Review: Touchgrind HD
by Staff Writer
April 8, 2010
Overview
Touchgrind HD lets you skateboard with your fingers as though you’re using a Tech Deck.Features
The game features upscaled graphics from the iPhone version, and a wider look at the skate park. The same competition mode is included, and there’s a jam session to freestyle. There are 15 unlockable boards, and the iPad version features dual player mode where the screen splits in half with one player on each side.
The Good
The iPad version of Touchgrind really benefits from the added screen size giving you the same sized skateboard, but allowing you to see much more of the skate park. When skating on the iPhone you just roll around following the markers, while on the iPad version you can actually see the items the markers indicate. The controls are well designed to put amazing tricks right at your finger tips with only a few different swipes of your fingers. Like the iphone version this is as close as can be to the real thing, and it’s also much easier then using one of those little skateboards.
The game looks great with everything having sharp details. The skateboard tricks are so amazing to see once you pull them off, it’s extra rewarding. You can listen to your own iPod music, but there is no included in game music leaving you just the sounds of the skateboard.
The dual player mode is one of the highlights, and really well implemented. It’s always nice to have a game that you can play with a friend without out players having to own an iPad. It’s added competition seeing the tricks being thrown down right across the screen.
The Bad
The game modes don’t change from the iPhone version giving you the same exact skate park, and only one competition mode. True you get to see more at once, but it’s the same exact environment you’re seeing more of. It would be great to add any kind of other type of competition. Though you do have more room it still seems like you can’t quite see enough of the park to line up tricks from items to item. You can’t go from grind pole to half pipe without using the same iPhone technique of following markers. You can see an expanded view, but you can’t interact with the skateboard from that view.
The online high score database is still intertwined with the iPhone leaderboards, so your scores will be ranked in the hundreds of thousands, rather than just competing with iPad owners. It takes awhile to get used to the game, but once you do it's definitely enjoyable and smooth.
