Blast from the past (720° (GB))

Member Name: thole09

Product:	720° (GB)
Date:	21/01/09 (15 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Classic title

Disadvantages: Controls

Before beginning this review it is necessary to address the historical aspect of this title. 720° is regarded as the world's first "extreme sports" game which features skateboarding, released to the public in 1986. The Gameboy title, released in 1999, was meant to serve as a direct "port" (converted from an earlier platform to present platform) from the original game. It is necessary to keep that in mind for this title as it does seem like a blast from the past when playing.

The objective of the game is simply to "skate" and perform various jumps and spins using the ramps, railings and other environmental objects in the game. Doing these various stunts will earn the player points, and accumulating these points will earn the player a "ticket". Tickets are a necessary aspect of the game as, throughout the game, the player will be forced to "Skate or Die" and need to move his on-screen skateboarder to one of the various skate parks. Without the necessary ticket, the skateboarder will not gain access to one of these parks and have to outrun "deadly" obstacles which, if touched, will lower the amount of tries one has in a game. When the player reaches zero tries that signals the end of the game. To be successful, the player must perform sixteen events within the skate parks.

Graphic content is acceptable when remembering that this is a 1980s "port". It is very low in detail and "blocky" which younger players may find unappealing. I personally did not find this too much of an issue. The sound is also lower quality, often repetitive, which may encourage players to engage with the title without the use of sound. This also may not be an issue as sound is not a critical aspect of this game.

Personally I found the controls difficult to manage. The player must continually tap the "B" button to propel his skateboarder while performing stunts using the "A" button and arrow keys. The gameplay itself is simple but these awkward controls make for a rather difficult experience. This is a subjective claim, though, which may not hold true to every player of this title.

Overall, there is not much which attracts me to this game besides being a classic title. I found it to be rather commonplace and simple in comparison to similar titles nowadays, but this title would likely have been all the rage after release in the 80s.

Summary: Play it if you're a fan of the original 80s title.