Rumours of Tony Hawk's Adrenaline and Wii Balance Board compatibility have been doing the rounds for months. Back in June there was talk that the game would make use of "a new motion sensing board controller" but even then there was no real confirmation that it would be the Wiiboard.

Now the rumour mill has started again with recent comments from an Activision rep that "You're not going to be playing this game with a controller in your hands." Now this could mean any number of things and considering this will be a multi platform release I don't think Activision would make these kind of comments referring only to a Wii version.

So does this mean that they're actually developing Wiiboard-like peripherals for PS3/360 and will they even bother with a balance board compatible release for the Wii. I personally agree with the view on spong that Activision will offer both a Wii balance board compatible version and new peripheral based PS3/360 versions. Let's face it, Activision have got a lot of catching up to do to with this franchise in light of EA's Skate and Skate It titles. It's not such a far-fetched idea that they would also develop a Wii specific version. After all, Ubisoft did it with Shaun White Snowboarding and Shaun White Snowboarding: Road Trip for the Wii so we can only hope Wii users are not left out in the cold when Tony Hawk is finally released.

The Wii Balance Board lends itself perfectly to skateboarding so it's no surprise to see another skate title. But rather than try to take on EA Skate It, Zoo Games has chosen to go the futuristic action game route with this title. Here's the latest info and some screenshots for the game which is scheduled for release in the US October 28th.

Your best skating buddy has been kidnapped by Virus, your arch-nemesis, and only you can save him! Become a skateboard master as you zip between hover cars, grind on rails, and pull sick trick combos throughout a futuristic metropolis. Hidden bonuses and items will help you impress the evil captor in order to free your friend. Your grappling laser and trusty skateboard are all you need to smack down your nemesis and restore peace to the city!

• Wii Balance Board compatible
• Ride in futuristic environments around the city grinding high on top of skyscrapers, flipping through ultra modern factories, racing between aerial trains and hover cars is just the beginning
• Choose from 6 playable characters -each with their own skills and skating strengths
• Use different combinations and attack moves to get rid of aggressive opponents
• Unique missions and side-games keep the player progressing through the story. Up to 4 players can battle it out in a variety of multiplayer modes.

I just read an interesting post by ars technica's Ben Kuchera. He was fortunate enough to get some balance board game time with Skate It at this year’s PAX (Penny Arcade Expo). The bottom line from his point of view – "I'd rather be playing with a standard controller".

Up until now we've seen a lot of positive feedback for Skate It's balance board controls, but as more people get hands-on with this game the more we'll start to see opposing opinions. While I don't see Ben's comments as a major blow for this game, he does make some interesting comments firstly with regards to the steep learning curve. According to the EA rep, "it takes about fifteen minutes to learn to do it okay, and a few hours to really nail the tricks".

This is understandable considering the innovative way in which the balance board is zoned for different tricks but for gamers hoping to just jump on and skate and do tricks without too much effort, this is obviously going to be a negative factor. For balance board fans however, I think it's a small price to pay for the kind of realism that this game promises.

Another interesting comment was this – "The game did feel like an oddly effective workout, however, as the muscles on my lower legs started to burn during my fifteen minute demo". Now there's a real bonus or for some, or a real turn-off for others depending on what you want out of the game.

One comment he made that I don't entirely agree with was "Skate It seems to use the Wiimote and balance board because it can" which seems to imply that balance board support was kind of an afterthought. I really do feel that EA developed this game specifically for the balance board and that they have really gone out of their way to be innovative in its use. Of course time will tell, but despite some negative impressions I think EA Skate It is still set to be one of the top balance board games of 2008.

You can read Ben's full post here.

Here's a great interview and some live gameplay of EA Skate It using the balance board. The clip really does give a feel for how intuitive the game is when using the balance board and also shows how you'll use the Wiimote together with the Wiiboard to perform different tricks using the various zones on the board.

PS - the sound is a bit dodgy to begin with but does come right and you will need the movenetworks media player.

The buzz surrounding EA Skate It is really building and the latest pro skateboarder to endorse the game is three times X Games gold medalist Danny Way. Danny has been closely involved with the project from the beginning and is clearly impressed with the mechanics of the balance board and the way in which it translates real-world skateboarding to the game saying that it's "as close as it's going to get to creating the reality of skateboarding in a video game".

You can view the Skate It interview with Danny at GameTrailers.com.

EA Games has released some more screenshots for Skate It with artwork showing how the Wii Balance Board will be used to perform tricks. Up until now, we've only seen demos of using the Wii Remote for tricks and there's been some doubt over whether the Wii Board will be used for more than just steering and manuals.

Well according to these screenshots on IGN it's good news. In addition to manuals, ollies and nollies, the balance board has been divided up into 6 zones which allow you to perform kickflips, heelflips and nollie kickflips/heelflips. I have to say I'm well impressed and kudos to EA for really thinking this through and fully using the balance board in an intuitive way. Bandai may have been the first third-party to use the balance board with We Ski, but this definitely sets the standard. Now I can't wait to see some in-game demos of the balance board but I guess we may have to wait until E3.

Here's an interesting idea for skateboarders looking forward to EA Skate It. According to a post on kotaku, EA developers are considering the possibility of shipping Skate It with some kind of add-on form that will snap onto the balance board and give it more of a skateboard look and feel.

Some of you may think it's taking things a bit far but I can see where they're coming from. After some vigorous play, I often find that my feet have moved off the board's sweet spot, making the controls a little erratic. The idea is that having something which more closely resembles an actual skateboard will help users to realise when they're no longer centered on the board without having to look down at their feet.

Bear in mind that the developers are only 'considering the possibility' so it's far from being a done deal, but now that the idea is out there I'm sure that Wii accessories manufacturers are already seeing dollar signs. I'd actually like to see this taken one step further. Instead of a form that's shaped like a skateboard, rather make an attachment that let's you use your own skateboard deck or even a snowboard. Now that would be pretty cool - most probably totally impractical, but cool.

Wow, it's been a busy 24 hours with sightings on videogaming247 of three new Balance Board game rumours.

First up, it's news of a concept for Wii Yoga, supposedly spotted on research website, Intellisponse. The leaked blurb has this to say:

"In the game 'Wii Yoga', boost your energy, flexibility and improve your well being the fun way through an adaptable weekly schedule of interactive exercises that will leave you feeling refreshed. Follow along with an inspirational yoga guru instructor matching their on-screen poses, stretches and triangular positions with the motion sensing Wii controller and Balance Board. Track your progress, compare your fitness results with friends and family, and feel good about yourself as you enhance your physical health."

Next up, and from the same source, is news of 14 potential Spidey games with at least one of them, Spider-Man: Agile Warrior said to include Wii Balance Board support. Here's what the blurb had to say about this one:

"It might be Spider-Man's heart that keeps him going. Or maybe his strength. Step into Spider-Man's shoes and decide for yourself - one jump, leap, stomp and kick at a time. Climb atop your Wii Fit board to control Spider-Man's acrobatic abilities like nothing before. Lean one way or the other to send Spider-Man soaring in the air. Jump as high as you can to propel Spider-Man off Manhattan's tallest rooftops. Hop quickly to help Spidey climb walls and get a vertical advantage over his enemies. Stomp your feet to kick and cartwheel foes in the cirty's darkest alleys. It's been said that the fate of New York lies in Spider-Man's hands. Control his feet and see the truth for yourself: heroes don't enter the battle, they jump into it."

Lastly it's news that Tony Hawk may finally be joining the balance board party with news that Tony Hawk’s Adrenaline will make use of "a new motion sensing board controller". That doesn't necessarily mean that the controller is the Wii Balance Board since according to the original post on joystiq, there was no mention of a Wii version, just Xbox, PS3 and PC versions so the plot thickens. Could this be the start of a competing peripheral? We can only hope that a Wii version is also in the works and that it will be Wii Board compatible.

Of course all of this is highly speculative and based on information that I assume wasn't supposed to be publicly available so I wouldn't get too excited just yet. Also bear in mind that these are still 'concepts' which means they may never actually see the light of day so I won't be adding any of these to the Wii Balance Board Games List just yet.

More skateboarding news and this time it's rumoured by EGM that Sega's arcade titles Ollie King and Top Skater will be coming to the Wii and will include Balance Board support.

There's no official word from Sega on this and even rumours that Sega is currently in some legal wrangling over the original Ollie King so don't hold your breath on this one.

It's got to be every skater's dream. Imagine having a whole city to yourself - no cars, no people and no sweaty security guards telling you to get the hell outta here.

Well that dream's now a reality, at least in EA Skate It, after the city of San Vanelona is hit by a series of freak disasters (alien attack, Godzilla, tidal wave, tornada - got to love the artist's renderings) forcing 99% of the population to be evacuated, leaving behind a skaters paradise.

I particularly like the use of Ghost Town by The Specials who, along with The London Beat, were two of my favourite ska bands - remember Mirror in the Bathroom?