Amidst all the frenzy enveloping Mario Kart DS,
it's easy to forget about the other online-enabled DS title being released this week, namely, Tony Hawk's American
Sk8land. One of the big draws of this title is that the game fully utilizes all of the unique aspects of the DS's
hardware, often to an even greater extent than Mario Kart. Players can use the touchscreen to create custom
designs for their board, pull off special moves during gameplay, and create their own fully-fledged skatepark.
Character customization doesn't stop at aesthetics, though—you can also use the DS's microphone to record
context-sensitive remarks that your skater will utter at the appropriate moments during gameplay.
Of course, the biggest draw of the game may very well be its extensive online capabilities. Gamers can link up either ad-hoc or over the Nintendo WiFi Connection, and matchmaking allows you to either play against your friends or to be pitted against a random player of the server's choosing. Multiplayer modes range from old staples such as Trick Attack to new challenges like The Price is Wrong. However, some of the more popular multiplayer modes, such as Graffiti Tag and Horse, are noticeably absent from the game pak. And once you're done competing, you can link your cart up to the game's official website and upload the data accumulated during the single player game, from high scores to replays of your best moves, as well as your custom designs which other players can download into their own copy of the game.
It's good to see a third-party developer wholeheartedly embracing Nintendo's newfound online strategy, so tell us, which other third-party games do you hope will take advantage of the DS's online capabilities?
