Note: This is a review of the 3DS version, not the Vita version.  My understanding is that there are no major differences, however; the feel may differ slightly.

I’ve never been much into sports games.  From my early experiences with John Elway’s Quarterback on the NES to Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 on the Gamecube, I was never much good at them.  I tended to enjoy the “lite” games more, such as NFL Blitz and the Mario sports games.  These had solid, simple gameplay that was easy to grasp and fun, yet not deep.  I was content never seriously getting into a “hardcore” sports game.  I have changed.  OlliOlli is the game that lead to my change of mind.

Let me give you a bit of background: I first played this game on PC.  At first, I was of the same mindset, as I played with my Xbox 360 controller.  I thought the game (at the time) to be too difficult and boring, due to frustration.  I logiced away the game as something I should put to the side in favor of other games.  Perhaps I was right.  After all, the game was originally designed for handhelds.  And I am so glad I got it on 3DS.  It just feels so much better playing it that way.

Control is simple, yet quite deep.  You move automatically, but can speed up by pushing against the ground with your foot (and sometimes have to) with the A button.  You also land with the A button.  You jump and perform tricks and grinds with the analog stick.  And you can alter what tricks you to by holding A, R, or L.  This system is quite complicated to grasp at first, but is quite fun as you get better at it.

The game, however; doesn’t hold your hand for long.  It thrusts you into the thick of things.  After a brief tutorial to learn the basics, the game expects you to learn the rest by turning to the “Tricktionary”, a guide on how to pull off tricks.  It’s filled with all the basic instructions for every trick.

Pulling them off can be tricky, however.  The game requires precise inputs to pull off the more complicated tricks.  For some jumps, you may have to rotate the analog stick a full three-quarters of a full circle in order to pull them off, all in a brief moment, or you may only be rewarded with an “Ollie”.  This, however; is not a flaw of the game.  Quite the opposite.  Much of the delight of the game comes from learning and practicing these moves, stringing them into combos.

And that brings me to the combo system.  The game boasts a simple, yet absolutely wonderful combo system that hinges largely upon momentum.  Pull off tricks to boost your combo meter, and as soon as you hit the ground, your combo ends.  You have to keep an eye on your momentum.  Certain grinds may be more effective than others.  Should you finish a grind, or risk jumping and grinding again to build a combo?  When should you jump in order to build the most momentum?  These things have to be kept in mind as you try to build up the best combo.

Level design is also excellent.  It starts off simple, with few jumps and grinds, but soon escalates to grindfests (and I mean that in the best way possible), with jumps in between.  OlliOlli’s fast pace makes these moments absolutely exhilarating.  As I jumped between rail to rail, managing a 20+ combo merely on the second world, I realized that this game had quickly become not just my favorite sports game, but one of my favorite games ever.

The game also has a great sense of humor.  Your character will often fall down several flights of stairs with exaggerated bumps only to be magically restored as soon as you press that retry button.  It’s a nice touch to an otherwise serious game.

Achievements add even more to the game.  Each level has five achievements to unlock by completing objectives.  By completing all five (not necessarily in one run), you will unlock a Pro level, an alternate, more difficult version of the level.  These Pro levels also have achievements, adding even more to replayability.

Often the achievements required me to think outside the box.  For example, one quest to collect spray cans required me several times to jump below a grind rail, instead of landing on it, as I had previously hoped to do.  At first, I was perplexed.  But I was also delighted.  Despite having to mix things up, they still managed to challenge me in a fun way, albeit perhaps less fun than trying to beat my high score.

There are also daily grinds (1-chance levels that test you against the world) and Pro Levels, which are tougher versions of levels that you have gotten every achievement for.  These also have five achievements each, adding even more replayability to the game.

There are even “Spots” unlocked after beating each corresponding level.  These spots test you to pull of the best single combo you can.  There are even Pro Spots that correspond to the Pro levels of the game.

The music choice was also excellent.  Instead of having tracks according to level, there is one continuous track playing in the background that will occasionally fade to a new section.  These sections range from urban jazz to rhythms that will get your blood pumping.  Although there perhaps could have been more variety, the music is excellent and helps set the mood.

The graphics are also great, yet simple, and exist primarily to set up the gameplay.  However, much like in Rayman Legends, it is easy to miss touches going on in the background as you get lost in the gameplay.  The backgrounds are fun to look at and move unlike what I’ve seen in any other game.  As you jump and move, the backgrounds move with you dynamically.  It’s a neat effect, and one I’d like to see in more games like this.

If there’s one criticism I can perhaps level at the game, it’s that it seems to reward slower play at certain sections.  For example, on grind rails, you are able to pull of higher combos by stringing together grinds and jumps.  On earlier levels, there are fewer grind rails strung together; therefore, in this case, the game encourages you to make the most of one grind rail to get a high score.

Overall, OlliOlli is perhaps the single greatest single-player sports game I have ever played.  I cannot find any major flaws with the game, and the core gameplay is among my favorite of any game ever.  I look forward to playing OlliOlli 2 sometime in the future.

Presentation: 8/10
Graphics: 8/10
Sound: 8.5/10
Gameplay: 10/10
Lasting Appeal: 10/10

Overall: 9.3/10

Nota Bene: I suggest the portable version over PC.  It just feels so at home on the 3DS.

A few users I hope will read this review:

janus :
A user of this :
juuldude :

Nicely done, Supernerd! I really liked it. I'll be honest though. I've never heard of this game before. lol It sounds really fun though! I'm really wanting to try this out now.

Great job as always, Supernerd.

Cool review supernerd, and thanks for the summon! Neither I heard of this game before, but your fresh and simple review gave me a better image of the game. I'm glad you didn't use any difficult skateboarding terms XD