New videogame "Tony Hawk: Ride" is available today, plus exclusive play along with developer

The new Tony Hawk: Ride video game – out today - is played by developer Josh Tsui at the Activision headquarters.
(Photo by Luiz Calado)

November, 17 – Tony Hawk: Ride, the new Activision skateboarding video game is officially out today.

Although the 10-year old franchise hardly needs any introduction, the novelty of the original wireless peripheral device is not to be ignored.

The new title package, available in stores today.
(Photo by Luiz Calado)

I had seen the video game up close at the Stand Up for Skateparks benefit event about a month ago, where Tony Hawk himself did some game playing and promoted the new title for the media in attendance.

But that was it – a red carpet/photo op type-of-thing where I didn’t get a chance to actually step on the deck and try it out.

There had been lots of buzz prior to the launch: fifteen pros populate the character roster, including newcomer to the series Christian Hosoi; the soundtrack alone, with over 50 songs, has plenty of appeal as well.

I had to get my hands… Rather, my feet on one of those. So, I met with Tracy Williams, Director of Global Brand Management at game publisher Activision and, long story short, they hooked me up with an exclusive tryout of the game at their headquarters in Santa Monica.

Game developer Josh Tsui
(Photo by Luiz Calado)

Once there, it was awesome to be greeted by none other than Josh Tsui, the game very own developer! I am pretty sure that there could be no one better to give me the 411 than the guy that, through Robomodo, spent close to two years bringing the game to life.

Josh started up using a joystick – the user interface is straightforward although, with corporate logos on every screen, the amount of merchandising is quite overwhelming. After showing the basics on the board, he passed it on to me.

At last!

The step-on device is intuitive enough to virtually anyone who has ever tried skateboarding; the contoured bottom facilitates lifting, tilting and rotating. The slick base seems ideal for carpet-like surfaces but the package comes also with anti-slipping bottom stickers for playing on hard floors. Meanwhile, preference settings allow the player to tighten or loose the trucks of the rider’s setup.

Experienced skaters are likely to focus on the motion sensors on the nose, tail, toe and heel edges of the board – they are essential to pull off grabs and set big tricks up; mind your foot position though, to avoid unwanted variations on the character’s ride.

Top and bottom views of the new wireless board controller.
(Photo by Luiz Calado)

Playing standing up on a board is a radically different experience from the old couch potato/handheld skateboard gaming. While the learning curve for Tony Hawk: Ride seems reasonably gradual, playing for an extend period of time is demanding and you’ll break a sweat before you know it. The workout attribute of the game is handled by a range of time-limited plus multi-player options, allowing gamers to take breaks between runs and alternate.

With three different degrees of assistance (or, how much the game helps the player), the difficulty of the game hangs on mastering the controller. Practice makes it perfect and, as the footwork improves, it becomes more effortless and the gaming possibilities expand.

Available for the three major platforms (PS3, Xbox, Wii), the new release costs $120 on major US retailers.

There is no amount of reviewing that can substitute personal, tangible experience. So, try before you buy – check this ongoing calendar of demos nationwide, spot one nearby and step on it before dropping the cold hard cash.