Skate or Die! - NES Review
A Skateboarding Game That Did Not Withstand the Test of Time
Oct 19, 2009
Video games have been created for pretty much every sport imaginable. Football, boxing, baseball, and even skateboarding have all made their way to the video game industry. This is a trend that got started back when gaming was a fairly new form of entertainment.
While games like Ice Hockey and Tecmo Bowl have all withstood the test of time, Skate or Die! for the NES has not.
Repetitive Skateboarding Gameplay
In Skate or Die!, players start out in a skate shop run by a blue-haired ex-marine named Rodney. Here, players can receive tips (or insults) from Rodney, register their names, or choose from two options: Go Practice and Go Compete. These options really only differ in name as players have access to the same events, the only difference being that records are kept if Go Compete is chosen.
Skate or Die! features five separate events: freestyle, highjump, jam, race, and joust. Some of these events share similarities, which makes the game feel somewhat limited. Freestyle takes place on a half-pipe, and players must perform tricks and tally up points. Highjump is contested on that same half-pipe, and the goal is to jump as high as possible.
Jam is a top-to-bottom street race where two skaters must reach the goal while accruing points. Points are earned by breaking bottles, jumping over obstacles, and so on, and skaters can punch one another and knock each other off their skateboards. Race is another top-to-bottom event where players must avoid obstacles and perform jumps in order to reach the goal.
The most unique event out of the five included is joust. The game takes place in an empty pool. Two skaters take turns holding a pugil stick while skating back and forth. Knocking down a skater is worth one point. Victory is determined when one player is ahead by two points after the set number of turns ends. If the score is tied, the game continues until one player can score two successive points.
The limited number of events isn’t the game’s worst flaw, though. That demerit doesn’t even go to the repetitive nature of the events. Skate or Die!’s biggest problem lies in its controls. Performing tricks and jumps in the freestyle is simple enough, and the fighting mechanics in joust require no real effort, but the downhill events can become cumbersome due to unresponsive controls. Jumping over obstacles, ducking, and even moving from side to side are all frustrating ordeals.
Graphics and Sound
Graphically, the game is decent. There isn’t anything too outstanding about the game’s presentation, but there is some attention put into detail, especially in the jam and race modes, which feature walls tagged with graffiti, lakes and manholes which the player can fall into, and other little quirks which add personality to the environments.
Skate or Die!’s soundtrack is actually one of the game’s better aspects. Each event features different themes. These tracks are all upbeat and slightly humorous. More than anything, though, each theme fits its respective event perfectly and creates a distinct feeling for it.
Lasting Value
Despite attempting to create the illusion that two modes of play exist within the game, Skate or Die! is a very basic package. The five events are over quickly, and there’s nothing to warrant multiple play-throughs. The game does support two-player versus play for jam, race, and joust, and this adds to the game’s longevity a bit, but it still doesn’t make the overall package much better.
Play Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 Instead
The NES has a vast library of amazing titles, and Skate or Die! does not fall into that specific library. Unlike most of its brethren, this game has not aged very well. It was good for its time, but unfortunately, this skateboarding video game falls short when compared to modern games.
Decent graphics and a catchy soundtrack aren’t big enough distractions from the game’s monotonous gameplay and faulty controls. Those who feel the need to play a skateboarding game would be better off playing one of the many games with Tony Hawk’s likeness on the box.
Score: 6/10
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