The somewhat under-exposed inline skating genre is given a more notable push into Tony Hawk Pro Skater territory thanks to Acclaim, with the release of Aggressive Inline for Xbox.

For those who love official licences, players and statistics, Aggressive Inline comes complete with a AAA list of world famous inline skaters including Chris Edwards, Jaren Grob, Taig Chris, Matt Lindenmuth and Shane Yost. But that's trivial information in terms of the game's quality.

In what many extreme spo ... more >>

The somewhat under-exposed inline skating genre is given a more notable push into Tony Hawk Pro Skater territory thanks to Acclaim, with the release of Aggressive Inline for Xbox.

For those who love official licences, players and statistics, Aggressive Inline comes complete with a AAA list of world famous inline skaters including Chris Edwards, Jaren Grob, Taig Chris, Matt Lindenmuth and Shane Yost. But that's trivial information in terms of the game's quality.

In what many extreme sports players will instantly recognise as Tony Hawk's Pro Skater with boots and wheels, Aggressive Inline tests players' dexterity and ability to perform hard-to-execute special tricks. The game's seven vast environments feature dozens of mission objectives that entail helping NPCs scattered around the level complete seemingly menial tasks that are often a nightmare to accomplish on wheels. You must often jump and grind your way to the highest point of the level just to please some obnoxious character spectating hundreds of feet below you. It is great fun though, and offers a sense of direction for the player. But obtaining a high score will be your long-term objective in a game that offers what is effectively unlimited replay value. There's no greater challenge or buzz in video games than topping your closest friends' high scores, or even destroying your own best performance, for that matter.

Where many games in this field are time-based, Aggressive Inline incorporates what Acclaim call an innovative 'Juice Meter' to extend the length of a single session of skating. Quite simply, players must keep the Juice Meter as full as possible by performing a variety of tricks. The better you perform, the longer you play. But if the meter empties, it's game over.

With a game engine near identical to that seen in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and a few other extreme sports games, a multi-player option, and an excellent soundtrack (subject to taste) Aggressive Inline is fun. Lots of fun.
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