Go! Go! Hypergrind

Some people (and in this case, some means Paul) just aren't going to like Hypergrind. Yes, it's a simplistic Tony Hawk rip-off. It looks like a kid's game, even if some of the characters and environments--designed by Spumco, creators of Ren & Stimpy--display a subversive, unkiddylike crudeness. The Story mode goals are seriously repetitive, and a decent player can beat the game in a single sitting. But...it's kinda fun. Hypergrind borrows the clever Who Framed Roger Rabbit? concept--that there's an alternate-reality Toon World populated by wily coyotes, wiseacre rabbits, and presumably, falling grand pianos. Hypergrind's eight bizarre levels are littered with toonish hazards, such as huge mallets, spinning saw blades, and steamrollers--and you're supposed to get yourself as badly mangled as possible. Run into a blade, for example, and not only will you be decapitated for a few moments, but any tricks you do will count toward a combo string. This madcap masochism is Hypergrind's best--and only--distinguishing feature.

The edgy cartoon trappings kept me interested in this game far longer than its actual gameplay. Which is to say, about an hour--or maybe three, if you count the two times I had to restart because I was still figuring out the Story mode's rules that don't let you retry events (not even once). After that, I kept playing only to determine whether Hypergrind brought anything more to the table besides funky cartoons, average skateboarding, and wackily designed levels that are more confusing than anything else. In the end, my answer was no.

By stealing shamelessly from the Tony Hawk formula (complete with two-minute time limit), Hypergrincfs straight-up trick runs manage to be pretty fun. Too bad all the other events built around hazards that crush, electrocute, or decapitate your boarder are just lame. Recycled cartoon clichds make the self-inflicted pain more boring than funny. A confusing stats system, creepy animations, and obnoxious music don't help matters. Enough with the Tony Hawk wannabes already.