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Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam

by Michael Cole - August 24, 2006, 4:00 pm EDT
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I played Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam for Wii last week. Must I really say anything else?

Activision recently invited me to play an advanced build of its Wii-exclusive downhill racer. Although the new controller introduces some peculiarities, Hawk seems eager to please with his most daring game in years.

For those who missed our recent interview with its developers, Toys for Bob, Downhill Jam draws its inspiration from 1080 Snowboarding and SSX, bringing Activision to the world of downhill boarding. The game features eight settings, each with numerous events and course variations to explore. In addition to Hawk, players can choose among eight archetypical characters such as the hippie or army dude, or create a custom character. Accomplishing goals in the main game will unlock an arsenal of boards which modify a character's statistics: speed, turning, balance, jump, and combat.

Most striking are the game's controls. The controller is held sideways (like an NES controller), and the player steers and balances by tilting the controller left and right. Like many Wii demos from May's E3, the tilt controls initially felt too sensitive: every journalist present found himself jamming uphill at least once after an unintentionally sharp U-turn. We all improved over time, though with my poorly-honed sports skills I was inarguably the runt of the litter. While not perfect, the current calibration is manageable, and the final game's adjustable sensitivity should appease most players.

The core moves are straightforward enough. Tapping the 1 button (formerly "b") will cause the player to push off the ground (useful after wiping out). Tilting forward or holding the 2 button (formerly "a") will make the player crouch (increasing his acceleration and top speed), while releasing 2 triggers an ollie (jump). Whilst in midair, players can show off their moves by pushing 1 to grind on nearby rails/walls and 2 to perform grabs. The D-pad direction determines the specific trick performed. In Trick Mode, blasting through a fiery ring will slow the game down so the player can pull off more moves before landing. Activision has omitted moves from the series that would halt a boarder in his tracks, for obvious reasons.

Why bother with tricks in a pure race, you ask? Well, besides earning points in Trick Mode, impressive moves and good landings will charge the boost meter prominently featured on the right side of the screen. Once on fire (the meter is filled), you can initiate a boost by flicking the controller or dubiously reaching for B (the trigger button underneath). Spectacular skills (and the occasional smacked pedestrian or opponent) can earn players two or even three boosts per charge. Simply holding down 2 to crouch/accelerate will do you no good, either, as your board wobbles uncontrollably as it reaches top speed. Players can also power slide around sharp corners Mario Kart-style by holding A. Unfortunately, moving my left thumb right off the D-pad for red sparks was more than a little awkward, so I never got a feel for the move. Where are the shoulder buttons, Nintendo? Swapping the power slide's A button mapping with the 1 button's lesser-used combat and acceleration, or moving the power slide to the D-pad, would seem more convenient.

Although only shorter courses were on display, I was pleased with what I saw. Since skateboarding does not demand snow, the Birdman and his fictitious boarding buddies grind through locales ranging from San Francisco to Hong Kong. Edinburgh Castle's cobbled course was especially memorable, both for its detailed environment and imaginative design. With walls to jump, ridges to grind and ramps to exploit, even the short version of this Scottish setting is brimming with alternate routes. Bells, flags, gates, fountains and other decorations provide atmosphere and a sense of speed. Heck, Activision has even thrown in bagpipes for the results screen. Hong Kong's winding rails also looked promising, though I did not have the chance to attempt it. The game ran fairly smoothly, though minor hiccups in the frame rate and pop-up were present in some levels. The development team expects a solid 60 frames per second on the final hardware.

The Tony Hawk franchise is a natural fit for the extreme sports racing niche, and Downhill Jam for Wii seems to be a genuine effort. Even though only one controller was on hand, I can tell this will be a strong multiplayer launch title.

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Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam Box Art

Genre Racing
Developer Toys for Bob
Players1 - 4

Worldwide Releases

na: Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam
Release Nov 19, 2006
PublisherActivision
RatingTeen
eu: Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam
Release Dec 08, 2006
PublisherActivision
Rating12+
aus: Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam
Release Dec 13, 2006
PublisherActivision
RatingGeneral
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