Touchgrind Review
A while before Illusion Labs blew my mind with the controls of Sway they had done pretty much the same thing with Touchgrind. Sure the game came out a while ago and there has been a lot said about it, but I wanted to take a moment to give my two cents worth – plus, there’s probably a few of you out there who haven’t had a chance to give this great game a try.
When Touchgrind first came out it had everyone amazed. Here was a game that let you use your fingers like feet on a skateboard and pull off some fairly amazing tricks. It was something that no thought they could pull off, but somehow they did.
The game gives you a top down view of your board and by placing your fingers on it you’ll move the board. By switching up things with your fingers you can do ollies, flips and other moves just like you would on a real board. It’s pretty much like playing with a Tech Deck, but on your screen. Even looking at the videos for the game is pretty cool.
You move around in a park that is full of things for you to interact with. You’ll find plenty of ramps and pipes to jump and grind on.
Graphically the game also looks good. The park has a rich look and you can really see the wood and steel. There are several different decks to choose form and they are all very crisp and clear.
And the same thing goes for the sound. The sound effects seem to come straight from a skate park and really bounce out of the speakers.
Basically Touchgrind was (and still is) a dream come true for skaters who wanted to take their love with them anywhere. You don’t have to just take my word for it. Since the game came out in November there have been almost 5000 reviews on the App Store.
But for me the best review comes from my 13-year-old son. He’s grown up on games (my fault) and really loves to dive deep into them. He has played this game a lot and has loved every minute of it. He actually likes this better than being on an actual board.
But he did bring up some of the best criticisms for Touchgrind. The first concern being that the game has a steep learning curve. It’s not that the game is hard to play, it’s just that it takes a while to really get the hang of it. Some would say that this is much like real boarding, but it’s tough when it comes to a game. It’s not a harsh criticism because eventually you’ll get it, but I wanted to warn you before you get started.
The other thing that Brooks didn’t like much is the view of the game. Mostly all you see is your board. You get a little heads up as to what is coming but you don’t know what angle it’s coming in at. This means that you may see that you’re headed towards a ramp, but when you get to it you’ll notice that it’s not lined up for you to use and you have to go back and try again. This is pretty frustrating and I’d have to agree with Brooks on this one.
You can zoom out, but you can’t move while you’re doing it so it becomes a pain to have to keep going in and out just to see the angle you need to be at. It would be nice to have a little pop up give you that info.
Other things I thought that could use a little work are… customizable boards (Would be cool to put your face or other graphic on a board), More parks (pretty obvious), and the ability to “walk” around the park and “drop” your board where you’d like to start. I’d love to see these three things added to the game.
You’ve got to take your hat of to Illusion Labs. Two of the most innovative games on the App Store are theirs. I can’t wait to see what comes next!
The Good
Very Original Game
Controls Are Very Fun
Lots To UnlockThe Bad
Could Use More Parks
Would Like To See Where I’m Going Better
Learning Curve Is A Little Steep
TEASER VIDEO FOR NEXT UPDATE!
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Category: Games
iam really waiting fpr the 1.1.2 update!!
this game looks great!!! Even though im not the biggest fan of skateboarding i do like this game.. but one thing i wish it had is a better view of where you are moving!
I have this game and its pretty decent. Its a lot of fun for the first few weeks you have it.
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YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!
This game is my oldest App Sniper item I think. Been waiting for a price drop for a while
I’m not a skateboard fan or anything, but it’s the quality of graphics, and the unique gameplay that peaks my interest.
ive looked into getting this but never pulled the trigger. It looks great and its really original. I bet its great to show off to your friends too!
I think this review is spot-on.
You made some good points regarding some of the concerns.
Still a nice looking game though.
Graphics are cool. You cant see that clearly around you. Replay is AWESOME!! You see where your fingers are like the trailer. Its tons cool. Boards are neat. Gameplay is unique. It definitely creates a wow effect.
The touch controls are very original but i would get annoyed since its hard to see where your going
looks really fun. The graphics are great but ive heard it gets old after a little but its fun to come back too. Looks great.
wow. the graphics are awesome, the controlls are spot on, but many people complained about how long it lated, so idunno
Touchgrind is good, but I think it’s a bit overrated. It’s great at first, but once you unlock all the boards it gets old fast. It has great use of the touch controls, but the awesomeness kind of wears off fast. Still, it’s decent.
Touchgrind and illusionlabs really demonstrate the great games that result when developers take full advantage of the iphone/touch’s unique features. Just imagine what the app store would be like if more devs, especially the top ones who we expect it from, were as innovative.
very awesome skateboarding!
This looks awesome!! Intuitive controls, amazing graphics, and with the upcoming board editor…
AMAZING!!
I was wondering if you could crash in the game?
i love playing tech decks! Im not that good but its still really fun! This looks really high quality!
i love this game, it has great graphics, and such innovative gameplay. i used to love played with those mini skateboards when i was young and this could definitely be a great substitute. great game!!!!!
Looks like a fantastic game and I love the graphics. Another winner from Illusion Labs!
I’m remember when those mini finger skateboards were a big fad at school a long time ago.
I never put that much thought into buying this.
lol .. who has this game not ..
fantastic gaeplay + graphic ..
its really amazing what you can do .. and the physiks .. there are pros who get 10 million highscore .. me only 3 millon ..
you have to unlock 12 boards
but one thing suc** at this game …
they wrote from beginning .. limited introducery price ..
this isn’t true they never changed price ..