As an extreme sports enthusiast (I was a skater once but not a very good one), Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 brought me down to my knees thanking the Gaming Gods for such an awesome title.  Yet I was left feeling empty, knowing that my real fascination was for extreme rollerblading and now Acclaim answered my prayers with Aggressive Inline and very thoughtfully included the Xbox crowd.

The game features twelve available skaters, many of them inline legends such as Chris Edwards and Jaren Grob, which you can choose and take through any of the four game modes including a spiffy Park Editor. Career mode, the game’s main mode, has you going from level to level (there are eight in total including an exclusive Xbox level) completing various challenges.  Freeskate has you roaming any level you happened to have unlocked during Career mode.  Timed Run has you competing for points before the timer runs out.  And, of course, the Multiplayer mode.

Career mode is filled with challenges that keeps on piling on once you successfully complete one.  Many of the challenges are listed in the Challenges menu screen when you pause the game while others are issued by certain people hanging around such as photographers, court judges or pedestrians.  Challenge types range from grinding window ledges to releasing a giant boulder.

Basic tricks such as grinds and vaulting flips are easy to execute without little trouble while the much more intricate tricks require quick reflexes and a combo of buttons.  To keep you on your toes there is a meter that needs to stay filled or the game ends so gamers have to successfully perform all tricks.  Or you can grab a juice box that automatically fills the meter.

The multiplayer mode comes complete with five different games modes fit for two players (split-screen style, of course). Most Points and Best Trick speaks for itself while Egg Hunt has you hunting down a number of hidden items in record time.  Twenty One has both players looking for cards until a player gets enough cards to add up to twenty-one.  And Animal Rescue--a multiplayer game that is something of a rare treat--has you attempting to rescue as many furry little critters before your opponent does.

Aggressive Inline is also a visual treat--although it is somewhat identical to the PS2 version (that’s not a bad thing, trust me) with the exception of its high-resolution textures.  We’re still looking at a great-looking game, though and the level of detail found on the screen will blow gamers away.  Each level has an outstanding wealth of things to grind and as well as fully interactive things such as rushing vehicles and the occasional passerby.  And no one can complain that the skaters are boring and uninteresting (didn’t you check out the cutie in the Catholic school girl outfit?), they’re just as detailed as their environments.

Not only do the visuals immerse the gamer into the environment but also so does the sound effects that are so rich and authentic that you’re surrounded by a wall of atmospheric sounds.  In the Boardwalk level, for example, the sounds of a live amusement park wrap around you.  In the distance you can hear the wheels of the roller coaster clanking along the rails or the tinny music coming from the ferris wheel.  You can also choose your soundtrack that includes some cool tunes from bands such as Reel Big Fish or Pharcyde or copy your own soundtrack on the Xbox’s hard disk.

All the right elements that make a great extreme sports title is present in Aggressive Inline and with hundreds of challenges and plenty of levels this is an investment worth the price of admission.   If you loved Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3, this is a game you don’t want to miss.

Gameplay: 9.5
The controls in Aggressive Inline are not as complicated as it may appear, at first, and going through the Tutorial is highly recommended (unless you like taking a nasty and bloody tumble on concrete).  Tricks range from grinds, pole spins, skitching (grabbing the back of a moving vehicle and hitching a quick ride) and an assortment of other tricks.  The more complicated the trick, the more complex the combination of buttons you have to push. 

Graphics: 9.4
The graphics are just as gorgeous as they are in the PS 2 version--with the exception of the noticeable absence of jagged edges (also known as “jaggies”) and smoother textures seen in things such as close ups of bushes or even the characters themselves.  While these changes don’t seem like a big deal, they certainly perfect an already good-look game.

The environments are filled with various eye-catching details such as passing pedestrians or an overabundance of fully interactive things such as mailboxes, a lunch truck or bicycle racks.  Each character is rendered perfectly and their distinctive appearance gives them a personality of their own. 

Sound: 9.5
The soundtrack is filled to the brim with tunes from such bands as Black Sheep and Hoobastank that gets the adrenalin pumping.  Most of the songs heard in the game are actually radio hits and fans of such bands as Reel Big Fish will automatically recognize them.  Still, great soundtrack or not, the best feature is the fact that you can make your own soundtrack using your own CDs and the Xbox’s hard disk. Just copy the songs you want and open them in the game’s Tracks menu when you open the Options Music menu.

And did I mention the great sound effects?  The game environment is breathing with a life of it’s own and you can hear it in everything from the sounds of the passing cars to a flock of pigeons that have come to nest in a window ledge.  People cry out when you brush against them or knock them down you can also hear people call out to you when they need something . . . like the little girl that wants you to get her skates down from a light post.

Difficulty: Medium
The game’s controls are not difficult to master, in fact the more complicated tricks are easier to perform on the Xbox controller than they are on the PS2’s controller.  Still, this game is about completing the various challenges and this game has tons of them.  Many of the challenges range from something as simple as skitching a ride on a bus to performing a double front flip off a ledge for a photographer.  Some challenges may seem impossible to complete and can become reasonably annoying.  Thankfully you can review your list of challenges in the Pause menu in case you need a reminder or a detailed explanation on how to complete a challenge.

Concept: 9.7

Rollerblading was definitely an overlooked extreme sport in the video game realm before Aggressive Inline came along.  Luckily for us, though, the Tony Hawk Pro Skater series inspired extreme sports titles to offer much more than simple arenas and a few air tricks.  You are now thrown into familiar surroundings with fully interactive items and people.  You also get enough challenges in each level that it is almost impossible to accomplish them all. 

 
It’s always great finding out that not only do Xbox gamers get a chance to play a great game that came from another platform but that it will also include an exclusive feature or two.  Aggressive Inline is no exception and it features a new level--a zoo level.  There’s also a Park Editor where you can design your own area to skate in.

Multiplayer: 9.3
Five multiplayer games are available to you, although you do have to unlock the levels you can choose to play on, and you and a friend can go head-to-head in such games as Best Trick or Egg Hunt.  They’re all fun games, especially Animal Rescue, but ultimately it isn’t as fulfilling as having a friend play along in Career or Freeskate mode.

Overall: 9.5
Aggressive Inline for the Xbox is exactly what extreme inline skate fans have been looking for and the game will not disappoint in any way.  Terrific graphics, massive environments and an exclusive extra level make this a Must-Have.