Skate or Die

Skate or Die is a sports skateboard game with a grain of salt. The title is the first independent production of Electronic Arts, which at that time had such titles as Archon: The Light and the Dark or The Bard's Tale. Skate or Die debuted on Commodore 64 in 1987 and then was released on a number of other hardware platforms, including MS-DOS PCs.

Mechanics

The game's concept was inspired by popular sports games made by Epyx and Atari's 720° available on arcades. In Skate or Die , players can take part in five skateboard competitions, available individually or in a specific order in the championship mode. The first two - Freestyle Ramp and High Jump - rely on skillful riding on ramps, and our task is to get the highest possible number of points for tricks and jumps. The next two are downhill races: Downhill Race and Downhill Jam (only available in two-player mode). Their aim is, of course, to beat a competitor in a skate park or on a street. The fifth mode is called Pool Joust, in which we perform evolutions inside an empty, oval pool. We can play as one of the four different characters, designed for four consecutive levels of player advancement.

Game modes

Depending on the chosen mode and competition, you can play alone or in a group of up to eight players, competing against each other on a split screen or in the hot chair mode.

Technical aspects

Despite the relatively simple graphics, transferred with minor changes from 8-bit computers, Skate or Die is able to win the hearts of players with its playability and humorous character. The chiptune rock soundtrack, prepared by Rob Hubbard, a well-known creator of video game soundtracks, is also worth mentioning.

Last updated on April 18, 2019