Xtreme sports video games have been around since the early days of the PlayStation. With the recent success of Tony Hawk Pro Skater on the PlayStation and 1080 Snowboarding on the Nintendo 64, it makes sense that more companies would jump on the Xtreme sports bandwagon. Enter Surf Riders, THQ's latest entry into PlayStation land, with the full set of rules and regulations of the Association of Surfing Professionals but without the hammerhead sharks or the jellyfish. Unfortunately, Surf Riders isn't the big Kahuna of surfing games. The controls are very difficult and the gameplay is monotonous.

Gamers can choose from a list of Surf Riders's 16 surfing pros to attack the waves. In Circuit mode, players can enter the competition and work their way up the surfing ranks to compete in a series of four-person, time-specific heats. In the qualifying rounds, players who ride the waves in a big way and rack up plenty of points advance to the semifinals and then on to the finals.

Surfers are scored from 1 to 10 and are awarded points based on their ability to catch a wave within the time limit, as well as the power, size, and speed of their maneuvers. Surfers can tackle the waves of Hawaii, Japan, France, Australia, and California.

Just like learning to surf for real, Surf Ridershas an intense learning curve. In that respect, we'll give this game just a teeny bit of credit. But players should expect a sore thumb from trying to execute the many tricks this game demands. The tricks--cyclones, helicopters, spins, back flips, cutbacks, and tube rides among them--are fun but by no means are they easy. It takes practice and some patience to master Surf Riders's controls. So if patience isn't your thing, pick another game. --Todd Mowatt

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Average Customer Review: ( 4 customer reviews )
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If Ubi Soft employs any real surfers I'm sure their heads are hung low in shame. But, based on how horrible the game is, I doubt there was a single surfer that helped with the developement of this game. If there were, I have only one question;

How dare you?

3 of 4 found the following review helpful:

its ok, nothing specialOct 26, 2000
By Jon
this game is ok. its fun for like the first 2 or 3 days that you have it. once you learn the moves and bust some flip-spin tricks off the lip a few times the novelty wears off. the contest are tough and long and get kind of boring. i donno about how close to real surfing it comes, but the game play could use work and the view its kind of strange. all and all its cool but not worth buying.

surf's up...NOTSep 13, 2000

The ONLY reason that I gave this game two (2) stars is because it's the only one i've seen...after all, surfing is a tough sport to transcribe from the ocean to the video game console.

Plain and simple: This game stinks. The game isn't worth borrowing, renting or even loading onto one's playstation.

Just a few of the game's shortcomings include:

1. Poor graphics 2. Rider difficult to control 3. Unrealistic scenarios 4. Rider can only go one direction (frontside, regular foot)

So many other sports have been well-represented as games on the Playstation that are similar to surfing (such as snowboarding and skateboarding). I hope that the next time someone attempts to put out a surfing game, he puts forth a much greater effort.

It doesn't give me pleasure to be so critical but I'd rather give someone the 411 than to have him piss away his hard earned money.

1 of 5 found the following review helpful:

i love surfing an dthis is the frist game i have ever seen!Nov 28, 2000
By chuck chapman
it is the coolest any one who does not like is a poser!