Activision turned the Tony Hawk engine into a playground for every sport imaginable. From BMX to surfing, these spin-offs deserve another look.
Browsing: Radical Retrospective
EA’s first game, Skate or Die!, morphed from a multi-event comp into a weird side-scroller. Konami then took over, proving the viability of home skating games.
The Skate Story demo is a “breathtaking” experience. It’s an artistic new skate game lauded for its buttery-smooth controls and atmospheric soundtrack.
Disney’s Extremely Goofy Skateboarding was packaged in boxes of breakfast cereal in 2001, but was it any good? No, no it was not.
Grind Session, a PlayStation skateboarding game, was a worthy competitor to Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, with unique features and a great soundtrack.
Skate Park City is a 2007 hidden gem for PS2/PSP. A unique blend of Tony Hawk & Jet Set Radio with combat and a surprisingly fun story.
Rockstar’s “Thrasher: Skate & Destroy” came out within weeks of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, but its sim-like difficulty lost out to Pro Skater’s arcade-y gameplay.
On its 25th anniversary, a look back at MTV Sports: Skateboarding featuring an exclusive interview with legend Andy Macdonald on its rivalry with THPS.
In 2003, Go! Go! Hypergrind merged Japanese game design with Ren & Stimpy’s gross-out humor. Its bizarre style made up for its lackluster, simple gameplay.
Tony Hawk’s mobile gaming history is a bumpy ride, from impressive early ports and pixelated gems to failed endless runners and licensed flops.