Sony CEA, Inc.

• 1 Player
• Memory Card 1 Block
• Vibration Function Compatible

Description
Grind Session translates the spirit and thrill of hard-core boarding into arcade-style action. Gamers compete in street and tournament competitions, flow on the halfpipe, and freestyle it for the covers of the big skating magazines. The game features eight unique 3-D arenas, such as Van's Triple Crown skate park, and includes hundreds of tricks, customizable gear, and instant replay modes with different camera angles. Play your friends in such multiplayer modes as versus, team play, competition, tech challenge, S-K-A-T-E, and endurance. Grind Session also boasts 10 different skaters with the moves of board stars Daewon Song, Willie Santos, Pigpen, John Cardiel, and Cara Beth Burside, among others. If you want to go your own way, create a skater from scratch. The game's soundtrack is blessed by such hard-core artists as Man or Astroman, Sonic Youth, Suicidal Tendencies, GZA, and DJ Shadow.

Features:
• 8 unique, freestyle 3-D areas, including Van's Triple Crown skate park.
• 4 different one-player modes include tournament, freestyle, practice, and training.
• Multiplayer modes include vs., teamplay, competition, tech challenge, S-K-A-T-E, and endurance.
• Hundreds of tricks you can pull off.
• 10 different skaters based on Daewon Song, Willie Santos, Pigpen, Jon Cardiel, and Carabeth Burside.

Amazon.com
Editorial Review
Hot on the wheels of the wildly successful Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, Sony brings the world Grind Session, a great-looking and -playing skateboard game that features six pro boarders. Can it be that Sony is aiming to give Mr. Hawk a run for his money? That may be a tough trick to pull off--but that doesn't mean that Grind Session isn't worth its salt.

The first thing players will notice about this game is that it contains an extreme number of tricks made simple by an easy-to-learn control scheme. A training session moves players comfortably through the basics and into tournament mode, which offers eight skate parks from around North America and even one in London. A ninth level, known as the dream house, becomes available only after players master all previous levels.

Grind Session throws all sorts of objectives at players. Not only must they rack up trick points and disturb trashcans, pigeons, and other items, but they must also attempt to follow technical lines that will have skaters leaping across buildings, among other feats. For every completed objective, players earn respect points, which can open up photo shoots as well as that bonus ninth level.

As expected, Grind Session is set to rock tunes with a little hip-hop tossed in for good measure. The result may resemble Pro Skater a little too closely, but that doesn't make Grind Session any less fun. --Robb Guido

Pros:
• Eight detailed skate parks
• Long list of tricks that are easy to pull off

Cons:
• Levels aren't as sprawling as in Tony Hawk's.