The iPhone has been crying out for a good Skate game, and with Activision’s Tony Hawk series a no show so far, it looked like a long wait. Well the wait for such a game is now over, because Fuel Games’ ‘Vans SK8: Pool Service’ has hit the AppStore for $4.99.
SK8 lets you choose from two of Vans top skaters, Buck Lasek and Omar Hassan. You’ll compete in 10 events increasing in difficulty where you can perform up to 13 varied tricks as well as one trick which is unique to both Buck and Omar. Unlockables include 20 different boards, 10 sets of wheels and 30 achievements and if you compete pro mode the you can view real video of both riders in action. As well as full 3D graphics the game features a customisable sountrack.
We’ve had a hands on with the game and I can tell you that it plays very well, much like you would expect either Tony Hawk ro Skate to play. As the name suggests your skate park takes place in a disused outdoor swimming pool. Controls work pretty well using a mix of tilt and multi-touch. For board movement you tilt the device in the direction you want to go, you’ll skate in that direction, and when in the air you’ll spin in that direction. You can grind by holding down two fingers when near the lip of the pool, and you can perform a multitude of tricks such as kick flips and indies with various swipes of one or two fingers. If I had any problem it’s that I would like to be able to tweak the tilt sensitivity for motion as it feels a little slugish, hopefully that can be added in an update.
The graphics are silky smooth and look up to par with Tony Hawk on the PS2… and the music is pretty cool too, featuring a mix of grunge and hip hop. Check out the video below and look for our full review soon.
