Neversoft

Remember RedOctane? I sure do. It went from making game controllers (and renting games!) to releasing an $80 peripheral with a game called Guitar Hero. I thought it was nuts for doing this. But almost six years later it looks like one of the greatest videogame risks and success stories (after the Nintendo Wii).

Back in 1999, when I first got my hands on the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater demo for my PlayStation, I knew that I was in trouble. I played it for hours, trying to improve my scores and seeing what crazy combinations of tricks that I could muster. I'd never ridden a skateboard—and I still haven't—but games like Skate or Die on the Commodore 64, Top Skater in the arcade, and even Street Sk8er for the PlayStation put me in a position where I could actually be that cool guy on the board without breaking every bone in my body.

For proof that Cinderella stories can happen even in the world of videogames, one need look no further than the Guitar Hero franchise. When the series started a few years back, it was an almost off the radar game that only the most hardcore rhythm game fanatics were following. Now, it's a pop culture phenomenon.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Lyrics, Mild Suggestive Themes

Game Description: Tony Hawk's American Wasteland gives you the total freedom you need, to make LA your personal skate and bike park. For the first time, you'll skate or bike in a rich, expansive open environment. The sky's the limit as you progress through the Wasteland. No level, no load times—just never-ending action. You'll never skate the same line twice!

American Wasteland is something of a return to its roots for the series. After the two Underground games and their Jackass-inspired shenanigans, American Wasteland gets back to the heart of the series—skating. Story mode finds players taking on the role of a country bumpkin who hops off the bus in Los Angeles with little more than his board and some big dreams.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Blood, Crude Humor, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence

According to ESRB, this game contains: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol

Famous for its wildly successful Tony Hawk series, they've struck out in a different direction and created a new entry in the sparsely populated Western genre. I'm sure that stuffy suits in a boardroom somewhere are nervous about Neversoft leaving the dry, over-milked teats of the Hawk cash-cow behind, but in my opinion, Gun is an extremely solid game and an enjoyable experience from start to finish, skateboards be damned.