Youâve heard the announcement, youâve seen what the controller looks like, youâve already formed half-informed opinions on the whole thing, but do you know just how the new Tony Hawk peripheral actually works?
Josh Tsui, president of Robomodo (the developers behind the game), told Crecente in his latest âWell Playedâ column that âPlaying on the board is unlike any other game, and Iâm excited for everyone to have the chance to feel what itâs really like to experience the true feeling of skateboarding.â
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This controller has not one, but two accelerometers. It has four motions sensors, one on the front, one on the back and one on each side. And it has a slightly curved underside, which tapers off slightly at the sides to make it easier to rock from side-to-side and turn on (though the very bottom is still flat, so you wonât lose you balance).
All these sensors mean that for the gameâs more basic manoeuvres, you will control your character in exactly the same way youâd control a real skateboard. Turn left and youâll turn left. Rock to the right and youâll lean to the right. Whip around 180 degrees and, yes, itâll respond, and your avatar will turn around.
For the more complex stuff, like flip tricks and grabs, youâll have to move or hold your hands/feet over the sensors. Which will mean a lot of work, particularly if youâve never mastered the coordination to handle a real skateboard.
Which is going to be one of the real dangers in replicating a skateboard so closely: people who can skate will, you know, skate, while people who canât skate may find the game difficult. In an attempt to cater to those of a less coordinated disposition, then, the game will feature three difficulty settings.
The hardest of these will faithfully recreate the act of skateboarding, and will require a ton of motion control from the user. The other two? Theyâll be much kinder to the lazy and novices alike.
For more Tony Hawk: RIDE talk, and how these plastic controllers are taking over, check out the latest edition of Well Played. And if youâd like to see the controller in action, hit the vid below and skip to the section âUp Close With The Board!â
