Aggressive Inline (video game)

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Aggressive Inline is a 2002 extreme sports video game about aggressive inline skating. It was made by Z-Axis and published by AKA Acclaim. The game came out on PlayStation 2 first in May 2002, then on GameCube and Xbox in August. A Game Boy Advance version was released in August 2002 by Full Fat.

What you do in the game
- You skate through large, open levels and do tricks to score points and finish goals.
- The controls use the D-pad to move and buttons to jump and perform tricks like grabs, flips, grinds, wallrides, and manuals.
- You can interact with the environment, such as vaulting rails and grabbing poles.
- In Career mode, you visit seven levels and complete challenges given by characters in the level. Finish challenges to earn points and move on. There are hidden items to unlock new areas, improve your skater’s attributes, or get new tricks.

Key game systems
- Juice Meter: Instead of a fixed time limit, you have energy that can run out. You refill it by performing tricks or collecting juice boxes, letting you play longer.
- Attribute system: Earn experience to raise attributes like speed, jumps, spins, grinds, manuals, and wallrides.
- Modes: Tutorial (20 lessons), Freeskate (play without challenges or upgrades in unlocked levels), Timed Run (gain points within a time limit), and multiplayer.
- Park editor: Build or modify your own levels to skate in.

Differences on Game Boy Advance
- The GBA version plays somewhat differently: levels are time-limited and challenges include collecting or destroying items, jumping through hoops, and beating high scores.
- There are Arcade and Freeskate options, plus a two-player mode via Game Link Cable for scoring and tricks.

Development and design
- Z-Axis, a California studio, created Aggressive Inline. The team used the engine and animation tools from the studio’s earlier game, Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2.
- The game aimed to push beyond Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater style games with bigger levels, open-ended goals, a skills progression system, and no fixed time limits.
- Real skaters were motion-captured for authentic moves, and the game included features like dynamic cloth animation for clothing.
- Aggressive Inline was announced in 2001 and released under Acclaim’s brand before the publisher was renamed AKA Acclaim.

Reception and legacy
- On consoles, Aggressive Inline received generally favorable reviews. Critics praised its big, varied levels, open-ended goals, and impressive visuals.
- Some criticisms focused on the soundtrack and certain character models.
- The Game Boy Advance version got weaker reviews due to its more traditional design, time limits, and simpler gameplay.
- The game was recognized with several nominations, including Outstanding Original Sports Game and Console Sports Game of the Year.
- In retrospective views, Aggressive Inline is seen as innovative and influential, with features that foreshadowed later Tony Hawk titles. However, it was not a commercial hit and is sometimes described as a forgotten or flop title.