BMX History
BMX Video Games
BMX video games are console, PC and mobile games based on BMX riding, led by Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX (2000) and Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX (2001).
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BMX video games are console, PC and mobile games built around BMX riding, usually freestyle tricks in parks and streets. The genre peaked between 2000 and 2002, when Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX and Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX brought real riders and real tricks to millions of players. Since the late 2010s, smaller studios have made physics-based games aimed at riders themselves.
Early games
BMX appeared in video games well before the freestyle titles of the 2000s. Home computer games of the mid to late 1980s, such as Codemasters' BMX Simulator (first released on the Commodore 64 in 1986, with other versions in 1987), offered top-down racing on dirt tracks. These were simple racing games and had little to do with freestyle. Through the 1990s BMX mostly appeared as a minor event in multi-sport games.
The X Games era: 2000 to 2002
The success of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater in 1999 showed that an action sports game built around a real athlete could sell in huge numbers. Publishers quickly signed the two biggest names in BMX, both of them X Games stars.
Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX (2000)
Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX was developed by Z-Axis and published by Acclaim. It came out on PlayStation in September 2000 in North America, with Dreamcast and PC versions later that year and a Game Boy Color version. Players chose from a roster of professional riders, including Dave Mirra and Ryan Nyquist, and rode levels built from parks, dirt and street spots. Reviews praised the trick system while noting how closely it followed the Tony Hawk formula.
An expanded PlayStation edition, Maximum Remix, followed in 2001. Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 came out in 2001 on PlayStation 2, then GameCube, Xbox and Game Boy Advance.
Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX (2001)
Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX was published by Activision, the publisher of the Tony Hawk series, and developed mainly by Shaba Games. It used a modified version of the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater engine, so it played much like that game. It was first released in North America on 15 May 2001 on PlayStation and Game Boy Color, followed by Dreamcast, Windows and Game Boy Advance versions.
The roster included Mat Hoffman, Rick Thorne, Dennis McCoy, Kevin Robinson and Mike Escamilla, with Tony Hawk as a hidden character. A sequel, Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2, followed in 2002 on PlayStation 2, Xbox and other platforms.
BMX XXX (2002)
BMX XXX was developed by Z-Axis and published by Acclaim in November 2002 for Xbox, PlayStation 2 and GameCube. Development began as Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 3, but Acclaim later added nudity and adult humour. In August 2002 it announced that Mirra's name would be dropped, and Mirra, the other pro riders and the licensed bike parts were removed from the game.
Several big retailers refused to stock it and sales fell short of expectations. In 2003 Mirra sued Acclaim over the continued use of his name in connection with the game. The case was settled later that year with no damages paid by either side. BMX XXX is usually remembered as the moment the BMX game boom ended.
A quiet decade
After 2002, BMX games became rare. Interest in action sports games faded, and publishers moved on. Dave Mirra BMX Challenge appeared on PSP in 2006 and Wii in 2007, but no title came close to the sales of the early 2000s.
Mobile games filled some of the gap. Touchgrind BMX, from the Swedish studio Illusion Labs, came out in 2011 as a spin-off of its finger-skateboarding game, with Touchgrind BMX 2 following in 2018 and a third BMX game in 2024.
The physics era: 2018 to present
From the late 2010s, small studios began making BMX games with realistic physics and analogue controls, built by and for riders.
PIPE by BMX Streets (2018)
PIPE by BMX Streets, from Mash Games, came out in 2018 on PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4, with release dates that vary by platform and store. It is set in a park environment and uses physics-based bike handling rather than button combos. Mash Games described it as a step towards a larger street game.
BMX Streets (2024)
BMX Streets, also from Mash Games, launched on PC through Steam in April 2024, with console versions following in 2025 and 2026. It moves the same physics-based approach into street environments, and players often share clips online much like real riders share web edits.
BMX The Game
BMX The Game, from Barspin Studios, entered early access on PC in 2020. Like the Mash Games titles, it aims for realistic handling.
Riders Republic (BMX added 2022)
Ubisoft's open-world action sports game Riders Republic, released in October 2021, added BMX as an add-on with its Season 4 update in September 2022. The BMX content added street, park and dirt events, grinding, and in-game gear from real brands including Odyssey and Cult.
Influence on BMX
The early 2000s games introduced BMX to a huge audience. Many riders who started in that era first learned trick names such as the tailwhip, barspin and flair from a game. The licensing deals also brought money into the sport and made Mirra and Hoffman household names alongside their X Games coverage.
The physics games of the 2010s and 2020s work the other way round. They are made by riders, sold mainly to riders, and judged on how closely they match the feel of a real bike.
Related
Frequently asked questions about BMX Video Games
What was the first big BMX video game?
Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX, released by Acclaim in September 2000, was the first major freestyle BMX console game. Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX followed from Activision in May 2001.
Why was BMX XXX controversial?
BMX XXX, released by Acclaim in late 2002, added adult content and nudity to a BMX game. It began life as the third Dave Mirra title, but Mirra's name and the other pro riders were removed before release, and several large retailers refused to stock it.
What is the most realistic BMX game?
Physics-based games such as PIPE by BMX Streets and BMX Streets, both from Mash Games, aim for realistic bike handling rather than arcade-style trick combos. They are popular with riders but have a steeper learning curve.
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