Surf's Up, Dude!

Published June 28, 2006

Video games based on movies and other popular licenses are always tricky business. Finding that sweet spot between honoring the source material (in this case the wonderfully hilarious Sony Pictures Animation movie) and great gameplay can be treacherous, but Ubisoft has found a refreshing solution in their game Surf's Up™.

Penguin's got balance.

Instead of basing the game on the movie adventures of Cody, Big Z, and Chicken Joe, Ubisoft has used the license to craft a wonderfully vibrant surf game. Characters and environments from the world are used to add life, personality, and humor to what amounts to a fantastic surfing experience.

Hours later, you'll be cranking out elaborate
combinations and insane tricks and yet still
have a world of gameplay to master.

Basic Layout
Each course holds a few basic elements in common that help shape the layout for Surf's Up. First, count on one giant wave either on the right or left hand side of the screen to accompany you throughout the course. This provides a constant wave to jump from, and presses you forward as it threatens to wash over objectives if you surf too slowly. Every course also includes:

• Giant ramps from which to leap and snag powerups such as an Energy Boost, which fills your Boost/Stoked meter.
• Gates to surf through, which are required for certain trophies on every course.
• Obstacles which grant 1,000 point bonuses if you break through them using the Boost ability.
• Rails to grind and collect items on their surface.
• Collectible items, such as surf idols that are used to unlock content like new songs, surfboards or even playable characters.

Depth in Accessibility
All games strive for intuitive control so kids and casual gamers alike can pick up a controller and immediately have fun, but this goal is even more prevalent with movie-based games. Where Ubisoft really succeeds is in striking the balance between that needed accessibility and game depth.

Hit the Stoked meter for special tunnel tricks.

Soaring over waves, bursting through barriers, and pulling off tricks can be accomplished in a few short minutes, but hours later, the combinations will be more elaborate and the tricks more insane. And still, there's a world of gameplay to master.

• Button tricks: When leaping from a wave or a ramp, use A, B, and X to pull off basic, advanced, and hold-based tricks. Pressing any of these buttons combined with a different direction on the left stick will perform a unique trick.
• Freestyle: Beyond the button-based tricks is a world of freestyle technique. Once you're in the air, use the right stick to barrel-roll, front-flip and backflip. Combine flipping one way or another with barrel-rolls for some truly dizzying techniques.
• Finding balance: Like any skateboarding or snowboarding game, one "grinds" on rails and poles found throughout the course. When you do a similar trick on the top of a wave, it's called a "floater."
• Stoked up: With each successful trick you perform, your Boost/Stoked meter increases. Once full, activate the meter with Y to perform Stoke maneuvers, which are spectacular, out-of-this-world feats of acrobatics worth 3,000 points per trick.
• In the course: The basic game mechanics are only half the story though, as each course offers up collectible items and powerups that offer both alternative objectives, and a challenging way to boost your score.

Modes of Play
The bulk of your time in Surf's Up will no doubt be spent with the single-player Championship mode, challenging you with a series of events in each major environment. Each course in Championship mode offers three different trophies for a basic high score, an advanced high score, and one for successfully navigating a set number of gates.

Big air is a constant.

Beyond Championship mode, there is multiplayer over Xbox LIVE® and Leaf Sliding mode. Multiplayer is, as you would expect, racing through your course of choice to outscore friends and competitors alike.

Leaf Sliding on the other hand is a change of pace from the standard, surf-based gameplay. You're set at the top of a course on, well, a leaf, and need to slide down as quickly as possible while frantically avoiding falling off the edges. Each Leaf Sliding course is riddled with boost points (red arrows) that hurtle down the course at breakneck speed, and Clock Bonus items, which halt time for a second or two to help lower your overall time.

Surf's Up is both a refreshing take on the movie-based genre and a gorgeous, well-designed surf game that gamers can embrace whether they're fans of the movie or not. Enjoy your time on the waves. Surf's up, dude!

Article by Ryan Treit