What goes up must come down.
We're drawn to good skateboarding games like Tony Hawk to an endorsement deal. Our legs are gangly and uncoordinated in real life, but substitute thumbs, and a good game's big air and high-flying tricks almost feel real. So the ambitious Skater Nation disappoints us; it tries to clone the magic of prior skateboarding games, but its sloppy controls and animation keep it from congealing.
In its concept, Skater Nation copies almost everything we'd want in a skateboarding game. 10 game areas allow hours of exploration; you'll find favorite ramps and rails in a construction yard, beach, water treatment plant, and other, creative locales. You can unlock different skaters and boards, and pick your way through dozens of tasks, such as performing a certain list of tricks in a minute. Skater Nation's size is its biggest strength.
Coming down the mountain.
The game controls, however, break the fantasy. You'll drag an on-screen thumb-stick to move, and tap two buttons to perform tricks. In the beginning, even the simplest maneuvers left our character in a clump on the ground. After an agonizing number of failed tricks, we eventually got used to the actions. We wanted to give up, and Skater Nation only reveals itself after perseverance. But even after breaking through that plateau, we still stumbled on certain basics.
Great skateboarding games feel natural right away and uncover impossible feats after you improve. Instead, we hated Skater Nation at first, unable to handle even basic controls. We warmed up only after hours of arduous practice.
Good-looking 3D graphics can't offset control issues. And on a 3G iPhone, the animation amplifies problems, stuttering frequently. You also can't play your own songs in the background and must suffer through--or mute--generic industrial rock and speed metal tracks.
Skater Nation feels rewarding after lots of play, but only masochists will log enough crashes to overcome mediocre controls.
Lots of tricks, locations, and extras to conquer. 3D graphics give a
good sense of space. Fantastical ramps can produce exciting stunts.
Game controls regularly frustrate. Can't listen to your own music. Bugs and glitches occasionally appear.
