But it's only in the blander levels - like an Edinburgh castle that's even grumpier than the real thing - that we had time to notice our worries. In comparison, a breakneck downtown San Francisco dash sees you making split-second choices between dodging or roof-checking oncoming traffic, while if you time your ollies on to passing cable cars you can even bounce up to grind the overhead rails and balconies.
Bowling through Hong Kong's harbour markets and trying not to tip into the Pacific made for a memorable crash course, too - it seems to be a case of the busier, the better where Downhill Jam's levels are concerned. Those levels were also where we seemed to have the most hilariously painful run-ins with other skaters, which left us wishing we could have sampled the multiplayer, too.
Above: The San Francisco downtown course is a perfect mix of big speed and big air
Because, while there's plenty of unlocking to be done in the single-player, it's multiplayer where Downhill Jam will catch its biggest air or make its worst bail. Without Mario karting the Wii into homes this Christmas, a skate mash-up could be the next best thing - and in a Chrimbo get-together only Scrooge would complain the trick system wasn't deep enough.
