Skateboard Race Games
- Because there is an emphasis on performing tricks, games focused solely on racing skateboards are rare.skateboard image by bacalao from Fotolia.com
The skateboard racing genre of video games is composed of only a handful of titles across different platforms. These games are a rare breed due to the emphasis of performing tricks on a skateboard rather than simply racing them. The environments of a skateboard racing game are usually restricted due to skateboards only performing on pavement or other hard surfaces rather than off-road or the like. - Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam (available for the Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance, and PlayStation 2) marks the first time a Tony Hawk title has placed an emphasis on racing skateboards. While some game modes require the player to complete goals and gain high scores as in earlier Tony Hawk games, the main focus is the racing. To make things interesting, tricks serve as tools to reach secret routes while in a race. The Nintendo Wii version also offers multiplayer modes that allow you to race with your friends.
- The Xtreme series of games (ESPN Extreme Games, 2 Xtreme and 3Xtreme) for the original PlayStation allows players to not only race against one another via skateboard, but also via rollerblades, bicycles, snowboards and street luges across a variety of different tracks. Tricks performed during a race increase the player's points. In addition, players can knock their opponents over to slow them down.
- One of the first skateboarding games ever, Skate or Die! (available for the Apple IIgs, Sinclair ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Nintendo Entertainment System, MS-DOS, Atari ST, Amstrad CPC, and Nintendo's Virtual Console in Europe and Australia) is a classic title that focuses on skateboarding culture in the 1980s. While the game does not focus solely on racing, one of the primary modes pits you against other player in a downhill race to see who can cross the finish line the fastest.
