Top Extreme Sports Games

With X Games 13 shredding its way through Los Angeles from August 2-5, legions of amateur skaters, bikers, surfers and drivers will watch in awe as some of the planet's most daring athletes go for the gold in a variety of events.

But remember: Just because it looks easy doesn't mean it is easy. So unless you know your kickflips from your tail spins, play it safe by playing these high-flying extreme games.

WATCH SURF'S UP GAMEPLAY

Surf's Up

It's more extreme than: Real penguins.

Right when the surfing genre starts to catch a wave, it gets washed back out to sea. Case in point: the last truly stellar boarder, Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer, dates back to 2002. But while we humans were being lax about digitally hanging ten, another species was secretly learning how to cutback and ride tubes. I'm speaking, of course, about computer-generated penguins, the unlikely kings of the next-gen console beach. Depressing? A bit, but at least the little overachievers can't fly.

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WATCH SSX BLUR GAMEPLAY

SSX Blur

It's more extreme than: Moguls.

While the Summer X Games enjoy the spotlight of sunny L.A., the poor Winter X Games has to stay in the gates until the weather worsens into a nice, unfriendly blizzard. You, however, don't, especially if you have a Wii and a copy of SSX Blur. The renowned snowboarding series goes bigger than ever in its latest iteration. New cartoonish graphics score style points and intuitive controls impress the judges.

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WATCH EXCITEBIKE GAMEPLAY

Excitebike

It's more extreme than: It's not actually that extreme.

Trading moustaches and mushrooms for goggles and gas tanks, legendary Mario maker Shigeru Miyamoto designed this old-school NES racer back in 1984 and it's just as good now as it was then. Cut off other racers as you rocket down brutal tracks filled with monstrous jumps, or design your own with the simple but effective level editor. Sure, there are no tricks, and granted, it's a bit repetitive, but for a mere five bucks, this Virtual Console offering is a low-emission winner.

VIEW DAVE MIRRA BMX CHALLENGE SCREENSHOTS

Dave Mirra BMX Challenge

It's more extreme than: Paperboy!

If Tony Hawk is the X Games poster child, Dave Mirra is its daddy. Having medaled in every competition since 1997, the BMX legend is the X Games' winningest athlete. His video game series might have peaked a few years ago, but where other BMX games have fallen off the map, Dave keeps right on riding in this upcoming Wii exclusive. A revised port of the PSP game, the new version will feature Wii-specific controls and a wallet-pleasing $29.99 price tag.