Top 10: Skateboarding Video Games

Author: Joe Ruffini

10. Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland (THAW)

Probably the last good skate video game produced by Tony Hawk. After THAW then the Tony Hawk name in video games just went into a large hole. The fact that there were no loading screens once you actually were playing the game was so amazing. The story was definitely a different than all others. Rather than trying to go pro you were trying to make this giant park out of whatever you could get your hands on. By the end it was definitely one of the sketchiest looking parks that will ever grace your eyes but it was definitely fun.

9. Thrasher: Skate and Destroy

The skate game to start them all pretty much. It wasn’t perfect by any means but it was one amazing game. When I was younger I would play this game for hours. The tricking in the game was fun and easy to pick up for the average guy or girl. Then was the soundtrack, which was nothing less than amazing. It was one of the first games to have actual artists get on the soundtrack. Thrasher: Skate and Destroy definitely can claim to be a classic in the video game community.

8. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater (THPS)

The first in the series of amazing skateboarding video games, without THPS we would not have any of the games we do now. It was the first but since it was the first it had a lot of errors and what not that needed to be ironed out so it wasn’t too amazing. It didn’t have the most amazing graphics but it got the job done. THPS is a classic with Skate and Destroy, no doubt about it.

7. Tony Hawk’s Underground (THUG)

Tony Hawk’s Underground had everything and it played very well to boot. The way that the game progressed was smoother than the first one. It had yet another awesome soundtrack, line up of skaters, and set of tricks. The fact that you were playing as an underground skater is what set it past THPS for me. It showed the street skaters and gave the regular skater something to relate to somewhat. 

6. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4

Yup, another Tony Hawk, I can imagine that you are tired of reading about Mr. Hawk at this point. But THPS4 was the first of the bunch to have an online mode. The online allowed you to tool on people aside from your friends that came over your house to play. Once you got bored of the same old story mode you could hop onto the online mode and skate with others. It wasn’t the best but you could show your sweet skills to other people.

5. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 (THPS2)

THPS2 was an ironed out version of the first. It didn’t have much except it was a beefed out version of the first. Everything that the first did good, 2 did better and smoother. The step ups that THPS had in between each game were very small but they made it so much better to play. Go play THPS1 and then right after play 2 and tell me 2 isn’t an overall better game to play.

4. Skate 2

Finally, a not Tony Hawk game. Skate 2 was not the best of the series but it was still amazing. First off you notice the graphics are amazing. You can see everything down to the graphics on your wheels spinning as you ride. It was easier to do tricks and just play in general. The story line was repetitive but you could get so creative with each mission. You could do whatever trick or line or combination that you so choose to do.  A real nice addition to Skate 2 was the fact that you could get off your board and walk around.  Rather than skating in a circle to do a trick down a staircase you could just walk right back up it. Needless to say Skate 2 raised the bar more than a few notches.

3. Skate.

The first Skate changed the game 110%, no doubt about that. The graphics, the physics, the tricks, everything down to the camera view made this game fresh, new, and amazingly done. Rather than mashing up some buttons to do a trick, you had to use your right analog stick to basically do the actions your feet do when you’re actually on the board. It was revolutionary to the genre. Everything about this game was pretty much perfectly done. A classic for sure.

2. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 (THPS3)

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 was definitely the best THPS of all. The graphics were lifted, the levels were perfect for skating, the controls were so much easier, the line up was skaters was a list of the best skaters you could ever round up pretty much. Then you heard the soundtrack and that was a compilation of all the best songs anyone could ever want to skate to. It was just about the best you Tony Hawk could do.

1.  Skate 3

The most recent Skate and definitely the best bar none. It took everything every skate game had done right and just made it better. Rather than the different difficulties just changing the scores you needed to get it changed the gravity and flip trick ability and everything. The hardest mode was basically making it just as hard as landing real skateboarding tricks. Skate 3’s graphics are amazing even compared to current games. Basically the game is skateboarding video game perfection.