Feeling the hot sand on your bare feet, with your waxed surf board under the crook of your arm, you prepare to rush toward the seemingly breathing ocean to ride the crashing waves that rise and fall dramatically, almost dangerously.  And rushing into the water, you prepare as the frothing giant sweeps you up. 

Sounds like fun?  It probably is in real life, but judging by “Sunny Garcia Surfing” you wouldn’t really know.  The majority of your time would most likely be spent on figuring out the controls which the instruction manual goes into in much detail but the instructions you get sound easier said than done.  So game players, be prepared to spend an infuriatingly considerable amount of time experimenting with the controls and learning the tricks.  This, of course, is upsetting considering this is a sports title and a genre that doesn’t get much attention to begin with. 

There are several tricks, especially air tricks, but executing them takes pressing a combination of buttons while attempting to keep the waves from crashing down over a surfer’s head.  The more elaborate the air tricks, the more elaborate the button combinations, but these are the tricks that win big points.  The great thing about the Tony Hawk Skater series and the SSX series is that they keep the controls simple to make tricks more accessible and fun.

There are seven game modes in total (you start with six and unlock the last one) and this is the game’s saving grace.  You can choose from Freesurf (which also includes a Surf School function that is quite confusing and doesn’t help at all) and Championship (competing against other surfers).  The Arcade mode has you navigating your way past objects such as swimmers and gaining a certain amount of point to proceed to the next beach, Time Attack (a race against the clock) and Challenge (unlocked when completing either Arcade or Championship).  There’s also the Multiplayer function where you can play against a friend or eight of them using two multitaps for the Playstation 2.

I suggest players begin with Freesurf to experiment with the controls before trying the other modes.  Thankfully there are difficulty settings in each mode as well, although even the Beginner’s mode would seem troublesome and difficult, especially in Time Attack and Championship. 

Another wonderful feature is the options to choose any board you want (and the possibility to open bonus boards) which affects your ability to maneuver the waves.  You can also choose the weather and the size of the waves in certain game modes, which add nice effects during gameplay.  And, of course, there are the bonuses a player can unlock, such as new surfers.

There are eight surfers you can choose (all of them actual surf competition champions such as Sunny Garcia or Rochelle Ballard) and all of them are lifelike playing models that look like their actual counterparts. Video Motion Capturing technology was used to feature each surfer‘s signature moves.  Which brings things to graphics.  This game does look good in some parts and the wave effects look realistically natural since it used a Wave Technology System, however, there is very little else to look at.  Occasionally you do get to catch a glimpse of the beaches, but the majority of the game is concentrated on the waves and the rest of the sea.

The soundtrack is comprised of little known bands, with Sprung Monkey being the only recognizable band in the collection, but the music is catchy and fits perfectly with the gameplay.  There isn’t a moment where the music becomes unbearable; in fact, some of it is really good.  The soundtrack does overshadow the sound effects, though, and the waves sound realistic as they come crashing down.  The only other sound a player hears is the cries of the surfer as the waves come down on them. 

Those wanting to compete against a friend or a group of them are able to do so thanks to the multitap.  A collection of eight players can hook up two multitaps and compete in cycles, however, the confusion comes when the next competition opens and nobody knows who is up next.  Play between two gamers keeps things simple and it is much easier keeping track of a friend’s score.  In this mode, players can choose from Arcade (same as the single player option), Rumble (a contest where players attempt to wipe out the other player), and King Of The Waves (split screen action).  Of the three, Rumble is one of the most enjoyable--it’s fun knocking a friend off his board with bombs or outshining him with power-up cheats.

Sunny Garcia Surfing is not a bad game.  In fact, it could have been a great game if it weren’t for the controls.  Certain gamers that expect a Tony Hawk kind of game will, no doubt about it, find this aspect of the game so bothersome that they would loose interest in the title quickly.  That’s too bad, really, because there are many things to like about this title.  Perhaps one day designers will learn from this title and improve on it but at the moment this game should make its way in your Must Rent List before you consider spending money on it.

Gameplay: 7.9
Players will find themselves laboring over the complicated controls and attempting to perform the more elaborate tricks which can become downright frustrating.  With the right amount of practice, players could get use to it, but be prepared to spend more time trying to pull of aerial tricks without eating it.

Graphics: 8.5
Fans of this sport will find the models of the surfers amazingly like the actual surfing champions such as Sunny himself.  The wave effects look natural enough but be prepared to see only that--waves of water and little else.

Sound: 8.7
Aside from the small collection of little known bands there are some lively tunes featured here.  Included in the mix is the catchy “Beautiful” from Sprung Monkey and two other songs that make an excellent soundtrack during gameplay. The wave effects are also realistic but much emphasis was put on the soundtrack that the rest is hardly noticeable.

Difficulty: 8.0
This game will definitely keep a player busy for a long while and most of the time will be spent figuring out the controls or learning to execute tricks.  All seven modes have difficulty settings but even the beginner’s mode proves to be a tough challenge.

Concept: 8.9
Ubi Soft makes a worthy attempt of bringing this particular sport to the PS2 and the Video Motion Capturing technology gives the game its highly realistic feel.  Adding different game playing modes and even new surfers and surfboards are a nice element welcome in this kind of game.

Multiplayer: 7.8
Up to eight players (using two multitaps) can compete against one another but I highly recommend keeping it at two at a time mostly because the split screen between two players make it easier to keep track of your friend’s points. Players can select Arcade, Rumble or King Of The Waves modes but Rumble--by far--is the most fun.

Overall: 7.9
Sunny Garcia Surfing is not an achievement in sports games or surfing games in general, but it’s a step in the right direction.  Try renting this title first before deciding on purchasing it.