Old Dusty Games (YouTube)

Probably the game on this list I have the haziest memory of, Z-Axis’ Thrasher: Skate And Destroy was pretty much proto-Skate. Released in 1999 for the original PlayStation, Skate And Destroy was a hardcore skateboarding simulator that, not unlike Skate nearly a decade later, honed in on precise board control over gravity-defying tricks. The control scheme was a bit clunky, with dedicated buttons for moves like 180s, but this complexity forced you to learn how to set up what’s known as a line—a series of individual tricks chained together in one line or spot. You couldn’t button-mash to a high score like you could in the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series, but Thrasher: Skate And Destroy was a solid game that oozed all the cool you’d expect from its titular skateboarding magazine.

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7 / 9

Tony Hawk’s Underground

Tony Hawk’s Underground

thugnetwork (YouTube)

The Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater franchise has gone through its myriad ups and downs since skating onto the scene in 1999. One of the more satisfying spin-offs, though, was the Underground series—colloquially shortened to THUG—for its silly campaign, oddball characters, newly added tricks, and open environments. Sure, the controls were imprecise, especially when roaming off your board, but the vast amount of customization, the deep well of tricks, and the quirky challenges made up for some of the frustrations with board control. It also had one of the punkest soundtracks in the series, which always hyped me up to go skating and actually inspired me to start a band. Yeah, THUG’s dope.

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8 / 9

OlliOlli World

OlliOlli World

Image for article titled 8 Kick-Ass Skateboarding Games You Should Totally Play
Image: Roll7 / Kotaku

I’ve already blogged my love for Roll7's OlliOlli World, so I recommend checking that out. But to summarize, this action-platformer is colorful, fast-paced, and irreverent, with a banging soundtrack and tight controls. Not to mention it looks like Adventure Time on acid or something. It’s one of the most vibrant skateboarding games ever, which makes OlliOlli World also one of the most approachable for skating newcomers despite being such a challenge for vets.

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And that’s that, eight skateboarding games I think you should definitely add to your never-ending backlog. Did I skip any of your favorites? Lemme know in the comments. But I think we can all agree that with exciting upcoming projects like Sk4te—it’s right there, EA—and Skate Story, the future is again looking bright for this uniquely engaging, once-thriving genre.

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