Transworld Surf
Score: 64% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: Atari Developer: Angel Studios Media: CD/1 Players: 1 - 4 Genre: Sports/ Miscellaneous
Graphics & Sound: Given the nature of the game, you'll be looking at water more often than not. While history says we have had a rather difficult time replicating this element of nature on the gaming screen, we seem to be learning from our mistakes. Transworld Surf displays some fine examples of ocean waves and their accompanying effects, eliminating the 'ugly factor' from the game that seems to be able to detract from the fun all too easily, even though the two should have nothing to do with each other. No one can mistake the sound of the ocean, even if they've never lived close to one. Though the noise effects are slightly limited in TS, they are accurate enough to be believable. Yet while the sounds are decent, the music somehow missed the boat. Unless you're really into surfing and punk music, this soundtrack will kill your ears. None of the music is composed originally for the game, and there is little to no variety between each track. If you're a fan of the genre, lucky you. If not, mute your TV and turn on some Iron Maiden.
Gameplay: There have been a few surfing games in the past, all of which failed miserably, none of them seeming to learn from the one before it. Transworld Surf follows this fatal trend to its doom, totally ignoring the faults of its predecessors. The thin gameplay is supplemented only by its redundancy, making for a very fun-deficient experience. The single player portion of the game provides you with the opportunity to take one of thirteen real-life surfers on a grand tour of the world's best surfing locations. Each level has a different beach, and each beach is located in a different part of the world. Provided that you pass the criteria for one level, you can then move on to the next. Each level also has a Competition mode that will award you with new boards if you win. However, the Competition mode must be unlocked, a feat attained only by photo shoots. Randomly paddling around in the water are photographers, and not only do you have to get close enough for them to photograph you, but you have to pull off a decent enough trick for them to deem you camera-worthy. When you're bored with the single player modes (and that time will come all too quickly), then you can hit up the Multiplayer action. Equally as lacking as the single player modes, there are only two categories that are (hardly) worth their salt, King of the Hill and Shark Tag. King of the Hill is basically a game of knock everyone else off the wave, while Shark Tag changes it up by turning one player into a shark. That player then has to play a game of tag in order to turn back into a normal (or as normal as they get) surfer. Whoever was the shark for the shortest amount of time in the round wins.
Difficulty: The game does well to present the sport of surfing to newcomers. Moves and techniques are explained in a strait-forward manner, with clear instructions in the manual. These moves work better on paper than in the game, though. While not impossible, Transworld Surf does have a slight learning curve. Anyone familiar with games like SSX will have a better head start than most others, but remember that this is a moving wall of water you're riding on, and mother nature does not have a track record for being kind to those who cross her boundaries.
Game Mechanics: The focal point of the game is on the wave, no matter how you look at it. Because there is a time limit on each level, if you're not on a wave, you're not being productive. The wave is where tricks are performed, and in turn, where the points are scored. Unfortunately, a large amount of time is spent trying to actually reach a wave. If you are unfortunate enough to fall off one, then you either have to slowly paddle to another (which you will never reach in the time allotted) or you have to call the reef girl, who comes to get you and drop you off at the wave of your choice. Tricks get you points, and points are good. Tricks can either be done in the air after you jump off the lip of a wave by holding any combination of the shoulder buttons or they can be done on the wave itself, like surfing inside the barrel or stalling on the crest. The crazier the trick, the more points you score. Unfortunately all of this adds up to a very unsatisfactory experience. There are only so many ways you can model a wave, leaving a strong taste of repetition in your mouth after it's all over. The gameplay is equally as lacking, forcing you to complete nearly identical goals over and over again for little gain. The Multiplayer aspect helps little, leaving Transworld Surf in the same hole as every other surfing game on the planet.
-Snow Chainz, GameVortex Communications AKA Andrew Horwitz
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