lectronic Art’s 2007 release of Skate marked an all new generation of skateboarding games. With a Wii version noticeably absent at launch, EA has finally announced Skate It. This all-new version of the game will hit both the Wii and the DS using the unique control schemes that are familiar to each system. EA dropped by our offices recently and we had a chance to get our hands on both versions.
Like its older brother, Skate It puts a great deal of focus on the actual skateboarding. Sporting an all-new engine and control scheme, both versions will have us once again visiting the city of San Vanelona. Not everything is the same however, as the city suffered some natural disasters resulting in a drastically different landscape. Don’t worry though, no one got hurt in this fictitious disaster. That doesn’t mean a few creative skaters weren’t going to sneak back into ground zero and take advantage of new potential lines. The reasons EA did this is that they didn’t just want to port the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions down to Wii and call it good. Instead they created an all-new game from the ground up.
The Wii version of Skate It sports the same visual style as Skate but with a slightly more cartoon influenced look. The game world will have familiar locations as well like the Matrix plaza in downtown San Vanelona. But now that there has been a natural disaster, places that were not skateable have opened up and new lines can be created all over the place. These new lines may use some of the ruble around the city or even move into an area not previously accessible. A ruined city is not the only place to ride in Skate It as there will also be some new locations that we’re told will be notable skate spots from all over the world. Some of the pro skaters from Skate will make a comeback in addition to some new, unannounced faces. Players will have a chance to face off against these pros in various challenges.
The real meat of Skate It is how it will work with the Wii remote. EA admitted to us that even the development team was skeptical about getting a working skateboarding game onto the Wii. After toying with several unsuccessful control schemes, the team realized that remote had the same long, slender outline as a skateboard. Basing their controls off of this, a new way to skate was born. Like the flick-it controls before it, the new system works how one thinks it should. Tilting the remote left or right steers the skater. Flicking it up will ollie and so on. It took a little time to get used to the controls but players can also use the nunchuk for the steering to get a little more precision out of their on-screen skater. Skate It will also support the Wii Fit board for steering but we did not have an opportunity to see it in action. For the DS, Skate It will use the stylus to control the flip tricks. This control style most closely emulates skateboarding because players will be dragging the stylus the same way a skateboarder drags their foot to do a trick. If you still have lingering questions, check out the attached media clips for some visual aid.
Although our hands-on time with the game was short, we did get a feel for how it will play. Like Skate before it, Skate It will definitely have a learning curve – which is not always a negative thing. To the Wii and DS owners out there that didn’t get a chance to play Skate, this is your game. Skate It is scheduled to ship this year.