Skate It on the Wii and DS

EA's skateboarding franchise hits the deck in a brand new way!

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A few years ago, I used to be obsessed with one of the most unique arcade games ever created--Top Skater. It came out in 1997 and featured a cabinet with a skateboard you had to navigate with. It was amazing and intuitive, and even though a console port was a half-pipe-dream, I held out hope that there would be some way to enjoy it in the comfort of my own home. Two years later, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater came out, and its method of control became accepted as the norm. EA may just make my decade-old dreams come true, as its Nintendo-exclusive Skate It looks to sport the most realistic skating experience to ever hit home consoles and portables.

See the Board, Be the Board

Both the DS and Wii version manage to replicate the experience of standing on a skateboard using various methods, each of which seems to work quite well. The DS version has a skateboard pictured on the touch screen that you must manipulate in the same way a skater would his board. It's easiest to get used to if you consider the stylus your dominant foot. Tap to the side of the board, and your skater will push off on the ground and gain speed. Tap the back of the board and he'll do a manual. Run the stylus from the back of the board to the front and he'll do an ollie. Harder tricks will require more complex stylus moves. And, in keeping with it's more powerful console cousin skate., Skate It has a much more down-to-earth physics model than the floaty Tony Hawk series.

The Wii version has you holding the Wii Remote straight forward much in the same way as in Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam. Unlike that game, which focused on tilting the remote to navigate through racecourses, the Wii Remote is used more in a more diverse fashion in Skate It. Tilting is once again used to determine direction, while A kicks to gain speed and B is used to grab the bottom of the board. Like on the DS, the Wii version of Skate It has you performing tricks by using the controller as a skateboard surrogate. Tilting up has your character do a manual, flicking straight does an ollie, and doing various rotations allows for a variety of tricks like kickflips and pop shuvits.

A Balanced Skate Fest

While it's still early in development, we got to see how the Balance Board may be utilized in the final version of Skate It. When the Balance Board is activated, skateboard movement is shifted to it, with the Wii Remote still being used for tricks, grabs, and jumps. We were a little disappointed that the Balance Board couldn't be used alone, but considering they haven't had the final version of the accessory for long, we're hoping they can shift more moves away from the Remote and onto the Balance Board.

Skate It is due out by the end of this year, and promises to expand the world of skate. in a big way. With more locations (many real-world skate spots will be included as well as an updated San Vanelona) and more pro skaters, Skate It might have what it takes to unseat King Tony as he leaves the throne empty this year.

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