Whirl Tour - GameCube

Picture this: You're a roadie for the hottest band on the planet. The venue is packed and they're just taking to the stage. All of a sudden, a mad scientist appears (what is it with games developers and mad scientists?) and sucks each band member away. Very strange. Not only that, you - cast into the shoes of said roadie, Wasa B - must rescue the band utilising the assistance of your trusty scooter. Scooter? What about calling the police or something?

Anyway, despite the bizarre concept behind it, what follows is pretty much a mission-based extreme sports game, which borrows quite heavily from Tony Hawk and its myriad clones. You take the controls of one of a number of different powered scooters (be it electric, gas, rocket) and traverse each of the levels collecting things like CDs, which give you the ability to add music tracks to the game's built in jukebox, and pulling off a host of tricks and stunts.

As well as collecting stuff and showing off on your scooter, Whirl Tour also throws up a number of puzzles that require solving and crazy boss-type characters that must be defeated, more often than not via the performing of a variety of challenging tricks. If you prove successful and fulfil the required criteria throughout the game's eight levels, you'll be rewarded with hidden bonus areas, bonus game levels, secret mini-games and new scooters. Oh, and you may also find your band mates too who, incidentally, become playable characters upon their discovery.

Whirl Tour delivers a rather novel concept, behind which lays a tried and tested formula. If you're a fan of these types of extreme sports games then this game is unlikely to disappoint and will do so in an interesting and fun manner. more