Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure
Score: 88% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: Activision Developer: Toys for Bob Media: DVD/1 Players: 1 - 2 Genre: Sports
Graphics & Sound: Ahhh... Disney and sports. How could a combination of the two ever go wrong? Just ask fellow GV staffer Boy. : ) To me, the two seem like they would go together pretty well. Take a sport, throw in the Disney crew (as opposed to real-like sports legends) and you've got a game. But, as the Disney Sports license has shown us, this isn't as easy to pull off as it looks. Okay, so Konami's foray into the idea hasn't worked, but that doesn't mean another company, say one that makes the world's best skateboarding game, couldn't pull it off -- could it? Disney Extreme Skate adventure starts off on a good foot and, although it does stumble at times, proves that the idea is doable. Visually, Disney Skate Adventure doesn't bring it's A game, but it's not that bad either. Using the acclaimed Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4 engine, Activision has managed to put together a graphical treat. Combining bright flashing visuals and fluidly animated characters -- it's really hard to not like the game, especially if you're a Pixar fan. I was especially amazed with the level of detail in some of the character's movements. For example, when playing as Woody from Toy Story, he actually moves with the same rag doll-like flexibility he has in the movies. The game's skate parks also show off the same level of detail. Each park is based off of one of the game's featured properties (Toy Story, Lion King and Tarzan) and does an excellent job at reflecting the aesthetic feeling of the environments. The Tarzan area features lush, jungle environments (complete with plenty of trees to grind on) and the Lion King area gives off a dark, eerie feeling which reminded me of Scar's song in the movie. By far the absolute BEST areas in the game are the Toy Story ones. Among my favorites were the Pizza Planet and Zurg's Fortress levels. Both areas look exactly like they do in the movies. I wasn't as impressed with the game's soundtrack. When I first popped in the game, I expected to hear ramped up versions of Disney classics like 'Hakuna Matata' or anything from Phil Collin's soundtrack from Tarzan ('Trashing the Camp' would have made an excellent song). However, I was instead greeted with what can only be described as Radio Disney's Greatest Hits which features artists like Lil' Romeo, Reel Big Fish and Smashmouth. Considering the game's audience, the selections work - but as with most aspects of the game, I would have liked to have seen the Disney label pushed a little more.
Gameplay: Disney's Extreme Skating Adventure is set up almost exactly like Tony Hawk 4. Each level, which is based after either Tarzan, Toy Story (1 and 2) or The Lion King, has a set of goals you mush complete in order to progress. As you accomplish these feats, you'll unlock additional characters to play as, new costumes and new goals. The game's cast is an eclectic mix of known Disney characters (such as Buzz Lightyear, Woody and Young Tarzan) and kids who were discovered during a contest held by Activision. Also included in the cast is Lil' Romeo. To be perfectly honest, I was somewhat disappointed with some of the level selections and the cast. Yes, the levels in the game are excellent, but I wasn't completely sold on the areas they chose to recreate. I have always thought that the Disney Parks would make an excellent basis for game levels, yet only two games, Adventures in the Magic Kingdom (NES) and Disney Magical Quest Racing Tour (DC, PSX) have actually done something with them. Although it's amazingly fun to skate around the jungle or Pizza Planet, I couldn't help to think how much fun it would be rail grind off the musical cord track outside the Rockin' Rollercoaster or ollie my way down Main Street USA. But I can dream, can't I? The character selection is also a little disappointing. Buzz, Woody and the whole Toy Story crew are great and I'm sure the parents and grandmas of the kids who got the chance to be in the game are proud of their little Billy and Sue. But I personally don't want to play a Disney game starring a handful of characters and a bunch of kids I don't know (and I especially don't want to play as Lil' Romeo). I'd much rather play as Mickey, Donald, Goofy and the rest of the Disney cast. There is, however, an unlockable Create-a-Skater mode, so that was a nice discovery. Product placement in games isn't something new. Many racing and sports games have done this for years by covertly placing banners or small ads in the game worlds. Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure is a little more blatant with the ads and sometimes seems to take it to new levels of excessiveness. Some goals in the game require you to deliver McDonald's food (Big Macs, Happy Meals, etc.) to people, while another has you collecting ring tones for your Nokia phone (which also displays the exact model number of the phone). Of course, if these are the little nit-picky things I'm finding wrong with the game, then you know there couldn't be much else for me to complain about.
Difficulty: Don't let the game's Disney brand fool you - Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure is not a cakewalk. Although it doesn't quite reach the level that Tony Hawk seems to at times, there is still a lot of challenge in the game. You will still fall on your face if you hold tricks too long, but at the same time, you can grind for almost a minute in some levels of the game - a feat that was nearly impossible in the Tony Hawk games. Skateboard legends will no doubt be able to unlock and master the game in a weekend. Most casual skate fans, and kids, will likely take a little longer.
Game Mechanics: The game features two control options. The default settings are much easier for younger players to pick up and play while the advanced controls are geared more towards skateboard vets. The move sets have been reduced to accommodate younger players and don't change when the 'Pro' option is turned on. Tricks are handled by pressing different button combinations and require timing to pull off correctly. Although I would have liked a more robust move list, this never becomes an issue in the game since the game is designed around the limited moves. Mission goals also remain varied enough that you don't get bored, but some do carry over into every mission. Most typical skate games like collecting the letters to the word 'SKATE' and performing certain tricks in a given amount of time are in every level, while others - like the aforementioned Nokia and McDonald's runs - only pop-up in certain levels. Overall, Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure proves to be an entertaining experience. The skating engine is solid and the number of tricks in the game is enough to keep you busy playing for awhile. As much has I would have liked different level themes and characters, everything is still top-notch and works within the game. It may not be everyone's ideal game - but it's still fun for both kids and adults.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
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