my hands on a copy for the first time and realised I could bust out flipwhips to toothpick grinds and listen to Sabbath at the same time. Can’t beat it!

Click here for the FULL TRACK LISTING ON YOUTUBE.

THE GAMEPLAY:

OK, so the gameplay on Dave Mirra’s wasn’t ideal. It was well ‘clunky’, stopping was a major issue as you’d skid for metres before actually coming to a halt and sometimes when you’re in the air the mechanics of the game would just not be able to handle it and you’d end up sideways down a quarter pipe bailing or landing “sketchy” – This all adds to the fun of playing the game in my opinion and looking back, I wouldn’t have it any other way! – It would however be cool as hell to see a revamped version of Dave Mirra’s 2 with new levels, new riders (including the old favourites) and some new updated bikes. Somebody NEEDS to make this happen!

THE LEVELS:

#1 – Woodward Camp.

There’s a few levels on this game which unlock after you complete the challenges set on the previous level. You start off at the famous Woodward Camp which has a few HUGE outdoor ramps and street courses along with the usual indoor favourites like ‘Lot 8′. So much fun could be had on this level and the one where you have to grind 170 metres down a specific set of rails and the Insane Challenges are pretty damn hard!

#2 – The Trainyard.

Once you’ve completed a few challenges you’ll unlock The Train Yard which is a bit of a ball ache in my opinion, not my favourite level on the game but doing the challenges were still pretty rewarding.

#3 – Swamp Trails.

Swamp Trails was another favourite of mine, that massive jump you hit at the start was the best way to kick a level off and with a combination of smaller trails and huge jumps (with tree grinds) this level was more than enough fun!

#4 – The Commercial District.

Being a street rider this was my absolute favorite level out of them all. So many things to hit in this place, rails, ledges, stair sets, you name it! Couldn’t get enough of this level and often just bang it on ‘free ride’ to hit up some rails on a rainy day when I’m stuck in the house bored. Why not eh?

#5 – Galloon Water Park.

The Galloon Water Park has to be up there with the best, that massive slide at the start is too much fun to bust a nozza down, the level is absolutely HUGE and really feels like there’s endless free roaming possibilities. Challenges get a bit harder at this point too, prepare to lose your mind…

#6 – Highway 47.

Highway 47 was a pretty damn-sick level too! I mean who would’ve thought a level based on a highway would be a good idea? Dave did, and he know exactly what he was doing. A bit of added excitement due to dodging traffic was a great plan, also a right laugh when you did eventually get mowed down by a car!

#7 – Devils Peak.

Devil’s Peak was another one which didn’t really tickle my fancy, a few decent spots to ride in this one but I guess it was more about the challenges at this point of the game and making things a little harder for people. Enjoyed it all the same but not as much as the others personally…

#8 – The Airport Garage.

Ah what a level this one was! The Airport Garage was a great way to finish-off the game, loved the challenges in this one too. (I know Gamecube players got an extra 2 levels) but I’ll not talk about that because I didn’t own one and I’m a bit sour about it… haha

So yeah, to recap a bit. I do feel like the title of this post is a bit strong but Dave Mirra’s Freestyle BMX 2 really helped influence who I am as a person, my musical taste and my love for gaming. Without such a kickass game to play as a kid who knows what I’d be doing right now? Never thought I’d wind up writing for Ride UK BMX a mag I’d been reading since I was a kid but it’s all about following your dreams and working hard, as Dave did.