|
Back when I was still young, I purchased the Nintendo 64 version of the very first Tony Hawk's Pro Skater as a gift to my little cousin. Little did I know, that skateboarding game would grow into a franchise that spawned 63 releases on 16 systems over the eight years that followed. That's pretty excessive if you think about it. They even tried avoiding entering double digits for sequels by replacing the numerals by different pseudonyms (American Wasteland, Underground, etc). This is why Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam could be for many, a last resort at attempting to get into the famed skateboarding franchise.
But it's not far from any of the Tony Hawk games that preceded it. You create a boarder, you have several objectives to pull off on each map and upon completing such requirements, receive rewards as well as a new map to compensate for your hard boarding work. What sets Downhill Jam apart from the rest of its family tree is that you're constantly being plummeted down a 45 degree slope, a design that manages to fully capture what made the first game so great; speed. It's exhilarating to charge through a mall doing a benihana, or pulling off a method over a school's rooftop. And while Downhill Jam for the DS doesn't exactly promise perfect recreations of the series' best moments, it's refreshing to play something familiar, yet much faster and more streamlined.
Downhill Jam for the DS doesn't exactly promise perfect recreations of the series' best moments, it's refreshing to play something familiar, yet much faster and more streamlined.
|
When a game goes multiplatform, it's expected that the handheld versions are going to be a bit shallower than their bigger brothers. And even though they usually suffer for their hardware limitations, Downhill Jam looks pretty solid for a DS game. Character models are heavily detailed, and have a very gritty garage feel to them. Locations are beautiful and have lots of foliage and buildings that keep the tracks from feeling empty, and also lend to the excitement evading every bush and car crossing their path. It's not the prettiest 3D game on the DS, though it is very fluid for the amount of polygons animating in-game.
Though, the Wi-Fi option is pretty flaky and there aren't enough maps to warrant really justify a purchase, Downhill Jam surprisingly manages to remove the quirks I had when playing the original Tony Hawk games. Gone are the annoying seconds wasted after bailing and trying to pick up speed, or searching for a map, wasting more time to build up better air. This game just keeps shooting you to the bottom of the peak, offering a pleasant experience every time you turn it on. If skateboarding games are your thing or you just enjoy an exciting (though ultimately, short) experience, then Downhill Jam is totally worth the ride.
|
