Some sports occupy
time, some sports are mere hobbies, and on a rare occasion, a sport becomes an
all-consuming passion. This is most evident in golf, where middle-aged men
sacrifice fashion sense and family-time for the love of the links. Slightly
less evident in the populous, but even more obsessive, is the tight circle of
wave-crazy surfers worldwide. The passion displayed by these boarders is
unparalleled. “Live to surf, surf to live” as the saying goes, and Activision’s
Kelly Slater Pro Surfer does a marvelous job to get the point across.
Kelly Slater Pro
Surfer wastes no time in hammering this obsession in. The intro to KSPS is the
best I have seen in any video game in a long time. Amidst incredibly fitting
ambient music and fantastic video of famous surfers and enormous waves, World
Champion surfer Kelly Slater, who narrates the entire game, talks about surfing
as is if it is an affliction, an inescapable disease that consumes both mind and
body. “After the first wave, you’re hooked” the cover boy says, and that pretty
much applies to the game itself. I’ve always wanted to give surfing a shot, and
if it weren’t for my recurring shoulder dislocations and insurmountable fear of
sharks, I’d probably be living out of the back of a Woody in Mexico somewhere.
Thanks to the good people at Activision and Treyarch, I can keep my limbs in
their sockets and leave the Jaws feedings to others.
The mode that
really keeps KSPS above water is Career Mode. This single-player mode is the
key to unlocking hidden surfers, surf spots, and boards. The basic setup is
very similar to the Tony Hawk series (which Treyarch also worked on). Players
pick one of several playable surfers and progress through levels by completing
various objectives. Along the way, your stats will get boosts and new beaches
and boards will become available. KSPS does a much better job of linking levels
together than Tony Hawk with its Endless Summer-type voyage of discovery story.
Career Mode takes
surfers all over the world, from the tutorial wavepool in Japan, to the massive
waves of Mavericks in California, to the frigid seas of the Antarctic. Each
surf spot has its own objectives and throughout the game surfers will be asked
to complete goals by scoring a minimum amount of points in competition,
performing extra tasks like smashing polar ice caps or jumping over piers, and
even pulling off tricks at just the right time in hopes of landing a cover photo
for surfing magazines.
KSPS is all about
tricks, and is comparable to half-pipe runs in skating or snowboarding. Tricks
can be performed on the face of the wave, as aerials off the top of waves, or
directly in the barrel of a wave. Tons of tricks are available, and are fairly
easy to pull off using a combination of the control stick and the B, Y, or X
buttons. As tricks are performed perfectly and abundantly, a special meter
increases allowing super tricks like the Superman, Back-flips, and Christ Airs
to be executed for big points. The best way to score points is by linking
tricks together, and throwing together 20 or more tricks together isn’t out of
reach.
There is a
multi-player mode, but it isn’t really necessary. Push mode places two surfers
against each other simultaneously with a vertical line splitting the screen in
two. As more tricks are performed successfully, the horizontal line moves
towards the edge of the screen. The goal is to monopolize the entire screen
before your opponent does. Head-to-head mode is a simple contest to score more
points, and Time Attack gives each surfer a certain amount of time to pull of as
many tricks as possible.
One of the best
elements of the game is the presentation. Everything is put together extremely
well, with no down time, boring level introductions, or yawn-worthy
commentaries. Each level is introduced by Slater, who knows every single detail
of each surfing spot, and accompanied by fantastic surf video that really gives
the game a heap of personality that seems to be lacking in most video games.
The game contains several extras such as surfer intros, beach intros, and even a
30-minute surf video! KSPS is one of those rare games that really transports
gamers away.
One of the pride
and joys of the surfing community is the beauty of their arenas, and the
graphics of KSPS do Mother Nature justice. The waves and sky look absolutely
stellar, and little details like icebergs, distant ocean liners, and storm
clouds add just the right touch to give each surf spot its own character. The
surfers, although not the greatest looking 3D models, move extremely lifelike
and really look good on the water.
The most pleasant
surprise I found in KSPS was the sound. The soundtrack, with names like UK down
tempo hip-hoppers Rae and Christian, international afro-beat artists Truby Trio,
and professional surfer and musician Jack Johnson make KSPS a sheer delight to
the ears. The waves sound like they’re right on top of you and the deafening
roar inside the tube is amazing. Add to that ambient sounds like thunder,
aquatic birds, and the soothing call of the humpback whale and you have a game
that places just as much emphasis on your ears as your eyes.
KSPS is a well
presented game, a surf DVD, and a great CD all in one. Surfers should get
particularly stoked on the game, but even those who have never wet their feet in
the ocean will find KSPS an enjoyable ride.
Kelly Slater Pro
Surfer is rated E for Everyone.
Gameplay: 8
Even though the
game can be perceived as doing the same thing over and over again, the tight
controls and sheer enjoyment will have you back on your board in no time.
Graphics: 9
The waves and the
environment look like video.
Sound: 10
More than twenty
awesome tracks complete the soundtrack, Slater’s narration is dead-on, and the
environmental sounds are incredible. Absolutely perfect.
Difficulty: Medium
Definitely one of
those “easy to pick up, difficult to master” games.
Concept: 8.5
The first surfing
game available for the GameCube is the only surfing game it needs. KSPS
transports you to another place.
Multiplayer: 6
Not nearly as fun
as the single-player modes, but the Push mode is intriguing.
Overall: 8.8
KSPS is the
perfect example of how great presentation and amazing audio can really
contribute to a gaming experience. A must for wave jockeys, but even those who
are land-locked will find themselves on a mini-vacation when playing.
