Vans SK8 tricks it’s way to GR8ness!

* Play as Bucky Lasek or Omar Hassan
* Compete in 10 different events
* 20 different board designs including skaters official boards from Black Label and Element
* Music playlist from The Methadones, Penuckle, Base 9 and Slowride

Vans and Fuel Games put their heads together to create the most addictive iPhone skateboarding app to date – Vans SK8: Pool Service will have you shredding with the best of ’em!

Tony Hawks has pretty much dominated the Skateboarding genre for years but he has been beaten to the iPhone by Bucky Lasek & Omar Hassan with the release of Vans SK8: Pool Service. I must admit that I’d never heard of either Bucky or Omar prior to playing this game but it appears that they are veterans of the skateboarding scene and they have put their name to a challenging and entertaining title.

You are briefly introduced to the two protagonists as soon the game launches and then you get to choose to either Free Ride or launch your career. Free Ride does what you would expect and allows you to hone your skills in the pool before launching the more challenging aspect of the game in career mode.

While performing tricks is pretty straightforward via swiping your thumbs up and down the sides of your screen but controlling the direction of your skateboarder is somewhat more difficult. Steering your boarder is done by tilting your iPhone/iPod Touch back, forward, left and right and certainly not very intuitive. However, as the entire game is based in a single pool steering is not as important compared to if you were in a free roaming environment.

The training area is a great place to start as it will get you accustomed to the controls, but for many players you’ll just want to jump right in.

The career mode is where the fun begins. You’ll start with a basic board and wheels and access to the ‘Timed Run’ where you have 90 seconds to complete as many Achievements as you can to unlock new events, boards, wheels and videos.

As mentioned earlier performing the tricks is relatively straight forward esp. once you’ve built up enough momentum. Trying to pull off the bigger tricks too early will see you biting the dust and losing your momentum, but keeping a variety of tricks coming soon rattles up the score and opens up the other events.

There are 10 locked events at the start all with a theme such as Spin to Win, Never Enough Time and The Grind and completing each of them will not only unlock further events but also unlock new boards and wheels to trick out your ride.

Overall the game play is very smooth and the 3D environment looks great and the whole atmosphere of the game is only enhanced by the included tunes or of course a quick double-click of the iPhone/iPod Touch Home button will allow you to shred up the pool to your own playlist.

The game has a great depth to it and should keep you coming back for more; the only downside of a single location is due to be resolved in an upcoming release.

Price $2.99

The Good

• Great graphics
• Sweet Tricks
• Lots of achievements

The Not So Good

• Single location
• Control system needs improvement

Reviewed by: @CraigWillis

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Official Trailer

Vans SK8: Pool Service Screenshots

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iPhone Application for Skaters

“Skateropolis was created with the passionate skater in mind,” says Randall Cross, founder of Ethervision and co-creator of Skateropolis with business partner and fellow lifelong skateboarder Mike Endicott. “Our mission is to be the digital hub for skaters worldwide where they can easily create groups and post their favorite skate photos and videos at home or on the go.”

Skateropolis users have the ability to join skateparks and to create self-moderated groups. “What makes the Skateropolis iPhone app so unique is that users can post photos and YouTube videos straight from their iPhone or iPod Touch for all to see”, says Cross. Members can also stay connected by “skitching” on each other, which enables them to follow the status of other friends or pros via the website or the application.

While there is no shortage of online resources to locate skateboarding facilities, Skateropolis was designed to be a cut above the ordinary. “What separates Skateropolis from other skatepark finders is its social nature,” enthuses Cross. “We mapped and detailed over 4,000 skateparks from all over the world. We created all the tools needed for skaters to stay connected and now we are handing the keys over to the community.” The skater who posts the most relevant photos and videos within each skatepark is featured on the iPhone and website skatepark page for all to see.

Skateropolis is a global community with a genuine grassroots slant by connecting skaters with local skate shops. The most prominent ad space for each skatepark on the web and on the iPhone is reserved for skate shops. Both banners are owned by the shops for a full year and can be updated frequently to ensure skaters are always up to speed on the latest news and products. “We only reserve ad space for companies that offer a proven benefit to the skating community,” says Cross.

The Skateropolis iPhone app can be downloaded for a 30 day introductory price of $2.99 on iTunes.

For more information on Ethervision and Skateropolis, check out http://www.ethervision.net or http://www.skateropolis.com

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