Shaun White Skateboarding

Shaun White Skateboarding puts an interesting spin on skateboarding games. "Shaping" lets you, say, hop on a rail and then shape it up in the air to reach the rooftops or take it down to link to something else. Players can create a path through the air, then onto a lamppost, then link it to a rooftop, and so on. Earned points are spent on getting from one spot to another. You start off in a dry, stale, black-and-white world. As you begin to skate a shock wave of influence goes out. Landing tricks causes people around you change, trees to shoot out of the ground, buildings to crumble into big quarter pipes, and so on. This proves fun for about an hour or two, but loses its charm thanks to some mundane tasks and repetitive puzzles. Multiplayer adds a bit more fun, but this game is a better rental than a purchase.

Online interaction: The Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC versions of the game support online two-player modes, including up to 8 people in one game world. The console versions of the game allow for open voice communication via an optional headset. Players could be exposed to foul language, inappropriate conversations, and strangers soliciting personal information.