Yanya Caballista: City Skater

What do you get when you combine bizarrely cute skateboarders with warped cartoon graphics, and then throw in an alien invasion for good measure? No, it?s not one of the last great games for the Dreamcast, but Koei?s Yanya Caballista: City Skater for the PS2.

Imagine an amalgamation of Space Channel 5 and Jet Grind Radio created by Bugs Bunny visionary Chuck Jones, and you still won?t come up with anything quite like Koei?s deranged skateboarding action game, Yanya Caballista: City Skater. As one of eight daredevil Caballistas, you?ll hunt down ghost-like Martians called Gawoo and vanquish them by unleashing strings of aerial tricks that deplete their energy.

Heavy draw-in hinders the animation in two-player mode, but the cel-shaded graphics are deliciously warped, with rubbery skyscrapers lurching out at odd angles like some weird architectural nightmare. The music and sound effects definitely have their charm, but lack the oomph of the quirky visuals. Yanya?s only major drawback is the optional fingerboard peripheral which, though a novel concept, crucifies any attempt to master the simplistic trick system (use the D-pad configuration instead). Although its gameplay is derivative, Yanya Caballista?s ludicrous B-movie plot, wacky animation, and cartoon-inspired zaniness give it entertainment value.

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