OlliOlli

Lore & Background

OlliOlli was originally intended for iOS devices, but after a conversation with James Marsden, creator of Velocity, Roll7 founder John Ribbins pitched the game to Shahid Ahmad of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. This led to the decision to drop iOS and develop exclusively for PlayStation Vita, allowing the use of physical controls over touch-screen controls. The physical controls enabled additional mechanics such as the perfect landing system and the unlockable 'RAD' mode. The game was delayed from its planned December 2013 release into 2014 due to an issue with the 'Daily Grind' system.

The game features two-dimensional levels with a basic control scheme using only the 'X' button, shoulder buttons, and left analog stick. Players combine tricks with attempts to land perfectly; failing to do so awards only a fraction of the points. Each level has five achievements to perform, and completing them unlocks a harder level. There are no checkpoints, so falling at any point forces the player to reattempt the level.

A sequel, OlliOlli2: Welcome to Olliwood, was announced on 25 September 2014 and released on 3 March 2015 in North America and 4 March 2015 in Europe. Another sequel, OlliOlli World, was released on 8 February 2022 for multiple platforms. A collection titled OlliOlli: Switch Stance was released for Nintendo Switch on 14 February 2019.

Reader's Guide

OlliOlli received generally favorable reviews according to Metacritic. Destructoid's Ian Bonds gave it a 9.5/10, praising the balance between simple controls and challenging difficulty. Eurogamer's Simon Parkin rated it 9/10, calling it an elegant and understated Twitch classic. The Escapist's James Stephanie Sterling was more critical, giving it a 3/5 and noting frustration with the game's difficulty. OlliOlli won GameSpot's inaugural Game of the Month award in January 2014 and was nominated for GameSpot's 2015 PlayStation Vita Game of the Year. At the 2014 NAVGTR awards, it won Game, Original Sports and was nominated for Control Design, 2D or Limited 3D. The game's significance lies in its minimalist design and precise mechanics, which influenced its sequels and led to a retail compilation, OlliOlli: Epic Combo Edition, released for PlayStation 4 on 9 April 2016 through a partnership with Badland Games.

Did You Know?

• OlliOlli was originally intended for iOS devices before being developed exclusively for PlayStation Vita.
• The game's 'Daily Grind' system caused a delay from December 2013 to January 2014.