Would Balance Board support make Tony Hawk a better game?
Monday, October 22nd, 2007 at 4:12pm by Blake
EA’s Skate is way more fun than Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground despite my respect for the birdman as a skater. The latest Tony Hawk game feels dated when juxtaposed to the superior and more engaging “flick-it” controls of Skate (yes, dual thumb sticks still have a place). Perhaps the Wii Fit balance board could liven up Hawks controls. Said Hawk in an interview with Eurogamer on the subject:
“I think it’s possible to incorporate the Wii Fit board into one of our games, but it would change the control scheme dramatically and we’d have to figure out how to make that work. So I don’t know yet.”
The caveman in me thinks this could be a perfect fit right before the wanna-be skater in me remembers that a real skateboard leaves the ground several times in a single session. The Balance Board sits on the floor at all times.
So what say ye, Infendo Nation. Would Balance Board support make Tony Hawk a better game?
October 22nd, 2007 at 4:22 pm
“But it would change the control scheme dramatically and we’d have to figure out how to make that work. So I don’t know yet.”
???
You’re a fucking VIDEO GAME DEVELOPER — it’s your JOB to figure out how to “make it work!” Not only is it your job, you CHOSE your job so it should be your PASSION to work with technology like this. For God’s sake?
He sounds like a lazy ass…
October 22nd, 2007 at 4:49 pm
So many broken Wii Balance Boards i see in the future.
October 22nd, 2007 at 4:49 pm
Wow that sems like a perfect fit to me. Lean to make the board go left or right and maybe take your dominet foot off the board to speed up The only problem would be how they would implement tricks into it.
October 22nd, 2007 at 5:03 pm
Tricks, with the wiimote, who said that the wiimote wouldn’t use anymore?
Your feet on the Wii Fit Board, you press and balance for advancing or turn around, for jumping any button, for tricks, moving the wiimote.
Or maybe while in the air, pressing the wii fit Board in a way that trigger the trick.
I don’t know, so many ideas that I think.
October 22nd, 2007 at 5:34 pm
Using the wii fit board to lean, accelerate, and slow would increase your immersion into the game. If Hawk dosen’t do it, someone else will.
October 22nd, 2007 at 7:17 pm
I´m sure it can be done right. Go for it!
October 22nd, 2007 at 7:59 pm
Definetly not for the tricking aspect…but sure, for the movement/balance. I’d have to be perfect though, the tinyest bit of slack would ruin the game for me.
I thought the SSX controls were pretty spot on, can’t we get going with that on Tony Hawk games.
October 22nd, 2007 at 8:31 pm
It’s possible, but it’d be a lot of work to get the balance just right. perhaps a surfing game would be more apt, since your feet are planted on the surfboard most of the time, and it’s more a sport of balance than tricks.
October 22nd, 2007 at 10:35 pm
Since the trick system is so integral to a skateboarding game, I have to give this idea pass. I remember playing those old skateboarding arcade cabinets, and they were both hard to control and not very fun. I still say go freestyle 1:1 movement with the Wiimote. Want to do a 360 ollie? literally spin the remote 360!
October 22nd, 2007 at 11:26 pm
lol, they can’t make the game fell good with the wiimote, imagine them trying to use the board. They have kept making the same game for 10 years so wait another 10 years to have a good wiimote configuration…
October 22nd, 2007 at 11:41 pm
“Since the trick system is so integral to a skateboarding game, I have to give this idea pass. I remember playing those old skateboarding arcade cabinets, and they were both hard to control and not very fun.”-Soup
100% agreed. I don’t doubt that the balance board would be better at simulating the balance (hurr) in the game. There just doesn’t seem like any good way to implement a trick system without tying it to a seperate controller, which would likely ruin the experience.
Also the main reason I keep coming back to the Tony Hawk franchise is because it retains a familiar set of controls and an awesome combo system. I haven’t played Skate yet, but I don’t think I’d enjoy the analog “flik-it” system as much as I do pulling off an endless “nose-manual+180 heelflip+manual+crooked grind+indy grab…” combo.
October 24th, 2007 at 11:41 am
Not for a Tony Hawk game, but SSX games would be PERFECT for this balancing board! And you can keep the control flipping for tricks!
October 25th, 2007 at 6:05 pm
Where is Link’s Skateboard Training?