Aggressive Inline - PlayStation 2

The sport at the heart of it is inline skating, which quickly provides an ample excuse for some fast skating and plenty of tricks. Backed by a friendly and genuinely helpful tutorial, the key options are all present and correct--you can play in career mode, have a free skate, take on timed runs and design your own parks too.

These modes are backed by an admittedly limited but nonetheless varied selection of bountiful levels, each of which holds plenty to keep your attention. Furthermore, each delivers a subtlety different challenge and exerts differing demands on the player. That said, there's still plenty of freedom for you to master the numerous tricks and combos you need to rack up a big score.

Graphically, the game is very strong, and the gameplay is genuinely accessible, offering generous rewards whether you want a quick go or an extended session. Packed with surprises, Aggressive Inline is highly detailed, yet blissfully player-centred. It's no huge evolution in the genre, yet it's still a notable step forward and, bottom line, an excellent and highly enjoyable game. Are you watching, Tony Hawk? --Simon Brew