January certainly didn't have many games released, but those that did come out served up a healthy dose of fun. Whether we were crossing swords in Nidhogg, laughing through puzzles in Broken Age, or surviving the end of days in The Banner Saga, our gaming hours were happily spent playing the initial batch of 2014 releases.

　　OlliOlli for the PlayStation Vita triumphs over them all, however, and paves the way for what should be another excellent year. It's also GameSpot's choice for Game of the Month for January 2014 (read more about our Game of the Month awards here). Nothing demanded our attention quite like this portable skateboarding challenge.

　　You need a javascript enabled browser to watch videos.

　　Click To Unmute

　　GameSpot's Top 10 Games of 2023

　　Thompson: The Pop Culture Icon’s Strange Legacy - LoadoutFirearms Expert’s FAVORITE Weapons Of 2023State Of Gaming Handhelds In 2023How Lies of P Cracked the Souls GenreLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Ichiban Kasuga Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Saeko Mukoda Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Chitose Fujinomiya Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Eric Tomizawa Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Kazuma Kiryu Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Koichi Adachi Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Yu Nanba Character Spotlight Trailer

　　Share

　　LinkEmbed

　　Size:640 × 360480 × 270

　　Start at: End at: Autoplay Loop

　　Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?

　　Sign up or Sign in now!

　　Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos.

　　This video has an invalid file format.

　　00:00:00

　　HTML5

　　Auto HD High Low

　　Report a problem

　　Sorry, but you can't access this content!

Please enter your date of birth to view this video

　　By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's

　　Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

　　enter

　　Now Playing: See our Game of the Month winner for January 2014

　　There are two ways that you can land while skateboarding. If you're skilled, you land smoothly on your wheels and glide onward like a renegade angel. If you're like us, you land headfirst, bounce, and then slam your back into the concrete on the rebound as you slowly turn into moaning hamburger meat. It's after the 12th consecutive violent crash that you have to reevaluate your priorities. Are you going to take up something less dangerous, like bullfighting? Or take one last shot at immortality?

　　GameSpot Newsletters

　　Get the latest gaming news, reviews, and deals sent to your inbox, FREE!

　　Sign Up

　　Sign Up

　　By signing up to receive newsletters, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.

　　Thanks for signing up

　　If you're playing OlliOlli, the answer is always immortality. Upon first glance, OlliOlli looks remarkably simple. And after you sink hours into chasing high scores, that assessment won't change. The beauty of this portable wonder is in its simplicity. You don't have to tap many buttons or remember crazy moves. But to string together an awe-inspiring combo, you need exact timing and the humility to recognize that you're not perfect.

　　Zipping through courses at top speed, grinding every rail, spinning while airborne, and landing treacherous jumps require sharp reflexes and firm concentration. Considering how often your face meets cement, you need a short memory and a lot of determination. OlliOlli does a great job of alleviating the pain. So long as you don't crash, levels are over in a blink, and it takes only a second to restart after a failed attempt.

　　Varied objectives ensure you need to keep employing different strategies. Think you can fly through a course without pushing off? Can you land every trick perfectly? Easier said than done. Throw in a host of different stage layouts, and you're always presented with a new challenge to overcome. OlliOlli nabs our first Game of the Month award because it's fast, exciting, and all too happy to kick our butts.

　　Read our OlliOlli review here.

　　Read more about our Game of the Month awards.