At first blush, Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam for the Nintendo Wii may seem like a throwaway title. It certainly doesn't stack up to the other next-gen Tony Hawk entry, Project 8. While Project 8 perfected the traditional mechanics of the series-such as reverts, wall plants, spine transfers, insane tricks and other maneuvers-Downhill Jam is a very linear and direct racing game. Additionally, the visuals are nowhere near as enticing as those found in Jam's Xbox 360 contemporary. The texture work is simple and the characters and their animations are strictly on the Saturday morning cartoon level. However, none of these shortcomings add up to failure for the game. Downhill Jam may not be your typical Tony Hawk outing, but it packs a lot of fun into an unusual package, and it is actually one of the better launch titles available for the Wii. The basic set up for Downhill Jam is simple: Players choose a racer-either Tony Hawk or a member of the fictional cast-and launch into a furious downhill race, with the primary goal typically being to reach the bottom of the course first. The game boasts eight different environments, and each one features significantly different scenery and background activity. Races take place anywhere from warmly-lit castles to ancient, crumbling ruins or busy city streets. The environments are rife with shortcuts and alternate paths, and-while each track may be initially confusing-finding the best route through each level is an enjoyable experience.

Historically, Tony Hawk games have been heavily focused on performing tricks and outlandish aerial maneuvers. This element has definitely been minimized in Downhill Jam. While there are a handful of game modes and race types available, casual exploration or experimentation with the game's trick system is usually pretty limited. The game moves at a very brisk pace, so there is rarely much opportunity to focus on intricate acrobatics. In almost every mode, players will be best served by focusing on the racing aspect, and the only real inclination to perform tricks is the need to occasionally refill the obligatory "boost" meter. The only exception to this heavily race-focused gameplay is the Trick Mode, in which players race alone in an attempt to score the most points from tricks. This mode offers a large number of gates throughout each level that trigger a slow-mo effect, allowing players to spend a little more time nailing tricks.

In any case, the ultimate question for Downhill Jam is not whether it is faithful to other Tony Hawk games, but whether the liberties it takes with the formula result in an enjoyable experience. On most systems, the answer to this question would likely be "no," but Downhill Jam really benefits from the control offered by Nintendo's Wiimote. As might be expected, the racers in the game are controlled in much the same way as Excite Truck-by holding the Wiimote horizontally and twisting it in the air to steer and turn. The ‘1' and ‘2' buttons are used to jump, grind and-in conjunction with the d-pad-perform tricks, and the ‘A' button can be used to powerslide through sharp turns. The resulting control is not the most precise experience, but it is more than serviceable and quite a bit of fun. The speed and complexity of the game's various tracks is initially daunting, but most players will find a comfortable rhythm after a short time and begin grinding their way to success.

Technically speaking, Downhill Jam is obviously not the most impressive game in the series. Project 8 is truly a sight to behold and Downhill Jam doesn't hold a candle in the visual department. However, this outing on the Wii was built for the console from the ground up and it is reflected in the final product. Unlike a few other launch titles that were ported over from superior systems, Downhill Jam boasts very clean and crisp environments and effects. It's all very colorful and cartoonish, but it's also undeniably attractive. The Wii is certainly able to pull off better visuals than this, but Downhill Jam is still one of the best-looking launch titles for the console. The visuals are complemented by a typically rock-heavy licensed soundtrack, and progressive rock fans might be pleased to discover that obscure supergroup OSI is included prominently in the playlist.

In total, Downhill Jam is an enjoyably moderate success. It's not a typical Tony Hawk game, but it does offer a wide variety of tracks as well as sufficiently compelling, twitch-oriented gameplay. It's disappointing that no online multiplayer support was included in the game (players looking for human competition will have to make do with ho-hum, split-screen gameplay), but the single-player experience is robust, if not extensive. Players fond of the control methods found in games like Excite Truck should take notice, especially if interested in something a little more quirky and demanding.

Score: 85%

Dec 15, 2006 | 0 comments
David Tolin