"CAUTION! Choking Hazard! "Fingerboard" Controller Not For Use by Children under 3 years old."

A skater's dream: A future where skateboarding is the key to saving everyone! Basically in this game everything is unique. From the gameplay to the controller, it all seems like it's a fresh and fun way to play. And it is, there's just somethings that aren't that easy.

Story: 5/10
Not much of a story, as expected from a skateboarding game. Alien/ghost like creatures have invaded "New San Francisco" and nothing seems to be able to make them go away. Not even the military can. But! They do seem to disappear when they become excited. And apparently the only thing that can make them excited is seeing skateboarders perform tricks. As I said, not really much of a story.

Gameplay: 9/10
This is where it gets fun. Included with the game is a "fingerboard" controller which you attach to the two thumbsticks. You then hold the controller sideways with the cord to the left and control your character with the "fingerboard" this way. It's a pretty fun way to play since other skateboarding games have you use the traditional controller. So you just skate around using the "fingerboard" to guide your character. There are 8 different characters all-together 3 of which are available at the start. It's fun at first, but after a while it kind of gets "sticky". And by that I mean that the controller, though innovative, is kind of hard to use. It sometimes has the feeling of being "jammed" or "stuck". But if you can get over this then you will have a great time playing. There are also some crazy boss battles where both you and the boss are skateboarding. Eventually the alien/ghosts will take a liking to certain tricks, so depending on what color they are, different tricks must be performed in order to make them disappear.

Sound: 6/10
Nothing too catchy, and it all sounds like it's beneath a filter. But otherwise, not too bad.

Graphics: 7/10
It's all cel-shaded so there's nothing realistic about it. The graphics aren't that great, but it doesn't get to you much. At least it's playable ~_^

Replay Value: 8/10
With the inclusion of a two-player mode, this game has a good replay value. You can battle it out with a friend, but the only trouble is getting another "fingerboard" controller. I had trouble getting another myself so I used a TechDeck "fingerboard". It didn't work as well, but I could still play. The other playable characters and missions help make the game longer lasting.

Overall: 8/10

Buy or Rent?
I've never seen this in a rental store before, and I'm not sure how you would get access to the "fingerboard" controller, but this game is worth a buy anyway.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/25/05