The kind of grind that I like!
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/39844/olliolli-3ds-review
Skateboarding games are pretty cyclical. Just recently I played Skate or Die for the first time since the 1990s, and let's just say the game hasn't aged gracefully, both in design and look. Tony Hawk sort of fell under that as well as soon as the ‘90s were over and people moved on from the extreme sports fad. OlliOlli, now available on Wii U and 3DS (reviewed), feels like a skating game that no matter what year you play it in, it works. The simplicity of everything, the stupendous soundtrack, and the overall cool vibe make it a game that would be well worth playing 20 years in the future without ever losing a beat.
To learn how the game works is easy; to master it is very tough. Using the Circle Pad, you launch off on your skateboard to execute moves. You can also launch into grinds which allow you to launch off into other objects to grind, racking up points and combos along the way. It's easy to get the hang of the controls once you play a few rounds, as I had no problem adjusting to the way things work. The game, regardless, can be very difficult. The later stages essentially demand tons of attempts and retries, as, my skateboarding hero fell numerous times in my attempts to progress. I enjoyed taking on the challenge, though. The more time I spent with the game, the better I got, and the easier the once-daunting stages became.
OlliOlli offers plenty of modes and challenges to play. The crux of the game is the career mode, which has you skating in five different worlds, each with five stages to beat and discover. Each level has a list of goals, and after completing these objectives the game will unlock the Pro stages of those levels, providing an even tougher challenge. Beyond that, Spot mode gives you a series of areas to execute long combos for high scores. There are even Daily Grinds that are similar to Spots, but those only give you one chance each day to execute. There are online leaderboards as well, which tally both friend and overall leaderboard scores.
The presentation is simple and minimalistic, but it's also one of the best I've seen on a Nintendo eShop title. The music is some of the best I've heard in an eShop title. It's a cool mix of urban, hip hop, and techno that adds up to some highly recommended hearing. The music helps give the game it’s own vibe - it’s not trying to be a rad game from the ‘80s or an extreme game from the ‘90s, rather it’s a skateboarding game for today’s world.
OlliOlli is one of the best Nintendo eShop titles to date. With its cool vibe, fun gameplay and killer soundtrack, it's hard to not come out of the experience feeling thoroughly impressed. It gets tough at times, but I never had a problem with that as I was always ready to give the level or whatever obstacle that came way another try. It's a true testament to how indie games are finally taking shape and finding their own niche on Nintendo platforms.
Topic: OlliOlli (3DS) Review (Read 2857 times)
