Rollerblade Racer

A fun rollerblade game that is highly reminiscent of Atari's classic 720 Degrees, Rollerblade Racer casts you in the role of either Kirk or Trish, a young rollerblader who wants to compete in the upcoming Super Rollerblade Challenge. Before that, he/she needs 5,000 qualifying points. You job, of course, is to help Kirk or Trish earn enough points to enter the competition, then to win the championship title.

After selecting who you want to be, the game begins in Kirk/Trish's neighborhood. You must avoid incoming traffic, roadblocks, and various other obstacles in an attractive isometric overhead view that is reminiscent of Paperboy. You earn points by doing cool rollerblade moves, and having time left at the end of the course. When you fall down, you get a bandage. Three bandages, and your number of "lives" goes down. You have a total of 3 lives, so that means you can fall down only 9 times before having to start over from the beginning.

The game is definitely not for the faint of heart or the reflexes-impaired, since your obstacles are numerous. As in real life, even cracks on the road will cause you to fall down, and they can be difficult to avoid when you are rollerblading at high speed. Despite the high difficulty level, vibrant graphics, smooth gameplay, and a lot of fun surprises will keep even the most jaded gamers glued to the screen.

If you like Epyx' California Dreams or Skate or Die, you'll definitely enjoy this underrated classic. Thumbs up!

Review By HOTUD