ESPN X Games Skateboarding

"Not Tony Hawk"

Well, I bought this game because I only had $20 store credit and didn't want to waste it on a magazine that would become outdated in a month and only have games for systems I don't have. I expected some silly little game with moves that were way to complex, clumpy controls, but at least a mission style game.

What I got was a solid, semi-addicting game that in a way can become boring real fast or make you play way into the night.

The main part of the game is novelty. in Tony Hawk, you do pointless missions to unlock more tracks and moves. As this is a gba cart, you can't really fit that many tracks onto it. Instead, you get 3 ''vert'' tracks, where your just in a half pipe, and 2 ''park'' tracks, where you play overhead and enter trick areas. The point is to get points so your character can have better moves and to unlock the 2 secret characters.

Gameplay: 7.5/10
You only have so many options, and even though Tony Hawk had some of the silliest missions ever, this game lacked any at all. However, the ''Vert'' form X-Rage was moderately fun, and it's really fun the first time you get the dragon icon (And when you get 4 in one run :). Regardless, you can only play for so long before it's just another boring game.

sound: 9/10
Wow, this blew me away. Even through the game boys tiny speakers, it sounds like your guy is actually on the skateboard. The sound effects were effective but not to obtrusive. And hey, the music, although not the best in the world, fit the theme quite well.

Graphics: 10/10
You know when you play a game and your character seems to bounce around the screen, and you wonder whats happening, only to realize he has a REALLY low frame rate? Yeah, I hate it too. This game does not have this problem at all. Instead, you get smooth graphics. The transitions are seamless, and in park mode, it almost seems as if your character is really 3-D, even though he's just spinning around.

Controls: 8/10
Well, it's simple. There are no real complex moves, which for me was a great improvement. With only 4 buttons, however, there's only so much you can do. The controls are quick, but pushing the ''l'' button is rather hard when your using the D-Pad.

Replay: 7/10
When you play the first time, you want to get your character to all the max-6 stats with the upgrades and both secret characters. However, after you reach a certain point, everything is REALLY easy. You can beat the X-Games in your sleep, and the X-Rage is really repetitive. I mean, why do you have to get 999 experience just to get all the experience? If you didn't need 499 between point 5 and 6, this may be acceptable, but each experience needs about 200 more than the last. Plus, after you have played it for about 3-hours, it loses it's novelty - IF it lasts that long.

Overall? i guess you could buy it if you like this genre. The graphics are good and fluid, sounds good, it just lacks some solid aspects such as a career mode so that you can unlock parks. Even some more ''Parks'' for your park mode would have been nice. For a GBA cart? Its okay. I'd rent it, because after a week, you'll only wanna bring it with you when you feel like torturing someone.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/22/03, Updated 01/22/03