Parents' Guide to

Tony Hawk: RIDE

By Marc Saltzman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Disappointing, expensive skateboard controller ruins sim.

Game PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 2009
Tony Hawk: RIDE Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

  • Tony Hawk: RIDE Game: Screenshot #1
  • Tony Hawk: RIDE Game: Screenshot #2
  • Tony Hawk: RIDE Game: Screenshot #3

Community Reviews

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age 2+

Based on 1 parent review

iatecheese
iatecheese Adult
February 12, 2010
age 2+

Perfect For Everyone

It's a little confusing when you start, but soon, you become a pro. Nothing is bad in it, it was just that in the beginning there's a girl in some suggestive summer clothes. No real violence, I don't get why "Animated Blood" is noticed, it's just the falling down. Yes, it is a little hard, and two year olds can't play video games. They can play games like Guitar Hero, but this game (which is related to GH) is too hard for them.
See all 1 parent review

What’s It About?

The first in the 10 year-old series to ship with a dedicated peripheral, TONY HAWK: RIDE allows gamers to pull off tricks, such as grinds and ollies, by stepping on a motion-sensing controller that resembles a skateboard. This wheel-less, wireless accessory was designed for players to control the entire game without a gamepad, and features two tilt-sensing accelerometers and three infrared sensors along the sides of the board for hand grabs and foot propulsion. The game challenges players to master more than 100 skateboarding moves, and includes four different modes – Challenge, Speed, Trick and Free Skate – spread throughout many locations across the world.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (6):

Tony Hawk: Ride isn't a very good game. It can be difficult to control because movements are either unresponsive or overly-sensitive, resulting in a frustrating skateboarding experience. Some moves are simple enough to perform -- such as ollies (by tilting the skateboard nose in the air) and nollies (by popping up the tail of the skateboard) -- but most other tricks aren't easy to pull off at all. As a result, Free Skate is somewhat gratifying because you can explore the virtual world and try out new moves at your leisure, but the other modes can prove aggravating when the board isn't responding how you like. Keep in mind you're spending $120 on this game and the peripheral doesn't work with anything else -- unlike EA's Skate It that works with the Nintendo Wii Balance Board. Perhaps skateboarding enthusiasts who want to first try this game should rent it for the weekend before laying out the cash to own it.

Online interaction: There are a couple of online modes but wasn't really able to find anyone playing to interact with. You can chat, however, so parents should be aware their kids might hear inappropriate language.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about whether these games that ship with plastic peripherals have reached their peak. Can gamers -- or rather, their parents -- justify spending $120 (or more) on a new game because it includes another accessory in the box? Do you even want another guitar, drum kit, microphone stand, Wii Balance Board, or skateboard in your family room?

Game Details

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