Bisikle (and Roadzters) Review

Since I'm a sucker for basically all dexterity games, I was very excited when I got to try out Bisikle (which is the same game as Roadzters, except that one uses bikes, and one uses cars - and the cars have ramps on the back of them).

In Bisikle, each player is attempting to go around the track a set number of times.  On your turn, you take the Z-Ball, and set it directly in front of your bicycle (place holder), and then (move the bike and) flick the Z-Ball.  If it knocks down other bicycles and stays on the track, then you set your bicycle up immediately behind the knocked over one.  If the Z-Ball stays on the track, then you setup your bicycle wherever it stops, and if it goes flying off, then your bike goes back to where it was before the shot.  The first person to go around the determined number of times wins!  (Sound like PitchCar? Yeah, the rules are essentially the exact same except that everyone flicks the Z-Ball instead of a disk.)

Set the Z-Ball in front of your bike and let it rip!

When it comes to pros for Bisikle, there is one aspect of the game that is far better than anything else - the track.  The track is amazing.  It is made of plastic, and each section interlocks with the others.  The game comes with risers, so you can decide to make certain sections be different levels.  It also comes with a jump and an obstacle, each of which can allow you to customize your track however you would like.  It also comes with fences that you can put around the edge of some of the track pieces - and the track is setup so that you can put the fence on either side of it (or both).  Overall, it is highly customizable.  And, what's more - there are no uneven spots!  I assume that this is because it is made out of plastic instead of wood, but whereas PitchCar's uneven spots are enough to make me want to flip the table occasionally (I "normally" just pantomime it instead), Bisikle's track doesn't have any of these!

The next things about Bisikle aren't really pros or cons - just more things to discuss about the game.  The first of these relates to the fences.  The fences are a bit bouncy, and I don't feel like they give you enough of them.  I haven't decided if I like the fact that the fence bounces you back (like bumpers in bumper bowling or something).  It at least helps set the experience of playing Bisikle a bit apart from other games.  However, either way, I don't feel like enough fence pieces are included in the game.  There are not enough included to put a single fence around each section of track - and, with the bounciness of them, there are some sections where you will want to put a fence around both sides.  Yes, I realize that this lack of fences just means that the game is more challenging, but I would still prefer the option of placing more.  (And, on a side note, you actually can buy more - it appears that you can buy additional parts for Bisikle.  You can buy more curved track, straight track, risers, fences, obstacles, or jumps to customize your track - and you can buy more Z-Balls and bicycles to replace any missing ones.  This is another nice aspect of the game.)

The track definitely works with PitchCar disks

The next interesting thing about Bisikle is the Z-Ball.  This is really what makes the game different.  The ball has ball-bearings in it that make it keep spinning (and wobble a decent amount) during and after your shot.  I haven't played the game a lot, but so far, I'm not really in love with the Z-Ball.  Probably the biggest annoyance while playing this game is when I make a really neat shot and then watch the ball continue to wobble for the next 10 seconds and eventually find its way off the track.  Very annoying.  However, if you set up a lot of fences, the Z-Ball does a very good job of flying around the track.  Either way, I'm still "on the fence" about the Z-Ball (but in love with puns).  Maybe I should set up a house rule where you set up your bicycle based on where the Z-Ball went off the track, instead of going back to where it started.  Speaking of house rules and customization...

The track works with PitchCar disks.  The disks even fit through the obstacles (though just barely).  I also tried it with Crokinole disks (to see if you could essentially play PitchCar for significantly cheaper), but they don't quite fit through the obstacles.  Really, I think the best disks if you wanted to actually use the obstacles would be PitchCar Mini disks.  None of them will work well with the jump - your disk will catch the lip of it and flip.  The plastic, of course, plays a bit differently than the hard wood surface of PitchCar, and the fences are much bouncier, but you can definitely play it this way.  I haven't decided if I prefer it, but I definitely like the fact that it doesn't have uneven spots.  And that it is a lot cheaper to buy and customize your track.

Overall, I give Bisikle an 8.0/10.  It is a fun game on it's own, though it probably won't replace PitchCar for me - yet the track is good enough that it might replace my PitchCar tracks; I haven't really decided on that part yet.

If you like dexterity games, you might also check out Crokinole, Catacombs, and Caveman Curling.

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