Skating Toys Redux

2 comments on “Skating Toys Redux”

1. I am very glad that this track was released as a separate version, rather than a simple update. Skating Toys and Skating Toys Redux are quite different, and one might prefer one or the other. Personally, I prefer the original.
   The change that strikes right away is the graphics overhaul. The skating park especially, which is of course central to the track, looks very different in the Redux. I think it’s good that the brightness of the concrete was reduced. I’m personally not a fan of the graffiti; the track looks cleaner without it. The art does fit the level, though, and I can imagine that the graffitied arrows might help new players (I’ve got the line of the original track completely memorised).
   Lots of details were added in various places, and they are lovely. The picnic in the park, for example, is delightful.
   Gameplay-wise the track was made a lot easier. I personally don’t think there’s anything wrong gameplay-wise with the original track, but most of the changes I don’t mind. One change that I do appreciate is the bumpiness in the park being reduced. It is still bumpy enough, and in the original version the park section can feel like a drag because of the bouncing.
   There are two changes that I really don’t like. I think both were made in response to common oil spots in multiplayer races. They are the ramp leading out of the skatepark and the ramp leading back into the skatepark after the house. The former is fun to do in the original once you know what to do, while in the redux feels awkward to me and seems at least as unintuitive to me as the original line. This might be something I just need to get used to. The ramp leading back into the skatepark is my favourite part in the original track. The ramp is so steep that you will be slowed down if you take it head on, but you can swerve to the left to take the gentler slope and avoid it. This is not a tactic that you’ll get right away (in my original video of the track I do not use it), but a challenging way to keep more speed is a very welcome addition to any track. I’ve read in another review that the other ramp discussed also has a fun tactic available, that I haven’t yet found myself, and that, like the one I mention, is useless in the Redux.

   Overall, Skating Toys Redux is very impressive, but the original Skating Toys remains my go-to version, because it has a higher skill ceiling and provides a more fun experience. The graphics might not be as impressive, but they are solid!

   Video: https://youtu.be/wCLH73qt1rE

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2. I Found The Secret :)

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