Speed Kings revs street racing to the extreme allowing thrill-seekers to mount more than 20 bikes, each with specific ratings for top speed, acceleration, handling, and braking. Environments are interactive and motorbikes suffer real-time damage -- avoiding collisions is a necessity to score big points. Players must also avoid, kick, or punch other riders, and the cops, on their way to victory. Arcade-like physics and control let riders perform outrageous tricks, including wheelies (standing and surfing), "endos," surfing and handstand power downs, leaping over a line of traffic, donuts, and power-sliding under big trucks and obstacles.
Six single-player modes include Single Race, Meets (options for mirrored tracks and traffic), Time Attack, Trick Attack, Head-to-Head against computer-controlled racers, and Grand Prix. Several of the same modes are available in multiplayer (Single Race, Meets, Trick Attack, and Head-to-Head (without computer opponents)), but others, including Grand Prix and Tag, must be unlocked. Xbox gameplay differs slightly from its PlayStation 2 counterpart in that four players can participate in Grand Prix mode (as opposed to two in PS2) and there are 54 Respect Challenges (versus 18 in the PS2 title).