Go! Go! Hypergrind – GC – Preview

E3 2003 – Hands On

One big surprise that I got this year was Go Go Hypergrind by Atlus. Usually,
I think of RPG games when I think of Atlus, but this time they are entering the
skateboarding market with a unique and cartoony game written by none other than
Spumco … the creative (and somewhat twisted) geniuses behind such great
cartoons as Ren & Stimpy and the Ripping Friends.

Basically, the plot of the story mode is that your character (one of the 8
that you can select) is trying out to appear in the next big Spumco cartoon.
Basically, you will be called to perform some really wacky and dangerous stunts
in a stunt school, with one person emerging victorious and becoming the next big
star. The level that I played in during a free skate mode was a haunted house,
complete with ghost cars, cemeteries, and fire breathing pumpkins. My Frankenstein
looking skater zipped around the stage grinding, flipping, and doing some pretty
wacky combo chains to rack up points. There were some neat linking abilities
during play, such as grinding off a sidewalk, swinging around a lamp with both
hands, grinding onto a chain, then back to a sidewalk. The environments were
well detailed, colorful, and fun … and had enough to trick on without being
too claustrophobic. 

For you Spumco loving skateboarding fans out there, Go Go Hypergrind looks to
be a fun and entertaining entry into the skating market with some fun for kids,
but adult style humor as well. Be looking for this one around November.