The graphics in Streak: Hoverboard Racing are excellent, although it’s hard to notice your surroundings when you are pulling 50 G’s on your gem blade. The one goofy thing is your character’s face in the upper right corner. It’s supposed to show your expressions during the race (mine was usually twisted in agony -- hehe), but it ends up looking kind of lame. I also enjoyed the originality of some level locations, such as the Fun House and the Irish castle, which is my absolute favorite. The background music also matches each respective level perfectly, from the strains of Gaelic melody to the calliope tunes.

Excellent! Streak is very enjoyable once you get the hang of it. The game is fast and furious, so give yourself a chance to learn it. Try it with different characters, because “handling” makes a huge difference in your enjoyment level. Also, each character has a story as to why they joined the Streak circuit. You can hear each story if you do the tutorial for each character. All in all, varied and beautifully rendered tracks and solid gameplay make Streak an excellent choice for any gamer. The levels are also well-designed. Several of them use visual tricks, suicide loops, and even jumps so high that you get that tingle in your stomach like you’re on a roller coaster. To me, a really good game is one that makes you feel like you are there. Streak does it.

Like I said, there is a learning curve involved. But stick it out. Streak is a blast once you get the feel of the board. Again, start with a character with better handling than speed or acceleration. Otherwise, you may get frustrated. I found Cat to be a good starting character.

Streak is Dual Shock/Analog compatible, although I found it slightly easier to control on Digital. My choice is the Mad Catz Dual Force Analog Controller. Play on Digital Mode and still feel the boom. I strongly suggest you play through the tutorial. You get valuable tips from your trainer, Skid, and also your character’s background story. There’s also a helpful little Turbo button. Use it wisely -- what a boost in the straightaways! Keep in mind it’s tough to do tricks and win the races to move up through the ranks. Focus on winning the races for a while, because the tracks just keep getting better the further you progress. Also, they give you the option of progressing to the next race (if you qualify), retrying the individual race, or retrying the group of races. Great for practicing or when you find that special track that you never wanna leave.