Though the main series will have changed last names four times come the end of the year - from Pro Skater to Underground to American Wasteland to the upcoming Project 8 - it has never strayed far from the roots of the initial game. Skating around open environments, pulling off tricks as some of skateboarding's biggest pros while enjoying a CD-quality licensed soundtrack. Sure, each new game has implemented something new, be it graphics, tricks, gimmicks, storyline, songs, etc., but there is no escaping that once you've played one, the learning curve for the entire series has essentially been lifted.

With series developer Neversoft keeping the torch lit with its impending mass release of Tony Hawk's Project 8, Activision decided to give another developer, Toys for Bob, a hand at taking Tony Hawk in a new direction that's friendly to non-gamers. Part of this new direction includes making use of the unique motion-sensitive controllers of Nintendo's upcoming system, the Wii. The final product is a skateboarding racing game that will not only appeal to long time fans, but expand its already substantial audience. It's just the kind of title Nintendo has been preaching the Wii will deliver - games that not only appeal to current gamers, but people who have avoided gaming because of their complexity and the resulting confusion (like most of our parents, for example).

This is not Tony Hawk's first foray in downhill skating, as the first Pro Skater had a couple of levels that happened on a tight, inclined track. Downhill Jam takes that snippet of gameplay and builds an entire game around it. Players choose from nine fictional, themed skaters, such as pretty in pink Tiffany and Finland giant Gunnar, each with their own set of stats. If none of those over-the-top personalities take your fancy, which would come as no surprise, there is always series spokesman Tony Hawk (the only professional skater this time around) or the create-a-skater mode. Trekking across the world for the best hills, you'll find yourself among such landscapes as the mountains of Machu Pichu, the buildings of downtown San Francisco and the interior of Castle Birdman, each with their own set of time-cutting shortcuts. As players race down towards the finish line, they'll pull off tricks and grinds to increase their skater's speed and rack up points and combos. Competition keeping you from first place? Let loose some attacks to take or hold the lead. Think of it as Road Rash on skateboards and not the second coming of ESPN Extreme Games.

Accompanying the simple gameplay is a control scheme that's a chip right off the simple block. Tony Hawk vets should feel right at home, because not as much has changed as you may have thought. First off you'll take the Wiimote and turn it like an NES controller, with the D-Pad side in your left hand. Tilting the entire controller left and right will move your skater in the corresponding direction, as well as keeping your balance during grinds. So, for all those parents who tried to play a racing game with you and moved the controller while turning, it'll actually do something for them here!

Tricks are executed by pressing one of the directions on the D-pad, then pressing either the 1 button for grind and kick tricks or the 2 button for ollie and grab tricks. 2 can also be held by itself to have your skater go into a crouching position for extra speed; this move can also be done by pushing the controller forward. Holding down the A button at the right time around corners can also provide players with an extra boost of speed if done right. But if done wrong, you'll stall and lose speed.

Special moves make a return, with each character having two different moves. Once you complete 8 tricks in a row, without crashing, your special meter will fill and start spinning. At this point you can pull a special off by holding the A button and pressing either the 1 or 2 button while airborne for an over-the-top, who cares about gravity special move that in no way could be accomplished in real life.

Your special meter isn't the only meter in Downhill Jam either; on the right side of the screen is a flame meter. As you perform regular tricks, attacking other skaters as you pass or breaking through parts of the level, the skill gauge of the meter will go up. Once full, a simple shake of the controller will activate a speed boost to help you speed through straight-aways, over ramps and past the competition.

Though there is no online play of any kind, you will find a varied set of multiplayer options for up to four players. Not limited to just racing, you can also compete in trick attack, slalom and "steal the head" modes. Trick attack has each player aiming for the highest score by the end of the level, while slalom mode sees each player trying to skate through as many rings as possible before time runs out, with each ring replenishing a little time on the clock. The steal the head mode has each skater starting out headless. Once someone claims first place they receive a head for their shoulders, but lose the ability to speed boost. Everyone else can steal their head, and the lead, by either attacking or passing first place. While it is still a shame that online play had to be left a pipedream, by no fault of Activision or Toys for Bob, what is here should provide with plenty of multiplayer shenanigans.

Downhill Jam's presentation so far is shaping up to exceed what the Gamecube could do - for the most part. Each skater is detailed and well-animated, with plenty of attention paid to each of their unique outfits and appearances - though their personalities are based on overused young adult stereotypes. None of the intricately designed tracks suffers from pop-up, and if speed permits there are plenty of elements to take in, such as windowsill gardens, palm tree littered hills and tourist-filled streets. Lighting effects are impressive, with the coolest example so far being how a setting sun affects a level, spraying different colors and amounts of light on everything around. To top all that off, the entire game will not only run at a speedy 60 frames per second, but will also support progressive scan and a 16x9 wide-screen presentation. The only area I saw that could use some touching up are the non-track textures, which disappoint by not only lacking the details found on the actual track, but also tend to be blurry. Hopefully Toys for Bob can enhance these before the game's release.

While details are non-existent at the moment, a licensed soundtrack will be gracing our ears when the game hits store. The only band confirmed is Iron Maiden, with the metal legends contributing the track Different World off their newest album, A Matter of Life and Death. Expect the soundtrack to consist of the usual mix of punk, hip hop and metal, with a sprinkling of random tracks for good measure.

Spin-offs can be a dangerous route to take, as too many changes to the initial formula can not only turn off the series' fan base, but result in a product that ruins all that made the series a success. Toys for Bob and Activision knew the risks when taking on this project and have come through with a game that reinvents the Tony Hawk formula into a fun and accessible racer. Will long time fans embrace Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam with the same open wallet hug they give to the main series? We'll see when it releases alongside the Wii at launch.

Previewed by Tony Peters for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).