KELLY SLATER'S PRO SURFER


Get barrelled on the bus

By WILLIAM BARKER

Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer hand held was never going to be a patch on the revisions appearing on Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft consoles respectively, but I'm happy to report it still offers a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Like it's bigger, louder brethren, KSPS on the GBA is a fast-paced affair, offering a searingly quick frame rate. Sure, it's only in 2D, and there's no Mode 7 scaling and rotating wizardry at work, but it is still a smooth, highly involving play.

The graphics aren't so crash hot, but they get the job done well enough. The animations are a little simplistic in look, with the lip of the wave more of a particle job than a solid mass of water dangling menacingly overhead.

But it all seems to work and you're never left wondering where the danger zone is. The downside to this particle job, however, is that the rider never becomes completely covered by the wave, which is an absolute delight on the 128-bit versions.

Gameplay wise, this is about as good as things are going to get without turning to a 2.5 or full 3D hand held surfer. Thanks to the brisk frame rate, the game is a joy to control and the simple act of carving gracefully across the face (a good test of a long-term surfing game) is pretty good.

Tricks come about by pushing the A button for chop-chops (waterbourne ollies) and B buttons in conjunction with a direction operates grabs, which comes as no surprise considering the game's famous family tree.

The R trigger turns quickly, activating snap moves, while the L trigger does slides, which are ace fun on the bigger waves. Speaking of which, wave size varies nicely, with the first few heats and rounds of the championship/career mode held at beaches whose waves cover about a quarter or a third of the screen.

Pump through the early levels though, and a you'll get full screen waves - which I believe is a first. Rock on!!

Special moves have also made the cut, some of which are hilariously cool. How about, and I quote, the "360-degree Barrel Carve," and the "Coffin." It's pretty crazy stuff, people.

What comes down to is this - if you like surfing games, and you have a GBA, you need this game. It's got all the moves, all the beaches, all the riders and then some secret stuff, just for shits and giggles.

And, while the gameplay can become repetitive after extended play time, hand held surfing has come a long way since the heady days of the Atari Lynx and California Games.

ORIGINALITY 80%
SOUND/GRAPHICS 60%
PLAYABILITY 75%
ADDICTION 70%
ENJOYMENT 90%