Who made Vs. Excitebike?

Vs. Excitebike was published by Nintendo, released in 1988.

What kind of game is Vs. Excitebike?

Vs. Excitebike is a racing, sport game for the NES / Famicom.

Can two people play Vs. Excitebike?

Yes. Vs. Excitebike supports multiplayer (Multiplayer). Player 1 uses the arrow keys, player 2 uses WASD, and two USB or Bluetooth gamepads can be connected instead.

How much data does Vs. Excitebike load?

The Vs. Excitebike ROM is 59 kB. It is fetched once when you press play and then cached by your browser, so returning to the game does not download it again.

Which emulators can run Vs. Excitebike?

Vs. Excitebike runs on NES / Famicom and Nestopia UE (Accurate). You can switch between them from the emulator list further down this page if one performs better on your device.

Vs. Excitebike Game (1988) - NES

Name: Vs. Excitebike
Availability: InStock
Author: Nintendo

Action / Button	Keyboard Key
D-Pad (Up / Down / Left / Right)	`Arrow Keys`
Button A	`Z` or `J`
Button B	`X` or `K`
Button X / Turbo A	`A` or `U`
Button Y / Turbo B	`S` or `I`
Select	`Shift`
Start	`Enter`

Gamepad Input	Retro Function	Keyboard Key
D-Pad / Analog	Character Movement / Steering	`▲` `▼` `◄` `►`
Button A (East)	Primary Action / Attack / Fire	`Z` / `K`
Button B (South)	Secondary / Jump / Cancel	`X` / `J`
Button X / Y	Special / Turbo / Extra Fire	`A` / `S`
Select	Insert Coin / Select Option	`Right Shift`
Start	Game Start / Pause Game	`Enter`

Gamepad Input

Retro Function

Keyboard Key

D-Pad / Analog

Character Movement / Steering

▲ ▼ ◄ ►

Button A (East)

Primary Action / Attack / Fire

Z / K

Button B (South)

Secondary / Jump / Cancel

X / J

Button X / Y

Special / Turbo / Extra Fire

A / S

Select

Insert Coin / Select Option

Right Shift

Start

Game Start / Pause Game

Enter

Emulator Core Engine	Technology	Multiplayer	Gamepad	Touch	Ads	Action / Switch
EmulatorJS (Default WebAssembly)	`WebAssembly / JS`	YES	YES	YES	NO	▶ ACTIVE
NES / Famicom (Recommended)	`WebAssembly / Libretro`	YES	YES	YES	NO	PLAY ⚡
Nestopia UE (Accurate)	`WebAssembly / Libretro`	YES	YES	YES	NO	PLAY ⚡

Emulator Core Engine

Technology

Multiplayer

Gamepad

Touch

Ads

Action / Switch

EmulatorJS (Default WebAssembly)

WebAssembly / JS

YES

▶ ACTIVE

NES / Famicom (Recommended)

WebAssembly / Libretro

YES

PLAY ⚡

Nestopia UE (Accurate)

WebAssembly / Libretro

YES

PLAY ⚡

Developed by Nintendo and released in 1988, Vs. Excitebike brings competitive split-screen racing to the NES. Building on the foundation of the original motocross sport title, this expanded version allows two players to go head-to-head on challenging dirt tracks, balancing high-speed jumps with careful engine temperature management.

How to play

The objective is to navigate the obstacle-filled dirt tracks and cross the finish line ahead of the pack—or your human opponent—without letting your bike overheat.

Gamepad control:
	Player 1:	Player 2:
↑	↑	–
↓	↓	–
←	←	–
→	→	–
A	X	–
B	Z	–
SELECT	Shift	–
START	Enter	–

Tips

Manage your heat: The turbo button gives you a significant speed boost but rapidly heats your engine. Watch the temperature gauge and ride over the chevron arrows on the track to instantly cool down.
Angle your landings: Use the directional pad in mid-air to adjust your bike’s pitch. Landing your wheels parallel to the downward slope ensures you maintain your momentum and avoid crashing.
Block your opponent: In two-player mode, your back wheel is a weapon. Cutting in front of the other racer so their front tire clips your back wheel will cause them to wipe out.