by norm stovall normstovall@gmail.com
For PS3 and Xbox 360
Skate. from EA games has certainly been one of the most anticipated games of the year for me. With its only real competition being Tony Hawk’s games, there has certainly been room for a new series of skateboarding games. And Speaking of Tony Hawk, I’d like to make some general comparisons for fans of the genre and fans of video games in General. Since the demo for the new Tony Hawk game, Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground, is available for download on the Playstation Network and on Xbox Live; I’ll compare the gameplay elements from these two games. With THPG, you have the same standard tried-and-true gameplay elements you have come to expect with the series, and a few notable extensions in the form of ‘nail the trick,’ among others. So with THPG, I would say, you know exactly what you are getting into. Eventually, when you learn your bearings, you will be stringing together trick combos that not only defy logic, physics and common sense, but you may also be gagging from the horrid representation of the activity of skateboarding that the game provides.
So in relation to the aforementioned series, how does Skate. stack up? Well, honestly, I don’t feel like there is any way to relate one to the other, with the exception of the fact that your character will be moving around on a skateboard. While THPG is very much an arcade-style button masher, Skate. is probably the best example of a sports simulation, with strong realistic elements from nearly every style of skateboarding. The controls of Skate. will probably take some getting used to for people that don’t know how to skateboard, but fans of skateboarding will pick it up with a quickness. To move your skateboarder around, just use one of the 2 push buttons (left foot or right) to steer, you lean the left analog stick either left or right. If you press up on the left stick, you will lean forward, or pump to gain speed if you are going down a ramp. If you press down on the stick, you will powerslide, or skid sideways to slow down. To grab your board, just pull the left and/or right trigger. You can grab with both hands at the same time, if you’d like, even while rolling, and if you hold the B button while holding both, your skater will move to the ‘coffin’ position, laying on his back while rolling. And you had better believe that you will need to hold your board if you plan on back-flipping off a ramp, ‘cuz your board will leave your feet in a hurry.
Those are the basic controls, in a nutshell, with one big exception. With Skate., EA has created an amazingly innovative way for your character to ollie (AKA jump). The right analog stick on your controller controls your board, and it works surprisingly well. So well in fact, that you will probably never want to go back to another skateboarding game again. To ollie (jump) off of the ground with your board, you simply pull the right stick into the down position, and then quickly flip it straight up. If you want to do a nollie, which is a jump using the nose of your board rather than the tail, hold up, and then flick down. It’ll take a little while to master it if you don’t get the physics, but once you do, it is very rewarding. To do tricks such as kickflips or heelflips, just flick the stick from the down position up to the top right or left. There are tons of variations to master, but these are the basics that will get you where you need to go. To grind on handrails or ledges, all you need to do is ollie onto them at the right angle with enough speed. To do more advanced tricks, just follow the in-game tutorials that expand on this control scheme.
Now that the controls have been covered, how is the game itself? For me, I couldn’t be more impressed, and that is an understatement. With Skate., EA has gone from being my least favorite game developer to being my most respected. Before, I never appreciated the little nuances that they put in games like Madden, because I never really cared much for real football. I mean, sure I loved Tecmo Bowl, back in the day, but yeah, EA has truly brought the fun of skateboarding to the digital world. With the laundry list of pros featured in the game and the fictional yet realistic skate spots, the game is oozing with personality that only real skateboarders can truly appreciate, but everyone can experience and enjoy. Playing the game and turning your character from a no-name scrub to a pro’s pro is not only fun, but also it is addictive and amazingly realistic. Some of the characters are far-fetched and humorous, but this is the most realistic skateboarding game EVER. From the intro movie that looks like it came straight from a Spike Jonze skate video to the closing credits, EA really hit the nail on the head. And they hit this nail hard. So hard, in fact, I think it may have done some serious injury to Tony Hawk’s wallet.
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EU Critic’s Choice Awards
