Kung Fu Rider First Impressions

It's all downhill for Kung Fu Rider, and we mean that in a positive way. This unique action game for the upcoming PlayStation Move puts you in control of Toby, a private detective on the run from some mobsters, with his vehicle of choice being an ordinary office chair that he rides down several long and winding downhill routes.

You'll have to dodge various obstacles and enemies on every run. The courses--which are based on congested Asian cities such as Hong Kong--are filled with cars, pedestrians, street signs, mobsters, and more that must be avoided in order to make it to Toby's mobile office station (otherwise known as his van) within a set amount of time. You control all of this velocity-fuelled action via the PlayStation Move controller, with steering through the courses done by simple moving the Move left or right. Getting a temporary speed boost is achieved by quickly stabbing the Move forward, while jumping is done by flicking the controller up. Holding down the Move's trigger will make Toby lean back (thus able to slide under some obstacles), and pressing the Move button while in the air near a rail will cause the private detective to grind it Tony Hawk-style.

The kung fu in the game's title comes from some offensive moves Toby has in his arsenal to take down mobsters trying to knock him off his chair. Pressing the Move button while on the ground causes Toby to do a spin kick, and pressing the square or triangle button while flicking the Move controller right or left will do a directional kick. Being able to hit your attackers is vital because they will not hesitate to strike you off your ride (resulting in a slow-motion sequence as you crash to the ground).

We were shown two early levels in the game, and both presented a good sense of speed as Toby hurtled down precariously on his small office chair. Our demo tester had no real problem reaching his destination, although with 26 levels planned for the full game, we're anticipating a greater degree of challenge later in Kung Fu Rider. We also glimpsed some other neat rides in the game--there will be more than just office chairs to hold onto, with the game having 12 "vehicles" in total, including baby prams, shopping trolleys, and more, with each type having its own unique handling qualities.

Kung Fu Rider looks to be simple yet engaging fun, and while we didn't get a chance to get our hands on the game, the motion controls seemed well suited for the Move. The game is set to ship in fall 2010. Check out more of GameSpot's E3 2010 coverage here.