MX 2002 featuring Ricky Carmichael

MX 2002 featuring Ricky Carmichael is a video game developed by Pacific Coast Power & Light and published by THQ for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and Game Boy Advance in 2001. It is the third motocross racing game published by THQ to be endorsed by professional motocross racer Ricky Carmichael, after Championship Motocross featuring Ricky Carmichael and its sequel, Championship Motocross 2001 Featuring Ricky Carmichael, as well as the first game in THQ's MX trilogy, a follow-up series to the Championship Motocross duology that would eventually become part of its MX vs. ATV crossover racing franchise. A sequel, MX Superfly, was released in 2002 and also endorsed by Carmichael.

MX 2002 featuring Ricky Carmichael
North American PlayStation 2 cover art of Ricky Carmichael (foreground)
Developer(s)	Pacific Coast Power & Light (PS2, Xbox) Tiertex Design Studios (GBA)
Publisher(s)	THQ
Programmer(s)	Matthew Gaston
Composer(s)	Steve Kirk
Series	MX
Engine	RenderWare (consoles)[1]
Platform(s)	PlayStation 2, Xbox, Game Boy Advance
Release	PlayStation 2 NA: June 28, 2001[2] EU: September 14, 2001 Game Boy Advance NA: September 25, 2001[3] EU: October 26, 2001 Xbox NA: December 3, 2001[4] EU: April 26, 2002
Genre(s)	Sports, racing
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

Development

MX 2002 originally began development as a sequel to Championship Motocross 2001 Featuring Ricky Carmichael, before undergoing significant changes that led it to be rebranded as the start of a new successor to the Championship Motocross duology. Tiertex Studios, which developed the Game Boy Color version of Championship Motocross 2001, developed a Game Boy Advance version of MX 2002 that similarly featured 3-D graphics.

Reception

Reception

Aggregate scores

Aggregator	Score
	GBA	PS2	Xbox
GameRankings	42%[5]	78%[6]	71%[7]
Metacritic	N/A	76/100[8]	74/100[9]

Review scores

Publication	Score
	GBA	PS2	Xbox
Electronic Gaming Monthly	N/A	7.33/10[10][a]	N/A
EP Daily	N/A	8.5/10[11]	8/10[12]
Game Informer	N/A	7/10[13]	7.5/10[14]
GameSpot	N/A	7.6/10[15]	7.1/10[16]
GameSpy	N/A	76%[17]	73%[18]
GameZone	N/A	8.3/10[19]	9/10[20]
IGN	5/10[21]	8.3/10[22]	7.5/10[23]
Next Generation	N/A	[24]	[25]
Nintendo Power	[26]	N/A	N/A
Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine	N/A	[27]	N/A
Official Xbox Magazine (US)	N/A	N/A	6.5/10[28]
The Cincinnati Enquirer	N/A	[29]	N/A
Playboy	N/A	85%[30]	N/A

The PlayStation 2 version received "generally favorable reviews", while the Xbox version received above-average reviews, according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.^[8][9] While Jim Preston of NextGen was critical about the game having "ordinary" graphics and an "awkward" stunt system for the PS2 version,^[24] the magazine was more positive to the Xbox version due to its better controls and built-in tutorials.^[25] Dan Elektro of GamePro said that the former console version "may find its true niche with big motocross fans, but casual gamers will most likely be left in the dust."^[31][b]

Notes

1. In Electronic Gaming Monthly's review of the PlayStation 2 version, one critic gave it 7/10, and the rest gave it each a score of 7.5/10.
2. GamePro gave the PlayStation 2 version two 4/5 scores for graphics and control, 3.5/5 for sound, and 3/5 for fun factor.