Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam (Wii)

...time there has been a Tony Hawk skateboarding game in existence! When it launched in 200BC Tony Hawk's Pro Skater set the standards for Skateboarding if not all extreme sports games, and since then the series has enjoyed much success and dominance, at last count there were 689 versions of Tony Hawk's Skateboarding games.

Ok, you may have spotted a few exaggerations and inaccuracies in the opening paragraph, but there is no doubt that ...
...all games consoles. Since Tony Hawk's Pro Skater (THPS) was launched in 1999, there have been 10 incarnations to date including this one, Downhill Jam. Undoubtedly there will be (and probably already are) more Tony Hawk games on the way.

@@@@@Mmmmmm Jam!

Until the launch of Downhill Jam, the series had followed the same format with each new game bringing better graphics, more detail and improved game play, but generally ... more

It seems that since the dawn of time there has been a Tony Hawk skateboarding game in existence! When it launched in 200BC Tony Hawk's Pro Skater set the standards for Skateboarding if not all extreme sports games, and since then the series has enjoyed much success and dominance, at last count there were 689 versions of Tony Hawk's Skateboarding games.

Ok, you may have spotted a few exaggerations and inaccuracies in the opening paragraph, but there is no doubt that Tony Hawk Skating games have become a staple component on all games consoles. Since Tony Hawk's Pro Skater (THPS) was launched in 1999, there have been 10 incarnations to date including this one, Downhill Jam. Undoubtedly there will be (and probably already are) more Tony Hawk games on the way.

@@@@@Mmmmmm Jam!

Until the launch of Downhill Jam, the series had followed the same format with each new game bringing better graphics, more detail and improved game play, but generally sticking to the same style of game. That being, a large area that you are free to roam around completing series of task and challenges to progress.

Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam is an escape from this standard towards a different style of gaming. As the name suggests this game is more concerned with downhill racing than the free skating that has defined the genre. That said this is a skateboarding game and there is still plenty of scope for incredible skills and tricks as you race towards the finish line. As well as the departure from the usual game format Downhill Jam takes on a new visual approach and moves towards a cartoon environment away from the realism of the previous titles.

@@@@@Levels and things

There are Ten Tiers of challenges that you will need to work through to become a Grand Master and complete the game. Although, the focus of the game is now racing, and the levels reflect this, there are a number of different challenges to complete on each Tier. As the name of the game suggests all the Levels begin at the top of a hill and see your skater going at breakneck speeds down to the bottom to achieve whatever goal has been set.

Through the game you will face the following challenges:

Race - A simple race to the finish, with points for 1st, 2nd and 3rd.
Slalom - A race against the clock Pass through the Slaloms for more time and finish the course with the specified time.
Knockdown - Punch, kick and run down as many pedestrians as you can!
Trick - Pull of as many tricks as you can to beat the points score set.
Grind - Beat the set distance of Grinding (sliding).
Elimination - The last place racer will be eliminated periodically, stay out of last
place!
Damage - Cause as much damage to people and property as possible.

Your performance in each event is graded Bronze, Silver or Gold (or nothing if you finish outside the top three). For each of these grades you are awarded increasing points, which unlock Characters, Boards (with better Stats) and levels. You are awarded a percentage based on how many levels you have completed and the number of Gold's you have achieved.

This variety of level is important, as the game would become quite tedious if it was simply a case of racing to the bottom over and over again.

The levels are based on real locations and in the earlier stages, you will be racing on a short stretch of the level, and as you progress, you begin to race the whole length of the track, so you come to know your way around and how best to beat the goal. The Levels include Edinburgh, Chicago and Rome to name a few, and although these aren't at all accurate, they are decent approximations.

As you play your way through the game there is a decent soundtrack that is randomly played, and continues even if you have to restart the level. Although I'm not sure who the songs are performed by or for that matter what they are, the mix and standard of tracks is very good and helps set the mood for the game. (A full Artist list is displayed on completion, but I still only recognised a few names such as Motorhead!)

@@@@@Controls

As you would expect with a Wii title the controls are new. The game is controlled using a single Wii-mote alone (no need for attachments such as the Nunchuck). However, unlike some Wii games at launch the remote is not used to point at the screen. The Wii-mote is held horizontally, much like you would hold a conventionally controller.

If you have played a previous Tony Hawk title, you will probably be wondering how the Wii-mote provides all the button combinations to allow grab and flip tricks along with grinds etc. The answer is that the controls are very instinctive and incredibly easy to get used to, even if you are new to skateboarding games you will be able to pick up the Wii-mote and with the help of the tutorial at the beginning of the game, be pulling off 360 Madonna's and Air Japan's in no time!

In simple terms tilting, the Wii-mote to the left and right controls the Skaters direction. On top of this the 1 and 2 buttons are used for Flip and Grab tricks respectively and the D-pad adds a much greater array of tricks in combination with the 1 and 2 buttons. It is not worth listing all the combinations and possible moves here, as there are many. However, this game shows how a simple control system using the motion sensitivity of the Wii can really make a game easy and fun to play.

@@@@@Characters

Downhill Jam does not feature the same mix off pro skaters that were available in the other Tony Hawk games and apart from Tony all the other characters are fictional and slightly stereotypical (look out for the terrible Cockney Girl Skater McKenzie!). As you progress through the game, you can unlock new and more 'unusual' characters. Each Character has different attributes with some more suited to Tricks and other to speed. The game does feature a create-a-skater mode. However, this is not as much fun as you might expect. The options for customization are quite limited and it is hard to see the details you are adding, as there is no zoom option. Not a feature of the game that I think will keep you interested for very long and no way near as much fun as the Mii channel on your Wii.

@@@@@Multiplayer

The game allows up to 4 players to race one another using 4 Wii-motes. This takes the form of classic multiplayer games with a split screen (depending on how many players as to how big your part of the screen is (i.e half or a quarter). The Multiplayer game sees players facing up against each other on a randomly selected level with a randomly selected goal (Mainly Race or Trick). The winner of an event is given 10 points, the runner up 7 and so on. I've played the multiplayer game for quite a while and there doesn't seem to be an end (correct me if I'm wrong!) it just keeps moving on to the next level and then the next, so you have to use the league table after events to see who has bragging rights.

@@@@@Conclusion

Although the game takes a new direction, it maintains the classic elements of Tony Hawk's. That said the more Hardcore fans of the series might find that they are a little disappointed with this new direction. If this is the first Tony Hawk game, you have played or you are able to forget the past 9 incarnations and embrace this new racer based game I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the game play. The simplified graphics are not too much of a problem as the game is entertaining enough to make you concentrate on the game itself and not how pretty it is.

The control system is simple, easy and fun to use. Admittedly, this isn't anything radically different, and it won't be a game that defines the Wii. That said, as with many Wii games anyone can pick up the Wii-mote on Downhill Jam and get the hang of the game and controls quickly.

Although, once you have worked your way through the 10 tiers of levels in the game, there isn't much here to keep you coming back, except the odd multiplayer game now and again.

I enjoyed playing Downhill Jam but only after I threw off my pre-conceptions of what a Tony Hawk game should be. You can't escape the fact that this is a racing game with tricks and skills added in, not the normal Trick based feast that has made the series so far. If you can see this as a racing game you will have plenty of hours of entertaining game play, if not you will come to curse the game for not giving you the freedom to skate.

The controls and ease of play make this one of the best racing games on the Wii at launch (not much competition so far!), and with the added mission goals and unlockables make this game a decent addition to the Wii Line up. I enjoyed playing Downhill Jam and gladly played my way through to the end, but I got the game as a Christmas present and only began to play it once all my other games were finished.

Downhill Jam is a good game and if you give it the time of day, I can't see how anyone could fail to enjoy playing it. If you have £34.99 burning a hole in your pocket then by all means give this a shot, but if your cash is hard earned and carefully spent then this may not be the game for you.  

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