Rollerblade Racer

NES

Review by Doug Jackson

Hi-Tech Express

Sports

Graphics: 3

Sound: 3

Gameplay: 3

Overall: 3

 

As strange as it sounds, there's no better way to describe this game than just plain dorky. It starts to have value when you get lines in the game like "I just got a pair of Rollerblades and I want you to help me score enough points to enter the Rollerblade competition" along with "Wow! This is getting to be fun, now lets try the park."

rollerbladeracer1nes.png (3895 bytes)The game is aimed at kids but the game will be way too tough for them to manage. The only ones to get anywhere would be an experienced gamer, hence where the dorkiness comes from.

At first glance, the game resembles Paperboy with its ¾ perspective and actually looks fairly decent for about the first minute or two. Then things fall apart. The game is only hard because the programming is detestable.

Those of you who have played any of AVE's non-puzzle games will understand. This game has a timer that's way too short and some areas where the controls just don't respond causing you to wipe out. Controls are mostly awful. You can perform tricks to raise your score, though they're frustrating (if not impossible) to pull off.

Stages are about three to four screens long and then the same scenery and obstacles repeat for the entire stage. Obstacles never grow harder either. The graphics could be passable if the stages didn't repeat as often as they do. Later stages have too many obstacles and the timer is far too short. After only a few falls, the timer runs out and you have to start the game over. Give this game some generic sounds and a mindless carousel style soundtrack that endlessly loops and it only gets worse.

There are no saving graces for this game. Rollerblade Racer honestly feels like it came out on one of those generic Taiwanese consoles where every game is unplayable. Being harder to find it probably its strongest asset.

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Last updated: Monday, January 29, 2007 10:40 PM