Disney's Extremely Goofy Skateboarding accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do -- appeal to both fans of skateboarding games and Disney. Skateboarding game enthusiasts will find many of the elements familiar, such as skateboard park environments and nifty tricks that can be accomplished with a few deft keyboard or gamepad movements. Dozens of tricks are possible, many with combinations that can be used to create new tricks for racking up major points.
A big plus is that being a skilled skateboarding gamer isn't a prerequisite to enjoyment. Disney fans young and old will enjoy watching Goofy and Max's silly antics. They crash into walls, fall on their behinds, and even skateboard underwater at times.
The "Shred" and "Tech" session areas offer three goals to work for, but only two require completion to unlock a portal to the next area. Thus, if one goal requires a difficult trick that proves too hard for novices, the gamer can simply choose to go for the other two, which are usually simple locate-and-collect activities. In this way, players who can't master complicated flips and rail riding can still have a lot of fun.
The graphics are bright, colorful 3D animations, with a third-person point of view. The camera follows character movements, often zooming and spinning in an attempt to avoid obstacles blocking the player's view. At times, this is a bit disorienting, and often the camera spins into a bizarre overhead view, which makes it impossible to get a running start to aim for ramps in the distance. Goofy and Max's voices are clear and understandable. The skateboard sound effects are quite realistic as evidenced by the sound the rolling wheels make over various ground surfaces.
Overall, Disney's Extremely Goofy Skateboarding provides quality entertainment and deals with a fun subject, extreme skating, which is often beyond the grasp of young children in current market games. Both Goofy fans and skateboarding enthusiasts alike will enjoy the action.
A big plus is that being a skilled skateboarding gamer isn't a prerequisite to enjoyment. Disney fans young and old will enjoy watching Goofy and Max's silly antics. They crash into walls, fall on their behinds, and even skateboard underwater at times.
The "Shred" and "Tech" session areas offer three goals to work for, but only two require completion to unlock a portal to the next area. Thus, if one goal requires a difficult trick that proves too hard for novices, the gamer can simply choose to go for the other two, which are usually simple locate-and-collect activities. In this way, players who can't master complicated flips and rail riding can still have a lot of fun.
The graphics are bright, colorful 3D animations, with a third-person point of view. The camera follows character movements, often zooming and spinning in an attempt to avoid obstacles blocking the player's view. At times, this is a bit disorienting, and often the camera spins into a bizarre overhead view, which makes it impossible to get a running start to aim for ramps in the distance. Goofy and Max's voices are clear and understandable. The skateboard sound effects are quite realistic as evidenced by the sound the rolling wheels make over various ground surfaces.
Overall, Disney's Extremely Goofy Skateboarding provides quality entertainment and deals with a fun subject, extreme skating, which is often beyond the grasp of young children in current market games. Both Goofy fans and skateboarding enthusiasts alike will enjoy the action.
