Preview By: Brennan Ieyoub
Developer:	Angel Studios
Publisher:	Infogrames
Genre:	Sports
Est. Release:	Spring 2002
Posted:	1-22-02

Have you ever found yourself in a dark, cold room, naked, covered in your own feces, watching Point Break on VHS time after time again, wishing that you could somehow live out a surfer’s adrenaline charged life instead of devoting more wasted hours to your own mundane existence? Well, here’s your chance cowboy, as Infogrames are bringing their critically acclaimed XBox surf spectacular "TransWorld Surf" to the PS2, with some noteworthy exclusive additions. Finally we’ll all have a chance to act young, dumb, and full of… come on and lets get to the spicy details.

For those of you unfamiliar with Transworld Surf: It’s a freestyle extreme sports game that operates on goal oriented gameplay and also consists of stringing together trick combos for gnarly points. For those of you unfamiliar with surfing: Ball up your fist and punch yourself in the stomach.

If the game I just described reminds you of another blockbuster title called, how do you say…Tony Hawk 3, give yourself 10 points for being on top of things (and I’ll give myself 20 points for being on top of your MAMA!! BAM!! LETS KICK IT UP A NOTCH!). Yes the mother of extreme sports gaming has given birth to yet another run-about trickfest, and this time the apple has fallen so far from the tree dat it gone landed in da ocean mon. Prepare to get wet.

With a roster of 13 real life surfers, you’re free to shred waves in real life locations based in Hawaii, Australia, and new to the PS2 version Todos Santos, Mexico. Also, the surfing sponsors and licenses will be updated for this version. You can choose to surf a single session, play out an entire pro-tour, or surf freely with no clock or objectives. If you get a few buddies together, you can participate in four player competition as well.

As mentioned before, the overall control scheme is very much like Tony Hawk. You can perform grab tricks, grind tricks (riding the lip with a balance meter), and pull off 360’s and such if you manage to get some big air. The goals you’re faced with in pro-tour mode are entertaining and challenging as well. Be prepared to free dolphins from tuna nets, and dodge man-eating sharks. All the action will run quite fluidly due to the addition of the helpful reef-girl, who with the tap of a button will zip you to any wave on the beach you might want to rip up.

The Graphics are bitchin' too. The waves and water effects are beautifully rendered, and the riders are animated with great attention to detail. The game is also loaded with interviews and surfing videos of the all star cast. BONUS!!!!