A pretty straightforward theme here with a lot of initial options to choose from. There were lots of shoes (from the blue suede, to Costello’s reds, to Adam Ant’s goody two) and a fair number of suits, zoot or otherwise, that didn’t make the cut. And despite the name of the mix, I opted out of “Venus in Furs” for a more upbeat number.
It’s a good, upbeat, party hearty collection of songs, even if Barnes and Barnes legendary classic “Party in My Pants” didn’t quite make the cut. I like to think having two songs about hot pants makes up for this.
While putting this together, I was really pleased to find the song “Marathon Shirt”… I listened to this song a lot in my Cal Poly years and I’ve been trying for years to remember it. Every time I would try, the Spoon song “Fitted Shirt” would get lodged in my head instead. All the powers of the internet can’t help you figure out “what’s that song that’s… about a shirt?” so I was dumbfounded to find it lodged in the recesses of my music library. It was there all along? Good song.
*Yes, it’s Sunday, but it’s Memorial Day Weekend, so I prefer to think of it as Second Saturday.
May 30th, 2010
Full-fledge reviews of Skate 3 can certainly be had elsewhere but precisely because it is iterative, let’s nitpick, shall we?
Things to like:
- Crowd Control: Fewer cars, less annoying pedestrians, and no more guards hassling you. Because there’s enough to worry about when you’re trying to gap a set of thirty stairs.
- An Inviting City: The map is overall more inviting a more skate-friendly than ever; breaking the map up into distinct sections also allows the designers to kill the “dead zones” connecting otherwise interesting areas.
- Darkslides: Cool mechanic (and a pretty trick) that is suitably difficult to pull off.
- Own The Park: A fantastic new mode that’s reminiscent of the two-minute level challenges that were the hallmarks of Ye Old Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1-3.
- 1-Up: This replaces Skate 2′s “skate” game, but it’s much more forgiving– you don’t have to replicate every flick-it trick, which is a highly welcome change.
- Rise And Walk: Off-board controls now with 100% more realistic walking!
For all of this, there are some things yet to bemoan…
- “What” Ain’t No Country I’ve Ever Heard Of: I have this nitpick with ATMs, as well. You know it’s me, why do have to ask me what language I want to use every single time? Especially for a game that has relatively little text. Annoying.
- And Away We… There Already?: With all of the competitions beat and several other challenges bested, over thirty challenges still remain. Yet, I reached the million-boards sold milestone some time ago. If there’s anything we’ve learned, it’s that people love to unlock shit, so give us more to unlock.
- This Park Again?: The Maloof Money Cup was paid DLC for Skate 2. Here it’s part of the core game. It’s a cool park and all, but it smacks of laziness (like reusing the Matrix Plaza from 1 to 2 did).
- Paying For A Filmer Pack: Again, EA? Really? This is setting a bad precedent. Edit: As of today, I no longer see the filmer pack listed in the DLC, and all camera options appear to be available. Thank god.
- A Wrench In My Pocket: Trucks and wheels make a big difference and given the variety of challenges you encounter, you should be able to change this up more easily, ideally without having to quit your current challenge.
Overall I do love the game, and it’s got vast improvements over Skate 2. Here’s hoping we get a little more depth and user-friendliness in the next iteration.
May 30th, 2010
According to a baby book I unearthed in my closet this morning, the first movie I saw was Star Wars at a Drive-In… when I was eight days old.
May 30th, 2010
The third entry and I’m already egregiously breaking my own rules. Way too long and the sound is a bit all over the place on this at times…
Still, I think it’s a pretty good playlist, despite failing to find any good songs for the eight missing states. I’m open to suggestions for those.
May 1st, 2010
