Shaun White Skateboarding

As the first skateboarding game in the best-selling Shaun White video game franchise, Shaun White Skateboarding will provide an innovative twist and fresh take on the skateboarding and action-sports genre.

Release Date: October 28, 2010

Also on: Wii, PC, X360, Mac

T for Teen: Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Mild Violence

Genre: Sports

Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Ubisoft Montreal

Platforms: PS3, XB360, WII

Plot :

Admire Shaun White Skateboarding’s sunny disposition. This isn’t a downtrodden, ultra-realistic, gritty or otherwise dour game; this is a Saturday morning cartoon on acid and it’s unapologetic.

Shaun White Skateboarding for Nintendo Wii takes a firm side step from the realistic portrayals of skating in EA’s Skate series and immersion ideas of the new Tony Hawk games and goes for the outlandish instead.

In a nod to the movie Pleasantville, the player finds a world devoid of color and attuned to rules and oppression by humorless grownups. As the player skates and completes challenges, they return color and life to the world. A once vibrant beach boardwalk sheds its grays and whites and becomes lively once more; people skirted to the shadows begin to reemerge from their oppressed lives. There’s an obvious metaphor here for the power of youth and the crotchetiness of the aging.

Moves are pulled off by popping and tilting the wii-mote and holding down buttons for trick variations. It takes a bit of time to understand, but the simple-enough controls will be easily mastered by the under 12 set without much trouble. This game will connect well with younger audiences, particularly because it eschews precision and trick grinding like other skateboarding series in favor of an overall feeling of freedom and fun. No other skateboarding game on the market today will let you grind on a VW bus turned zeppelin while psychedelic colors zoom all around. At the very least, Shaun White Skateboarding dares to take a deep breath and take a look around at what made skateboarding games fun in the first place.

Features :

* Using the game's play mechanic that allows the players to skate in predetermined areas highlighted in the play area and given the right circumstances, take full control of where you skate

* Create incredible skate lines using city structures, stretch and twist handrails to dizzying heights, empty fountains to create bowls, make alleys into epic quarter pipes and so much more

* With 80+ skate tricks hand-picked by Shaun (including a Shaun creation called the "Armadillo"), enjoy a unique and fun gameplay experience where you can shape, influence and transform the city

* Find or create skate spots you've only dreamed about. The city is stretched over massive districts with tons of challenges to complete, including race, collect, narrative missions and more

* Jump online to challenge your friends in cooperative or adversarial modes. Create your own maps, play with friends and see how you rank against players from across the world using online leaderboards

Key Game Features :

* Transform - Create incredible skate lines using city structures, stretch and twist handrails to dizzying heights, empty fountains to create bowls, make alleys into epic quarter pipes and so much more. New areas are revealed, better skate lines are created and buildings are transformed. Creativity is rewarded with points, gear and new skating opportunities

* Innovate - With 80+ skate tricks hand-picked by Shaun (including a Shaun creation called the "Armadillo"), enjoy a unique and fun gameplay experience where you can shape, influence and transform the city while pulling off authentic skate moves. Experience all the sensations of an expert skater - the big air, sticking a landing, eating it and more

* Explore - Find or create skate spots you've only dreamed about. The city is stretched over massive districts with tons of challenges to complete, including race, collect, narrative missions and more

* Engage - Jump online to challenge your friends in cooperative or adversarial modes: online or local split-screen. Create your own maps, play with friends and see how you rank against players from across the world using online leaderboards

* Trailblaze - Using the game's play mechanic that allows the players to skate in predetermined areas highlighted in the play area and given the right circumstances, take full control of where you skate.