The Ramp On The Switch Is A Hit

Every day’s a leg day – especially when they’re attached to four wheels and can get more air than… I was going to come up with something witty but lost the moment. In short, here’s my The Ramp Switch review.

But wait: I religiously read every one of your reviews, and I’m sure you’ve already reviewed this game by Hyperparadise. Why yes, dear reader. You are correct, and thank you for interjecting. ’tis true – I did review The Ramp on PC, but here I am reviewing it on the Switch. Is there much point? Of course, there is – it’s better on the Switch.

So that must be the super-duper visuals, then? No. Stop being facetious. The point of this game was a pickup and play toy simulator that offers a great deal of escapism without any concerns of score multipliers, unlocking 101 different anonymous characters, or having to grind (skateboarding joke) through hours of gameplay to unlock… a hat. 

The advent of the Switch version means you can take this on the go, and in all honesty, that’s the best way forward. Looking back at my time with the Steam version, I didn’t spend vast amounts of time on it but would frequently dip in and out whenever I had five minutes. To put this in perspective (as I know some people get bent out of shape about a reviewer’s opinion), I was going to buy this separately for the Switch, but a review code was offered. In other words, the inevitable recommendation you’ll see at the foot of this write-up is legit – The Ramp is great fun.

Like before, the key mechanic to the game is timing. That’s not landing – though that would reduce the inevitable hospital bills – but when you need to hold and release the A button to get the momentum. Without it, you aren’t going anywhere. Still, getting air is very easy – it just depends on the tricks you’re going to attempt mid-air.

Performing tricks in The Ramp is easy peasy. Spinning left and right is simple enough, as is the actual moves, which are performed using the right stick. You need to hold the stick in one direction and remember to let go before you hit the deck. If you do hit the deck, you’ll hear an almighty crunch then respawn to the top of the ramp/pool. There’s no definitive score, though you can see the number of rotations you’ve completed or meters you’ve grinded/ground(?) on the fly. And that’s another enjoyable aspect of the game: there’s no pressure to ‘achieve’.

The flow of this game is just right. Without having that necessity to perform, it’s almost like heading down to your local skate park, not having to wait your turn, and thus experiment to your heart’s content. And, dare I say, it’s such a chill experience that despite the regular bails involved irrespective of your skill levels, it never feels stressful.

There’s the standard ramp on offer, a ridiculous vert that gives just enough freedom to perform a 900º – even a 1200º? – just don’t expect to land it or add a nosedive to it. My personal favourites are the drained swimming pool and dedicated skate park to connect the grinds with a few slight rotations along the way. I’m no skater, hence my clumsy use of language. But if the ‘game’ is too easy for you, switch on the hardcore mode and get reintroduced to ragdolling. I’m not one to carry my Switch out and about, but when I do, The Ramp will be the first game on the list to play. Go get it.