Those days spent sitting cross-legged in front of your parents' televisions pulling off little jumps with 2D motocross bikes on a four-lane track won't exactly come rushing back to you as soon as you start playing Excite Truck, a sequel to the nearly quarter-century old Excite Bike for the Nintendo Entertainment System, but, perhaps surprisingly, the two games do share a fair bit in common with one another.

This Wii launch title has players racing through wild, often unlikely terrains with plenty of opportunities to launch hundreds of feet into the air off of any old strategically-placed lump or bump, aided, of course, by the Excite franchise's trademark turbo; a button-activated booster used for short durations only, lest ye overheat and blow smoke.

The Wii's gyroscopic remote is put to interesting use as an odd sort of free-floating steering wheel. Held sideways, you dip the right side to the right to turn right; dip left to go left. Cock it back and your truck will nose up like a plane for greater air off a jump; cock it forward to lose impetus and/or try to land it on all fours, which is rewarded with a free turbo. Give the "wheel" a wiggle while in mid air and your truck will perform a simple spinning trick, a 360 or even a 720 if your hang time permits.

It's wacky and lighthearted and fun throughout.

Excite Truck's only real flaw is that it's way too short. There just isn't enough game for most people to feel like they're getting their money's worth; serious players can finish the "career" mode in a day like a flash in the pan.

The game has some extended value with its split-screen multiplayer option, but that can only be explored when you happen to have friends or family around and in the mood to play. Sadly, there's no online component, even though the game screams for online races against the masses; tournaments, scoreboards, a reason to keep playing...

What is there is polished and definitely worth checking out, but given its lack of depth, Excite Truck has got "rent me" written all over it.

Also see:

• Excite Truck vs. Monster 4x4: World Circuit Comparison