As someone who grew up on the Tony Hawk and Skate franchises, I was immediately intrigued when the folks behind Streetdog BMX told me that those two franchises were the main sources of inspiration behind their 3D BMX game. After playing it myself, I saw exactly how the game may be able to appeal to fans of both arcade and simulation sports games.

During my brief time with Streetdog BMX, I learned the base controls and pulled off as many tricks as possible as the developers explained their goals with the game. Its colorful art style and sound design contribute to the arcade feel, but you’ll need a legitimate handle on the controls to pull off impressive tricks. There’s a level of authenticity that comes from both developers’ more than 10 years of history as real-life BMX riders.

As your bike goes airborne, you can flick the right analog stick in eight directions to execute tricks. You can grind on rails and halfpipe edges, and chain them all together to hit exciting combos. I spent most of my time trying to pick up as much speed as possible so that I could pull off 360s and barspins.

I also got a glimpse at the game’s customization options. You can deck your rider out in different clothes, give them tattoos (including face tats!), and customize your bike. One developer told me that he made his bike look identical to the one he rides in real life.

The folks at Yeah, Us! Games have a clear hold on what feels satisfying in a BMX game. With a rock-solid foundation for movement and tricks, I’m excited to get my hands on Streetdog BMX for its full release when the time comes.