Airblade - PlayStation 2

Imagine Tony Hawk's with no wheels and what you have in essence is Airblade. It's possible to perform tricks in the style of standard extreme sports games but with the added advantage that you use the air to your best advantage. This manifests itself in some of the tasks to be completed in story mode (read: the rescue of your best pal from the evil corporation). At one point there's a complicated set of hand grabs required to swing your way up the side of a set of buildings in order to dangle from the landing skis of a hovering helicopter. It sounds complicated but it's actually really good fun and very well executed.

Airblade is a real treat for the eyes. The cityscapes are large and colourful and there're plenty of surfaces you can trick from; if you can see it (and reach it) then you can also grind and jump it--essential in some of the gaming modes for racking up a reasonable points score. All in all, Airblade is consistent and entertaining; the tunes are a little forgettable but the action more than makes up for this failing and creates an atmosphere that will have you filled with just-one-more-go syndrome. --Chris Russell