On the one hand you've got the more realistic outings like True Skate. It's difficult to master, and there are reward for getting to grips with the tough controls and learning to find the best lines in the various parks.
Then you've got the likes of Skateboard Party 3. It's a Tony Hawk's amalgam, all ridiculous flips and spins at the press of a few buttons. And while it doesn't have the challenge of the other sort, it's still an awful lot of fun.
Mind controlLike the game that inspired it, Skateboard Party 3 is controlled with a few buttons. You've got a stick that lets you speed up and steer, then a collection of symbols that let you perform tricks.
Tap this one to grind, tap that one to grab, that sort of thing. The meat of the game takes place in career mode, where you earn XP to make your skater better, and finish challenges on a series of levels to unlock new places to skate.
The challenges are pretty standard fare - score a set number of points, perform an impressive combo, find some hidden stuff, and pull off a certain trick in a certain place.
There are items scattered around the levels that unlock new bits of equipment for your board too.
Each location is impressively large, with plenty of opportunity for exploration. You'll see new lines at every turn, and you have to try and figure out the best ways to exploit them.
The game manages to capture the chaotic thrill of hurling yourself about on a plank of wood pretty damn well, and its position at the more arcade end of the skating spectrum means you can pull off some pretty ridiculous tricks without too much effort.
You get multiplayer options too, and a free skate mode that lets you explore the levels you've unlocked to find their secrets and plot the best routes for maximum points.
Is it worth my time?I'd say so. This is definitely the most polished of the Skateboard Party games, and while it follows a similar path to the others, there's enough new ideas here that you don't feel like you're rolling over old ground.
It doesn't have the panache of some of the more hardcore skating games, and the button pushes and directional flourishes do feel a little bit old fashioned, but there's still a good bit of fun to be sucked out of its rails and ramps.
How does it compare?