He never finds it. The ending is just the beginning again with Mach Rider, as, like many other early 8-bit titles, the plot simply cycles back onto itself after you've cleared the final level. It's been almost 22 years now, and the Rider's fate remains unknown – there's never been a sequel, never any resolution. So maybe the reappearance of this original racing adventure on the Virtual Console will rekindle interest in this story. And maybe not. But, either way, Wii owners now have the chance to enjoy a superior Mach Rider experience.
Mach Rider is a head-on motorcycle racing design with an intriguing plot, but it's a game that's never been too notable or nostalgic. Its re-release on the Virtual Console does offer an upgraded feature, though, and as it's not often that the retro games being brought to the Wii Shop have any enhancements, it's worth taking the time to note the rare occasions when it does happen. Here, it's a better save system for Design Mode.
Design Mode allows you to create your own tracks for the Rider to ride. It was in place in the original NES cartridge version, too, but there you couldn't keep your creations – saving required the use of an optional peripheral device that never came out in America. But here on the Wii, your track data can be stored – the Virtual Console version will keep track of your tracks for you, so you can play them again and again even after powering off the system.
Gamers unconcerned with blazing their own trails can keep to Mach Rider's three other modes of play – Fighting, Endurance and Solo. Fighting Mode is the one with the plot progression, simple and cyclical as it is, where you guide the Rider through 10 enemy-filled "sectors" on a quest to find the alien Quadrunners' secret base. Endurance Mode is similar, but removes the story in favor of focusing on the countdown clock – it's essentially a Time Trial mode. And Solo Mode is simpler still, again pitting you against the clock but also removing any and all aliens from the roadways. You ride alone.
And it's not such a lonesome experience, really. Mach Rider's dated, no doubt, and visually it's perhaps the choppiest racer you'll ever play. But its sense of speed is still keen even after over two decades – having only a split second to react before you crash into a rock or enemy road warrior is pretty intense for an 8-bit experience. You can see how Mach Rider's design and style influenced later Nintendo racers, like the F-Zero series, but even then the Rider has his own unique qualities – Captain Falcon's hovercar doesn't come equipped with a machine gun like this battle bike does.