The War Games Magazine

Scott Robson asked:




If you are a skateboarder, then you may be interested in playing skateboarding video games when the weather is too bad for you to skateboard outside, or it’s already dark out. These video games allow you to simulate your favorite skateboarding moves. Many of these popular titles include the likeness of famous pro skateboarders. In the game, you can perform the various moves and tricks made famous by your favorite skateboarders.

One of the earliest skateboarding video games was a 1987 title called “Skate or Die,” for early Atari and Nintendo systems. It allowed up to eight people to play at once, which is several more than even most modern skateboarding games. However, it was a short game, featuring only five events, and the downside was that most skateboarders could master it very easily. Modern skateboarding games have rectified this by included many more levels for players to master, including some that are ‘unlocked’ by special moves.

One of the most well-known of all pro skateboarders, Tony Hawk, has lent his image to many different skateboarding video games, fifteen different titles in all produced since the late 1990s. They are produced for nearly every popular gaming console or system, including GameCube, GameBoy, Playstation, and Xbox. Popular titles include Pro Skater and Underground. Some of these are story-based, while others are based solely on the tricks you learn to perform. Most feature other popular skateboarders besides Tony Hawk, while some of the players whose personas you can take on as a player in the game are fictional.

Introduced in 2002 for the GameCube and Playstation 2, Evolution Skateboarding is one of the top selling skateboard video games yet. Including lots of professional skateboarders, such as Danny Way and Rick McCrank, this game is known for offering plenty of tricks to master. You must master certain ones before the game will allow you to move on and explore other moves.

Disney has also entered the popular world of skateboarding video games with their game called Disney’s Extreme Skate Adventure. Designed for younger players, and even those who may be too young to actually skateboard, it features favorite Disney characters from Toy Story, Tarzan, or Lion King. Their second title, 2003′s Disney Sports Skateboarding, included classic characters such as Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy. Targeted towards a younger audience, it is geared towards those who may have never been on a real skateboard before, unlike most other skateboarding video game titles.

The best skateboarding games historically have been those with a soundtrack that resonates with skateboarding enthusiasts, as well as well-done graphics that can bring the skateboarding tricks to life. Like skateboarding itself, skateboarding games offer many different levels, from beginner to advanced, making it easy for anyone to enter this world. Some manufacturers are currently working on new technology that will allow players to stand on a skateboard-like board in their living room to control the player’s movements in the game. Movements will be captured by the foot motion and leaning.