Hands-on with Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam

October 6th, 2006, 21:35 Posted By: wraggster

Heres an excerpt:

When Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam was announced for Wii, fans didn't really know how to receive it. While the game makes use of Nintendo's innovative Wii controller, it's also a different breed than most Tony Hawk titles, and that sends gunfire of skepticism into the minds hardcore Tony fans. After getting our hands on the game, however, we're finding that while the game is certainly a fresh take on the license, it's also pretty fun, and could be a great answer to a freshman Tony effort using the new Wii controller.

For DS fans, however, the situation is a bit different. With an already amazing rendition of the Tony Hawk series on the system with Tony Hawk's American Sk8land, we expected the team at Vicarious Visions to continue working with its engine, possibly following the Project 8 path towards a more traditional Hawk title. Instead, Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam is now coming to the DS as well, and while the game may be the same style as the Wii version, it's apparent that the solid engine, gameplay, and customization from Sk8land is still playing a huge part in Downhill Jam DS.

At the recent Activison press event in Los Angeles, California, we had a chance to be the first to try out the new online modes in Downhill Jam DS, as well as the unique voice chat function which can be used both locally and over Nintendo's Wi-Fi Connection. Before we get into the multiplayer details though, there are definitely a few things to note about the gameplay in Downhill Jam. For starters, the game is based on the Wii version, with a few of the levels directly inspired from the console list. Players can race, slalom, and trick down huge courses inspired from the likes of San Francisco, Edinburgh, Kilimanjaro, Rio, Hong Kong, and Hoover Dam. The levels are surprisingly massive as well, and offer alternate routes and lines to explore.

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