Aggressive Inline for the Game Boy Advance offers a scaled-down rendition of its console counterpart. While it maintains the core feel, including controls, trick system, and soundtrack, there are notable deviations that distinguish it as a unique handheld experience.
A Shift in Gameplay Dynamics
The expansive, open-ended levels of the console version have been replaced with slalom courses and stringent timers, placing significant pressure on executing precise tricks and grinds.
Grinds play a pivotal role in the handheld edition, with the juice meter swapped for a grind meter. This meter fills with grab and flip tricks and depletes during grinds and bar spins. Running out of grind meter means no grinding.
Mission-Based Challenges
As is customary in extreme sports games, Aggressive Inline operates on a mission-based structure. Each course presents three to four tasks to accomplish within a time limit. These tasks range from simple activities like token collection and property interaction to more intricate maneuvers such as gap transfers and multiple bar transfers.
Master the streets on your Game Boy Advance!
While the tasks mirror those found in other handheld sports games, they diverge significantly from the console version, where completion often led to a complete course transformation.
Tricks Galore
In terms of tricks, the handheld rendition of Aggressive Inline rivals its console counterpart in flashiness and speed. The sensation of velocity is palpable, with a plethora of tricks at your disposal.
The A and B buttons handle jumps, grabs, grinds, and bar spins, while the shoulder buttons facilitate spins, flips, and bails from ramps. Each level contains items to enhance speed, air time, spin, hang time, and grab capabilities, amplifying the intensity and flair of every run.
Missing Elements
Regrettably, not all features of the console version’s trick system made the transition to the handheld version. Most notably, manuals, vaults, and cess slides are absent. While their omission doesn’t severely hinder your ability to perform an array of tricks quickly, it does curtail the potential for lengthy chains and exploiting the scoring system as in the PS2, GameCube, and Xbox versions.
Diverse Challenges and Gameplay Modes
Aggressive Inline doesn’t shy away from offering a substantial challenge and variety for dedicated players. Initially, four courses and ten skaters are available, with an additional ten courses and eight skaters unlockable through arcade mode progression. Freeskate mode provides a practice arena without time constraints, while a two-player link mode invites you to challenge a friend in score, trick, or combo contests.
Graphics and Soundtrack
Visually, the game aligns with the majority of GBA sports titles. Isometric courses feature three-dimensional structures, ramps, and rails, while skater models consist of shaded polygons. While the environment itself lacks bustling activity, the use of polygons grants the skaters a wide range of lifelike movements executed swiftly and seamlessly.
However, the standout feature is undeniably the soundtrack. Full Fat, the developer, seamlessly adapted the music tracks from the console versions for the GBA cartridge. While not full-length, they are substantial and clear, making a significant impact. Aggressive Inline stands out as one of the first handheld extreme sports games with a licensed soundtrack, featuring tracks from Black Sheep, Student Rick, Saliva, and more.
Conclusion
When compared solely to its console counterpart, Aggressive Inline on the Game Boy Advance may not offer the same level of engagement. However, in the realm of GBA extreme sports games, it holds its own admirably, delivering a unique and exhilarating experience for handheld gamers.
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