If you’ve ever wanted to feel like a skateboarding pro without the risk of breaking any bones, you could do worse than download Nyjah Huston: #Skatelife
If you’ve never heard of Huston, he’s one of the current leading lights on the international skateboarding scene, kind of like Tony Hawk was back in the day. Like Hawk, who lent his name to a video game franchise, Huston now has his very own mobile game. It’s not the first of its kind on smart devices – we have seen other mobile skating games like Skate, Skate city – but this is the first game with Huston’s name on it.
Once downloaded, the game shoves players into a tutorial that teaches the basic controls – ollies, rail grinds and the like – and then players are let loose on through an enclosed beach front filled with rails, ramps, walls and other obstacles that need be avoided or used for tricks.
It works pretty well; tap the screen and Huston launches into the air and if you swipe left or right while he’s airborne, his flips his board about. Grinds are automatic – ollie up on to a rail – and there’s the odd opportunity to use ramps to complete air flips. Chaining tricks together this earns you Kudos at the end of the mission which you can use to purchase items such as decks and more tricks through card packs.
Yes, the game uses a loot crate system, which is is the norm with almost free games on different platforms these days. As you earn your Kudos you will unlock cards, which are used to upgrade stunts after every few missions.
#Skatelife boasts a clean layout, unlike most that bombard your screen with buttons, the most you will get is the pause icon at the bottom left. The menu has been given the same treatment, which is straight to the point and easy to navigate through.
If this all sounds pretty repetitive, then yes, it is. It’s not a bad way to waste a few minutes at work, but anyone looking for a deep experience should try something else. This is no threat to the legacy of the Tony Hawk games, but given Huston’s talent, we’re hoping it’s a humble beginning. The guy deserves a better game than this.