GENRE
	Sports
	DEVELOPER
	Konami
	PUBLISHER
	Konami
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	1-2
	CONNECTIVITY
	no
	BUY NOW AT

Here’s a concept: release a series of sports games featuring various mascots from Disney cartoons and throw in some character vocals and cartoon-like graphics to boot. Sounds interesting… almost as outlandish as the old Super Nintendo tongue-in-cheek favorite, Mega Man Soccer. Unfortunately, Konami seems to have come out of the gate on the wrong foot, because Disney Sports: Skateboarding just seems like a giant stumble.

Disney Sports: Skateboarding allows players to play as their favorite Disney mascots including Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, and Max from the television series “Goof Troop.” While the selection is adequate, it doesn’t seem to be enough to hold the game on its feet, unless you’re a kid and a huge Disney fan.

This one looks as if it were developed on the late Nintendo 64 before being ported to the GameCube. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing judging by past examples such as Eternal Darkness or Resident Evil Zero, this one is in a completely new ballpark. Textures are misshapen, character animations are choppy, and the environments are drab and boring. Skateboarding is obviously not the prettiest gem in the bag, but why they didn’t invest in the popular cel-shading designs available today, I’ll never know. Would it make the game look any better? Possibly. If anything, it may have covered up the obviously out-dated graphics.

Anyone who’s anyone knows what Donald, Mickey and Goofy sound like. Some of us are too ashamed to admit it, but we all love the voices. It always pulls back a childhood cord and brings you back to the days of sitting in front of your television with a glass of milk and a plate of Oreos. Does this installment in the Disney Sports series bring you back to those days? Unfortunately, I can’t say that it does. After the third or fourth voice wave, you’re already sick of hearing it because not only is it repetitive, but it can become very irritating. As for the sound effects, while its nothing horribly grating on your nerves, it’s nothing special either.

Imagine Tony Hawk with midgets and an insane physics engine. Now twist around the controls a bit, make the character a little harder to control, slap several glaringly bright colors into the environments, and faster than you can say “Uh-Hyuck!” you’ve got Disney Sports: Skateboarding. Think of this as a kid’s version of the Tony Hawk series. While it may seem hard to think of it like this, it surprisingly plays out fairly well in its own right. This is, of course, if you’re a kid or a mother looking for a game not as violent as Tony Hawk for your kid. Characters wear safety gear and never bleed. This is definitely appealing to safety-nut parents.

Multiplayer doesn't offer anything special aside from doing the same stuff with a friend. If you have a friend who also likes Disney, feel free to try it if you’ve got nothing else better to do.

While the Disney Sports series has potential, Skateboarding may not have been the best sport to start out with. The controls are buggy, the graphics are choppy, the sound is average and the voices will make you crawl up a wall in fear of your life. Hopefully this installment won’t sink the series, since Football and Soccer look much more impressive than this. If you’re a parent looking for a non-violent game that your kid may like, give this one a rental -- otherwise, avoid this one.

4.7/10