September 15, 2003

By DOUG BOEHNER / punchbutton designer

My recent discovery of Fuel TV (the “action” sports network) has enticed me pick up Tony Hawk 4 and Wakeboarding Unleashed once again. I barreled through both games in a couple of weeks and was left craving for more “action” sports fun on my lonely Xbox.

While there were several new titles fitting the bill, I didn’t want to delve into the recent rash of bargain-priced BMX/motocross titles. Those games are bargain priced for a reason!

I skimmed the release dates on the game store Web sites and nothing really caught my eye -- except for Disney’s Extreme Skate Adventure (DESA). I wrote this game off immediately, as I had already suffered through another Disney skateboarding game on GameCube last Christmas. I can’t remember the name of the game, but it starred Mickey Mouse and more than likely had the word “extreme” in the title or description.

Activision Buzz Lightyear grinds a laser beam.

I don’t remember where, but I came across a news story that said this new Disney game would use the Tony Hawk 4 game engine. Well, that’s all the info I needed … DESA was now on my shopping list.

I know a lot of you are thinking that DESA sounds like a kid’s game. And while it is clearly targeted at a younger audience, it is full of strange contradictions that make it strangely suited for an older audience.

GAME PLAY

DESA starts charmingly enough with the opportunity to select one of several Disney-inspired skaters -- Woody and Buzz from the Toy Story movies; Simba, Pumba and Timon from The Lion King; and that Monkey and Elephant from Tarzan (did anyone see Tarzan?). You can also choose a human skater (one of two REAL kids that won a contest to be in the game). More characters become available as you progress through the game, or you can design your own kid. Your skating location is determined by which character you choose and each area mirrors the appropriate movie.

As you begin to skate, you can freely move around the environments, trying out moves and just exploring the area. You can collect objects that will ultimately be used to acquire new skills and tricks. In Simba’s case, you actually collect severed zebra haunches. How creepy is that? I mean c’mon, you can see the bone! Is this appropriate?

Activision Woody can even ride the Hot Wheels track!

If you have previously set foot in the land of Tony Hawk, you will dominate in DESA. Many of the tricks and moves are exactly the same or easier to pull off. Some, like grinding a rail (or row of dominoes), are almost effortless.

Also similar to the last Hawk game are the challenges in which you can participate. You basically skate around and find non-playable characters to talk to. You are then presented with a goal and sent off to complete (or fail at) the task at hand. I love this style of game play. It lets gamers choose what they want to do, when they want to do it.

I was originally put off by the game’s simplicity, especially since THPS4 starts off being hard as heck. But as I opened more areas and got deeper into the game I started finding challenges that I found to be quite tough. If I were a kid playing this game, I would freak out at some of the timed events and tasks. DESA is no pushover.

One other thing: I found it hard to get accustomed to the various characters not really using skateboards (except for the kids). Woody rides a wagon, Simba is on some sort of tree bark sled and that Tarzan monkey is riding a frying pan. I guess this is why the title of the game doesn’t use the word “skateboard.” When I get home, I’m gonna “skate” on my ironing board.

Activision Looks like Timon is grinding Pumba's nose.

GRAPHICS

DESA is colorful and well designed. Obviously the Disney and Pixar touches are plentiful. The characters move and look just like their big screen counterparts. Even the customizable kids look pretty decent. In all, it has a similar graphic feel to Tony Hawk.

I was especially happy with the inclusion of 480p HDTV support, especially combined with the 60+ FPS graphics. It’s nice to see game developers realizing what a necessity this feature will be soon.

I did notice some wearing and “tearing” of the game graphics when the action got hot and heavy, but it’s nothing too bothersome. Very minor gripe.

AUDIO

OK, here is another one of those contradictions: What is up with the soundtrack on this game? When I first started playing (using Woody in Andy’s toy-filled room), the game started and the first song on the soundtrack cranked up. At first, I thought I had accidentally ripped a Korn CD to my Xbox hard drive and the game was using “custom soundtracks” to play my music. But this was not true -- I don’t own any Korn CD’s. Instead, it was some group on the game’s soundtrack called TRUSTcompany -- a music group that AllMusic.com describes as: Menacing, Confrontational, Provocative, Aggressive, Rebellious. Oh, the perfect compliment to Woody skating across alphabet blocks.

Outside of the weird musical pairings, the sound effects and voices are great. I am not sure if ALL the voices are true to the original movies, but they all fit the characters nicely. Kids will dig it.

LONGEVITY

While DESA will be a much quicker trip for experienced gamers, most people will find the game satisfying. There is a lot of exploring, challenges and collecting. Multiplayer modes are included, my favorite being a variation of the basketball H-O-R-S-E game.

Activision Tired of Disney characters? Skate as a cool kid in OllieWood.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS

While you would never get any street cred for saying that you played DESA (come to think of it, there is no game that would really give you any street cred), you shouldn’t be ashamed to play it or allow yourself to be put off by it’s inherent cuteness and Disney pedigree. This is a tight and entertaining title that keeps a lot of the fun of the Tony Hawk games while easing the difficulty.

Kids will probably eat this game up (much like Simba eating up those gross zebra haunches) and older gamers will find a lot to like too. Kudos to developer Toys for Bob and Activision for making a game that appeals to such a broad audience. Now about that soundtrack ….

FINAL GRADE: 4 out of 5 buttons