For stubby fingered adults, the tiny buttons may take some getting used to, but it controls every bit as fine as what we're used to. New this year is the Aggro Kick, which is done by rhythmically hitting the Y button for extra speed on the ground. It works great here, and it opens up a whole new way of stringing combos together while acting as a satisfying shot of nitrous. Seriously, it may prove just as crucial to the scoring as the manual and revert did all those years ago.

The bottom screen is implemented to somewhat great effect. On the one hand, it functions fantastically as a map, simultaneously showing goals and objectives while making fetch quests far less of a hassle. But purists will undoubtedly bitch about using it as a simplified way of pulling off once complicated special moves via multiple buttons.

Most will be taken aback by exactly how much the DS retains from the supposedly beefier console versions. There's not as many levels or special moves, and the jaggy characters look an N64-esque mess, but overall the presentation suffers very little from the transition. This tiny little cart packs in plenty of actual pro skate videos, and in this reviewer's opinion, the best licensed soundtrack the game's had in years. (Click here for the complete tracklist). The Skate Lounge isn't very customizable, but it's great place to see how many wins you've accumulated. And it'll have to do until the DS gets its own form of an Achievement system.