Skate [X360]

''But while you'll have to get inventive with park benches and handrails while skating the streets, things are a little more set up for you once you make it to the X-Games. After nailing down a sponsor and a magazine deal, you'll get invited to compete in the games, which just so happens to feature a rather large ramp, or a Mega-Ramp as it's so lovingly called.

Sitting smugly atop the ramp, things quickly get hectic as soon as you roll a few feet forward. The initial drop must be a good 50 feet or so, and you're quickly launched long and far over a box ramp with a camera arm dangling at its side. Launch a little too far to the left and you'll wind up with a few shattered bones. If you nail the jump though, you're given what seems like an eternity to spin, grab and flip to your heart's content before the stewardesses ask you to return your seatback to its upright position and ready yourself for (a likely hard) landing.

Back out in the city of San Vanelona, we hit up a couple smaller competitions. You can find these at certain pools or matrix spots that cater nicely to this type of event. The catch here is that unlike some of the sponsored events, you're not ever online at the spot. The two events we tried out had four skaters going at once, so not only do you need to nail as many tricks as possible but you also need to watch out for incoming bodies.

While the venues are different, so are some of the rules. During some of these spot competitions you'll be trying to rack up as many points as possible during each round, while others will be a best trick competition where only your best trick counts. Speed doesn't matter here nearly as much as inventiveness and perfection. Again, skate is all about figuring out your own lines and your own way of doing things, and that's exactly what'll get you a first place finish in these competitions.

''It won't be too much longer before you'll be able to enter these competitions yourself as the game is set to ship in September. In the meantime, Xbox 360 owners can look forward to a demo that's set to hit the Marketplace in the very near future.

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