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Rolling. What an inspired name for an aggressive inline skating game. It's like calling Pro Evo 3 'kicking' or renaming Soul Calibur II 'thrusting'. But, while the title is bogus, the actual game defies expectations by providing some gnarly extreme sports entertainment. Fully committed to the whole ethos of skating as a lifestyle choice, you've got the music (40 tracks from the likes of The Hives, Chuck D and DJ Qbert) and the real-life pros (including world champs Cesar Mora and Fabiola da Silva).

As with every other Xtreme game out there, the model for Rolling is Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. Options include a free practice mode, some quality two-player split-screen challenges, as well as the obligatory skater and skate park editing packages. But it's the Hawk's-style career mode where the game really grinds into action. Choose a skater based on their style and the size of their barnet, then head for the park where a variety of tasks must be completed before you can move on to the next location - achieve a certain points target, copy a fellow skater's moves, collect some icons... y'know, the usual stuff. The ultimate objective is to boost your skater's reputation, and to do that you'll have to pull off some seriously bodacious spinning-flip-grab-fakies.

While Rolling certainly called match THUG for sheer quality and innovation, you could do a lot worse than give this skater a roll.

Graphics 60%
Fairly drab visuals but the animation is tops.

Sound 80%
Wicked playlist of 40 rock and hip-hop tracks.

Gameplay 70%
Tony Hawk's with wheely boots.

Lifespan 60%
Lengthy career mode but not much else.

Overall 60%
A decent skate-alike that copies Tony Hawk's but can't match the big fella's gnarled greatness.