ESPN X Games Skateboarding Hands-On
With a stable of real skaters, an extensive combo system, and 12 licensed punk tracks, Konami's ESPN X Games Skateboarding for the PlayStation 2 is trying to supply some serious competition for Activision's heralded Tony Hawk series.
Konami's last adventure with the X Games franchise on the PlayStation 2, ESPN X Games Snowboarding, earned critical acclaim but got lost in the shadows of EA Big's excellent SSX. Konami is hoping that ESPN X Games Skateboarding, being the first skateboarding game out of the gate for the PS2, will garner the attention Konami thinks it deserves. The game is already on track as far as gameplay modes are concerned--Konami just has to tighten up the gameplay and get the graphics in check.
Despite its early state of development, X Games Skateboarding already features a wealth of gameplay options. The license mode works similarly to Tony Hawk's Pro Skater's career mode. You begin by choosing one of eight professional skateboarders including Colin McKay, Chris Senn, Kerry Getz, Carlos DeAndrade, Chad Fernandez, Rick McCrank, Lincoln Ueda, and Bob Burnquist, who defected from the Tony Hawk camp. After choosing a board, you may then adjust the trucks and bearings to increase turning or speed. Each of the nine levels has a number of objectives to accomplish, such as collecting X Games flags or scoring a set number of points. As you progress in the career mode, 64 licensed boards are unlocked, as well as gear emblazoned with each rider's respective sponsors. The free-skate mode lets you rip tricks and combos without the pressure of a timer or objectives. Score attack lets you choose a level and shoot for the highest score possible, and the practice mode walks you through the controls with the aid of tips from some of the game's many real-world pros. X Games Skateboarding's split-screen multiplayer mode lets two players attack the course at once in attempts at outscoring each another.
The nine levels included in ESPN X Games Skateboarding are broken up into three categories. As part of Konami's agreement with ESPN, three tournament stages let you compete on the real street courses and vert ramps used in the 2001 X Games in San Francisco. While there are certainly lines to be had on the street courses, their compact design forces you to be decisive and instinctive due to the close proximity of each object to the next. The vert ramp is a good place to practice your grab and air combos, but performing lip trick combos proved to be a bit difficult. The three sprawling action stages, which take place in New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, are reminiscent of the environments found in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. There are countless transitions, ledges, and drop-offs to exploit, but like the majority of the game, the level design is still too incomplete to judge. Konami has included three fantasy stages that are designed similarly to the action stages, only they let you skate in places most would only dream of. There's a museum complete with dinosaur bones to grind down, a mining shaft with cart tracks to follow, and a semisecret level that takes place on a doomed ocean liner.
ESPN X Games Skateboarding Quick Links
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- Konami
- KCEO
- Skateboarding
- Release: Aug 13, 2001 »
- ESRB: Everyone
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