Wakeboarding Unleashed Featuring Shaun Murray

"Smooth Water + Huge Wake = Massive Air!"

What do you get when you take the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater gameplay engine, some really smooth water, and a boat? Of course, it's Wakeboarding Unleashed Featuring Shaun Murray!

Here is a brief introduction for those who are unaware of what wakeboarding is. Wakeboarding is another form of extreme sport which involves a boat, a tow line/rope & handle, a wakeboard with bindings (boots that your feet go into), and a rider who isn't afraid to catch some major air or take some major spills. The rider catches air by ''popping'' off of the wake and performing various trick while air born.

Graphics - 9/10
WU really shines in this department. The water and boat wake effects are incredible! Possibly the best I've ever seen in a video game. (I wish water could be this smooth all the time!) The levels are detailed nicely along with the boat and boarder. The game moves very smoothly and does not drop hardly any frames whatsoever.

Sound - 9/10
Again a very nice play list selected for WU. It takes a different approach than the Tony Hawk games. It uses songs mostly from the eighties which fit the game and the environments nicely. Since none of the songs contain any profanity (like some from the THPS games) none of them are edited. This is why the game scored an 'E' rating.

Controls - 9/10
The control system can be compared greatly to the THPS series or any other extreme sport games created by Activison O2. While it may be overwhelming at first, you will easily pick up the gameplay after about 10-15 minutes of playing. You have a button designed to do a different feature. One is for jumping up/getting air off of the wake, one is for grab tricks, one is for grinds, and one is for flips.

Overall - 9/10
I can definitely recommend this game to you even if you are not a wakeboarder or have even heard of it before. WU is an absolutely fun game to play. The multi-player mode should be checked out as well. Not only can you compete against an opponent but you can team up so either you or your friend can drive the boat while the other boards behind it. My only real gripe about WU is that some of the goals can get a little repetitive after a while and can become quite troublesome and very difficult especially in the later levels. In terms of overall difficulty I would compare it between THPS 3 and THPS 4. Even with my gripes though, you should definitely check out Wakeboarding Unleashed. Remember slapping the water in the game is much more friendly and forgiving than in reality!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 10/28/03