Top 10 Skateboarding Games

During the early 1990s, one of the fastest rising sports was skateboarding. Every child and teenager was buying a skateboarding and hitting the pavement. The sport gave rise to a “punk generation” of rebel spirits and defiant attitudes. Game developers capitalized on this trend with the advent of the skateboarding video game. After decades of video games, the skateboarding video game remains one of the top favorites of gamers around the world.

10. TOP SKATER

PLATFORM: ARCADE MACHINE

RELEASED: 1997

DEVELOPER: SEGA

If there is one thing that children of any generation will always love, it’s arcade games. In the late 1990s, you could not find an arcade in most of the U.S.A. that did not have a Top Skater arcade machine. It was one of the first of its kind. The game was played by having the player stand on a simulation skateboard controller. The player would steer his character on screen by swaying left and right and would perform tricks by slamming against the back of the board. Kids, teenagers, and adults of all ages quickly ate up the game, and it became extremely popular. Nowadays, you will struggle to find an arcade that still carries the game, but if you do, you’d be in for a treat. The game will most certainly feel outdated and almost obsolete by today’s standards, but any child would still certainly enjoy themselves.

 

9. TONY HAWK’S PROJECT 8

PLATFORM: PLAYSTATION3 (PS3), PLAYSTATION2 (PS2), XBOX360, XBOX, PLAYSTATION PORTABLE (PSP)

RELEASED: 2006

DEVELOPER:  NEVERSOFT, ACTIVISION

Tony Hawk, a world-famous skateboarder, owns one of the most popular gaming franchises, creating 14 games to date. The 9th game in the series, Tony Hawk’s Project 8 (THP8), was a rather successful addition. Although the reviews of the game have been mixed, it still holds a rather loyal following by the hardcore fans because of the fun levels and career missions. One great addition that this game provided was the "Nail the Trick Mode (NTH)," which proved to be an extremely challenging and gratifying addition to the Tony Hawk Formula.  NTH is a mode that allows the player to create custom tricks on the fly, by slowing down time and controlling the skater’s legs. It is a very intuitive and creative addition to the series, an addition that many fans enjoyed.

THP8 was still criticized for its lack of originality, seeing as it makes almost no effort to differ itself from the previous games, but that is actually something fans love about it. The main criticism with the series is that many of the games are too similar and the game’s formula lacks freshness, but the dedicated fans don’t seem to mind.

 

8. TONY HAWK’S AMERICAN WASTELAND

 

PLATFORM: PS2, XBOX360, XBOX, GAMECUBE, WINDOWS

RELEASED: 2005

DEVELOPER: NEVERSOFT, ACTIVISION

The Tony Hawk franchise is known for revamping the series with every other game it releases. Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland (THAW) was no different. THAW took the famous formula, and added lots of great additions. This game saw the addition of new moves and the ability to ride a BMX bike at any time during the game. Along with the entertaining story and wacky levels, THAW was a welcome installment to the series. It may lack any of the magic that made the first few games so memorable, but it still had the trademark arcade-style gameplay.

 

7. TONY HAWK’S PRO SKATER

PLATFORM: PLAYSTATION (PS1), DREAMCAST, NINTENDO64 (N64), N-GAGE, GAMEBOY COLOR (GBC)

RELEASED: 1999

DEVELOPER: NEVERSOFT, ACTIVISION

In 1999, Tony Hawk started a gaming revolution. There had been many skating games before, on ATARI and Sega consoles, but no one had ever done anything like this.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater (THPS) was the very first game of its kind. It was the first skating game to incorporate arcade-style tricks, over-the-top levels, and general outrageous gameplay. Players could do things that were impossible in reality, and it added an almost fantasy-like quality to the game. Without a doubt, THPS is one of the greatest games of all time, and one of the most influential. You may be asking yourself, "Then why is at #7 on this list?"

THPS is a difficult game to objectively place on a list such as this. Simply because if most gamers were to play it today, they would find it outdated, boring, and obsolete. This is completely understandable, because technically, THPS isn’t as good as THP8 or THAW. What makes THPS so great is the simple ingenuity in its gameplay. If a person who has never played any Tony Hawk game before played THPS first, they would understand. Another factor is the role of nostalgia. Many gamers of today have fond memories of playing THPS in their childhood. It’s understandable why many gamers consider THPS the greatest skateboarding game ever, despite its successors being technically better.

 

6. TONY HAWK’S PRO SKATER 2

PLATFORM: PS1, DREAMCAST, N64, GAMEBOY ADVANCE (GBA), XBOX, IPHONE, MAC, WINDOWS

RELEASED: 2000

DEVELOPER: NEVERSOFT, ACTIVISION

The obvious sequel to THPS, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 (THPS2) took everything that was great about THPS and improved on it. There were better levels, more tricks, and better challenges. It was simply a better game. There may not have been anything new added to the formula (aside from the manual trick) but that was precisely what fans loved about it.

 

 

5. EA SKATE

PLATFORM: PS3, XBOX360

RELEASED: 2007

DEVELOPER: EA BLACK BOX

But that love would soon die out. By 2007, a majority of gamers had grown tired of Tony Hawk’s games. However, there was still a small following of dedicated fans that would never tire of the game’s overused formula. But the rest of the gamers were tired. Skateboarding games needed a savior. They found one: EA Skate.

EA Skate (or simply Skate), was a giant breath of fresh air. Skate substitutes Tony Hawk’s arcade-style for a realistic and more satisfying simulation game. The result is a total reimagining of the skateboarding genre and a game that feels utterly fresh and fun. Before Skate, The Tony Hawk games completely dominated the skateboarding genre to the extent that there was almost zero competition. However, the games were stagnating and gamers needed Skate to bring back the joy of skating. Performing tricks was no longer a matter of mashing buttons. The intuitive controls required players to really challenge themselves, and made even the simplest trick much more complicated when compared to THPS.

 

4.  EA SKATE 2

PLATFORM: PS3, XBOX360

RELEASED: 2009

DEVELOPER: EA BLACK BOX

Just like THPS2, Skate 2 is bigger and better than its predecessor. Although, Skate fans are largely divided as to which is better, even with Skate 3 thrown into the mix. The main reason being, all three games are very technically similar. The differences between them are mostly small changes, some changes that fans prefer in one game over the other. Each game does have more content to it than the previous one, so that may very well be the deciding factor.

 

3. TONY HAWK’S PRO SKATER 3

 

PLATFORM: XBOX, PS2, GAMECUBE, WINDOWS, MAC, GBA, GBC, N64, PS1

RELEASED: 2002

DEVELOPER: NEVERSOFT, ACTIVISION

 

Most fans would agree that the best of the Tony Hawk Pro Skater series is Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 (THPS3). The third installment in the series may be the most beloved. It took the THPS formula up several notches, with a plethora of new tricks, crazy fun levels, ridiculous missions, and fun unlockable characters. It’s like THPS on steroids.

 

2. TONY HAWK’S UNDERGROUND

PLATFORM: XBOX, PS2, GAMECUBE, WINDOWS, GBA, GBC

RELEASED: 2003

DEVELOPER: NEVERSOFT, ACTIVISION

On the other hand, if you were to ask fans what the best Tony Hawk game is period, you would most likely hear “Tony Hawk’s Underground (THUG).”

By the time Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 (THPS4) came out, people had grown tired of the same old game. THPS needed a reboot. It found that in THUG. THUG was the first skateboarding game to allow players to get off their boards and walk around a large free open-world. There was an open-world element to previous games, but it was not as free and fun as THUG. Players could do whatever they wanted, when they wanted. What also makes THUG great is the extensive customization of characters, the fun and hilarious story, and the wild new game challenges.

 

1. SKATE 3

PLATFORM: PS3, XBOX360

RELEASED: 2010

DEVELOPER: EA BLACK BOX

Simply put, the Skate franchise has become the new standard for skateboarding games (with Tony Hawk games almost completely faltering) and Skate 3 is the best of the franchise. Fans will most likely struggle to agree on which Skate game is actually best, but Skate 3 technically has more tricks, better modes, and new additions that make for a more complete experience. The top 5 games on this list are actually very close and easily interchangeable. Honestly, Skate 3 won only by a couple of hairs. THUG and THPS3 could just as easily make number 1, but it is Skate 3’s innovative formula and the perfection of that formula that makes Skate 3 the best skateboarding game of all time.