Aggressive Inline

Pros • Responsive controls, excellent move feedback • Speedy pacing • Bouncy soundtrack • Massive levels, great architectural design • Character upgrade system	Cons • Sexier than BMX, but not skateboarding • Almost completely derivative
Bottom Line A keenly polished, glistening example of extreme sportsmanship, although it advances up the evolutionary ladder by nary a rung. Fascinating. Acclaim and Z-Axis haven't reinvented the extreme sports wheel, but they have brought it up to Yokohama standards. Play is fast and furious, not to mention utterly engrossing as well, combining elements of BMX, snowboard and skateboard sims. Paired with superb, gigantic course layouts and a host of extras, it vaults the game not only to viability, but sleeper hit status as well.

Figure skate or die. An odd turn of phrase, it's true, yet strangely suited to this high-falutin' cross between rollerblading and Tony Hawk's trade. More graceful than BMX biking, less suave than snowboarding, the sport may not be a huge draw in real life, but it receives the royal treatment here nonetheless, drawing upon inspiration from every extreme sports product to come before. As a result, Acclaim hits not only the nadir of its forays into the wild side a la Dave Mirra or TrickStyle, but perhaps the company's entire console publishing career this side of 1990.

Grinding through the seven gigantic levels at snappy speeds, you'll quickly--and happily--realize the controls are tighter than Ebenezer Scrooge's rectum. Activating various trick patterns, most similar to those found in close competitors, is accordingly a piece of cake. After fifteen minutes, moving from vaults to grinds couldn't be simpler, nor will you find a more user-friendly feature unlocking system around. Earning points through challenges--many of which can be skipped until you feel comfortable enough behind the pad--presents a useful way via which players of varying skill levels may open up new zones without having to first bash their head against a wall in frustration over mastering certain stages. If a particular goal has got your goat, skip it and save yourself some hassle for the moment...chances are, the objective wasn't essential anyway.

Skitching or wall riding towards a high score, players will affect the very architecture of the level they're currently enjoying. Amusingly, these effects are quite visible (sorry, no spoilers) and always entertaining. But it isn't like stages needed tweaking to begin with; they're all enormous, multi-tiered, and enjoyable as a whole. Have fun clocking hangtime off some of those gigantic ramps, gunning for collectible keys that unveil extra playgrounds. Up, down, around...everywhere one looks, a new opportunity for action awaits, as the designers have done a fabulous job infusing their creation with personality, and, more importantly, clearly defined hotspots where extra-cool stunts can be pulled.

Details-wise, Aggressive Inline is no slouch either. You've got 10 pros to play with (Edwards, Morales, Yost, etc.), each of whom grows in ability as they practice certain moves. Performing one technique over another can actually cause skaters to boast enhanced character ratings in that area, with a well-rounded persona somewhat hard to come by, simply because most will favor set maneuvers over others. Granted, the feature is less than revolutionary, but in a game where finesse is everything, it adds another novel dimension to the playtime experience.

While jamming to tunes by Reel Big Fish, Saliva, The Ataris and friends, you may also notice that this title is quite the sexy beast, too. Apart from stagger-proof visuals, graphical assets are detailed and optically pleasing, shimmying along at a speedy pace once you get rolling. Superb use of hues is apparent as well, as the juicy color palette utilized amplifies the game's look in no small way. Even characters look fine for being pale shadows of the real deal, which is typically a problem for this style offering.

Engaging, fun and beautiful, Aggressive Inline hits it right on almost every note. More the pinnacle of innovation for this genre than a revolutionary new development, the game nevertheless feels like uncharted territory just begging for exploration, even though there's nothing here you haven't seen in every other extreme alternative. It's both a testament to the care lavished upon this project, and an important reminder: One need not always shoot for the stars...sometimes, just aiming for the sky is more than enough.

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