The only big flaw with this all-downhill business is the tendency to get turned around if you mess up a trick (or someone bumps into you). Reorienting yourself and getting back on track isn't always easy, as these skaters really don't want to stray from their sloped path. It's not a game-ending concern, but more than one race was lost because we couldn't get back on track.
The d-pad and face buttons are used in the same way they've always been - up and A does this flip trick, left and A does another, etc. It's a formula that's worked since 1999, but the DS' tiny buttons make it pretty hard to nail tight moves. When your thumb is able to mash every single button on the device, it's bound to cause some unwanted bails.
Once the world tour is over, you can test out the Jam Session mode. This one's more like the classic games, where you've got one course with a set amount of goals to beat before time runs out (or you each the end of the track). They're the same courses as the main game, but let you move at your own pace.
Jam has a whole lot of online action going on too. A host of versus and co-op modes are playable over Wi-Fi, each just as knee-bashingly fun as the solo game. Voice chat is here as well, putting Jam on the short list of DS games that take advantage of the feature.
