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Thursday 6 March, 2008
GAMEPLAY
It is useful in this game ( and necessary, to rack up high point totals) to develop an instinct of when to ollie so that the player reaches maximum jump height and distance. Just as in real skateboarding, releasing the X button (which the player holds down while skating to increase speed and prepare for a jump) too early or too late will interfere with the skaters ability to launch of the ramps correctly. Additionally, stat points can be added to the skaters existing stats in categories such as Air, Hangtime, Speed, Spin and Balance to increase the skaters abilities to complete challenges.
It is important to develop a rhythm while skating throughout the level in order to string together tricks to form trick combinations that add multipliers to trick point totals. Once this rhythm has been obtained, it is easy to get carried away, and try to perform too many tricks, which creates the challenge of regulating speed and ferocity. Another one of the most creative features of this game is the ability to create your own skater, manipulating clothing, appearance and personal information. Also this game features its own level editor which allows players to create their own skate parks.This game is fun, hip and highly interactive.
DESIGN
There is an intriguing characteristic of all the characters in this game; they are real, popular, professional skaters. Growing up as a young gromit in a skateboarding/surfing community, I never imagined I would see my favorite skateboarding pros in a well-developed commercially popular video game. They all resemble their actual people and even feature custom clothing and skateboards for each individual skater. Additionally, the players can derive a similar thrill from the individual levels, which are constructed to mirror real places in real cities around the world and features a plethora of challenges that vary creatively and intrigue the player to continue pursuing the end goal.
The soundtrack to this game features a diverse line-up of tracks from multiple genres of music. Also, interestingly enough, each professional skater featured in the game picked a song for the game them self. This aspect highlights the most important ability of this game, which is to connect deeply on a cultural level with an audience of potential game consumers that were previously unsatisfied with the quality of other extreme sports games that were often simple without the high interactivity of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3.
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