Developer: Shaba Games (PS1 Original) Titanium Studios (N64 Port) Publisher: Crave Entertainment
Released: November 27, 2001 5/10 Rated: E
Razor: Freestyle Scooter wears a lot of its shortcomings right on its sleeve. Basically being a carbon copy of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater both in structure and gameplay, it replaces the consistent cool factor of skateboarding, both in culture and concept, with the Razor scooter, a decidedly more kid-oriented and uncool offspring of boards and bikes – as a former owner of one, I can attest to this. Activision may not ooze authenticity, even back in the early naughties, but something about low-tier publisher Crave Entertainment doesn’t lend the game much credence either. No licensed music robs snuffs out another avenue of authenticity, a Blockbuster exclusivity deal only adds further corporate mediocrity to the proceedings, and even the celebrity involvement raises eyebrows, with the likeness of Tony Hawk and a roster of other professional skaters being replaced by generic children, oddball unlockables, and MMA fighter Tito Ortiz, for some inconceivable reason.
The feel and layout of Razor: Freestyle Scooter will be familiar to those who have experienced the Pro Skater games, or any of Activision’s extreme sports games. A series of self-contained levels with a series of goals and collectibles (red scooter wheels) to achieve and collect while performing tricks and maximizing your efficiency in each two minute run. There are different areas to find and explore within each level, but the overall size is still pretty confining. The overall design is also fairly haphazard, with those areas being a bit too cordoned off and the nuance of designing lines for the player to find certainly lacking. Starting a new run doesn’t immediately get your mind working like it does in Pro Skater’s School or NYC levels, for example, and wheels seem to be placed fairly randomly, with a lot of self-standing obstacles that entice you with one or two wheels atop them to make you try a trick or grind.
Controls and gameplay, once again, come down to a pretty mediocre imitation of the homework it’s copying from. Serviceable and functional in most areas. Floaty is definitely the word that comes to mind, but I worry I was predisposed to that term coming into this game anyway. It’s definitely nowhere near as tight as Tony Hawk, though, and much slower paced. Going up halfpipes and off of ramps feels just fine and as you’d expect, and regular flips and grab tricks feel pretty decent. It’s grinding that makes for the real problems in the gameplay, particularly as grinds are integral to accomplishing most goals in both the regular and challenge levels. Getting your character to stick to a rail or ledge is trickier than it should be, and maintaining momentum through the length of the rail is especially difficult, like your scooter is suddenly moving through pudding. And of course, without reliably being able to use grinding to chain tricks together while still moving, and no manual/wheelie system either, achieving your those big combos for a large percentage of in-game missions is that much more difficult.
Above all else, though, the thing that makes Razor: Freestyle Scooter just not a very fun time is that the presentation, head to toe, is so totally lacking. The corporate “me too” vibe but for its younger clientele makes for an experience that’s all kinds of lazy, lame, unappealing, and cheap. Barebones game modes, no customization options, and a lack of real content that makes Razor: Freestyle Scooter fit perfectly into its role as a rental title that, even then, you’d only touch if both Tony Hawk titles were already gone. No licensed music underscores just how cheap this game is, with a misunderstanding of how to create an engaging package with the attitude it so desires. I don’t have a problem with the music on offer for what it is, just what it isn’t, given how badly Razor wants to be like an already successful franchise. Wrap it all up in a bunch of cheap .png artwork that adds up to an unnecessary plot, make a few generic kids that I will never remember the names of, and again, Tito freaking Ortiz, for some reason, and the only other lasting image you will have of this game is of your small child player character plummeting to their horrifying death, because the levels are consistently set against high elevations.
It’s actually kind of crazy that there are several of these “why is that in this game” elements in Razor: Freestyle Scooter, but that it’s not a game that anybody brings up over them, because it’s so generic and also-ran besides that. It does nothing actually original and lacks branding or substance to make anyone actually care about it. There can’t be a more perfect example of a game that was only ported N64 to be carried at Blockbuster, as it seems like a game to get you through a Saturday night and never needs to be touched ever again.
Continuing Legacy
Crave published another Razor Scooter licensed title on the PS1, Razor Racing, the same month that this port of Razor: Freestyle Scooter hit Blockbuster stores. The developers of the original PS1 version, Shaba Games, would play an important role in assisting Activision on ports of different extreme sports titles such as the PS1 version of Mat Hoffman’s Pro BMX and the PS2/Xbox versions of Tony Hawk’s Project 8. They also got a full crack at a new release in 2003 with Wakeboarding Unleashed Featuring Shaun Murray, which should really highlight how much the success of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater had Activision squeezing every penny out of that game engine.
Additional Information
Saves: Controller Pak
Compatible With: Rumble Pak
Players: 1-2
Print Guides: None
Aggregate Critical Reception: 60.00% (GameRankings), based on 1 review
Other Releases: NA Exclusive on N64
