Tony Hawk Ride: E3 Impressions

Kary and I had a chance to get our hands feet on the new Tony Hawk game. As you can see from the videos, playing it takes a lot of footwork. Motion sensors on all four sides of the board and a tilt sensor on the inside create an absurdly different gaming experience. If you have played any Tony Hawk games in the past the only thing you will recognize is Tony himself.

The board is used for everything from the ollies to the fliptricks. The controls seemed a bit clumsy…but that’s probably because I was clumsy. The pre-launch copy we were playing was a glitchy, but that was to be expected. I can really see hardcore skate gamers really digging this title. Its fun, but I don’t know how long it would be fun for disinterested casual gamers. Like Guitar Hero, Ride is the kind of experience you just don’t get until you stand on the board.

It was much easier to move the board around than I initially thought. Carpet play maybe a requirement because I don’t see it doing too well on hardwood or tile. A lot of things are working against this title, but if marketed right and good word of mouth spreads, I see Ride doing really well in the market. The only real hurdle that I see is the price tag…according to Gamestop it will be $120…double a standard game’s price.