I tried Tony Hawk: Ride briefly at E3 2009. It was… different. I did not have an adverse reaction. I could definitely see what Activision was trying to accomplish with this refresh of the franchise. But there was something of a disconnect between me and the board as I tried to kick and flip it to keep up with an early stunt course. It's hard to really get an honest feel for the game with just five minutes since you have to train yourself to use an entirely new controller to interact with the game.




At the pre-PAX private session, I had plenty of time to give the game a serious go. Whether it was due to the relaxed atmosphere or the simple fact I had time with the board before being shuffled off to the next title, my Ride experience was vastly improved. After that first few minutes of disorientation, of course. I can only imagine how silly I must look from five feet away while playing Ride. I do not have the balance of an Olympian. And so I wobble around on the board for the first few minutes, trying to find a comfortable center of gravity from which to kick and swivel the board around to attempt on-screen tricks. It doesn't take too long, only a few minutes into the first run, but once I found it, it was pretty easy to maintain composure while flying down a stunt track. 


By the end of the demo, I actually felt like I was getting pretty good at it, especially once you realize you do not necessarily need to reach down and grab at the four sensors for every trick. Using your foot to break the beams and initiate a trick is often much easier, if not more artful.


Activision had the finalized board at the demo. Picking it up, I was surprised by how light it is, yet it feels rather sturdy. The top of the board has a "gripping" texture so you do not slide off of it while kicking and swiveling. There is a large "start" button on the side of the board you tap with your foot to start an event as well as the traditional buttons, which will be console-specific. (Ride boards will not travel between consoles. So if you have an Xbox 360 board, you cannot play with a friend that has the PS3 game.) The board accepts four AA batteries.


Ride will be an interesting sell to gamers. Everybody accepts that the franchise needed a reboot. Is a plastic skateboard that necessary step, though? And will the still-unannounced price prove a serious hindrance for the game's potential? We'll see when the game finally drops this holiday season.  The Best Price for Gamers is at BestBuyUniverse.com