1987 how rad was it? I had my Vision skate cloths and my Nash board. The NES was well on it’s way to making history before anyone knew it. Then there I sat at my local rental shop looking at this awesome cover of a dude doing a hand plant with the words SKATE OR DIE in graffiti above him.
I MUST PLAY THIS GAME. Ultra games produced this title for our enjoyment. It featured many different play styles from downhill racing, pool jousting and half pipe shredding and a couple more.
We saw a few characters in the game like Rodney Recloose this was the crazy dude you saw when you started the game in the skate shop. He sported a purple mohawk and tattoos.
He had a crazy kid named Bionic Lester with green hair and a nasty attitude in events like the joust and downhill. He would cut you off and knock you on your face faster than you can say shredded. Poseur Pete and Aggro Eddie were other characters in the jousting arena both with different skill levels.
For an early skating game I thought it offered a lot in the things I wanted as a young not good skater. It game me the option to believe I could skate and fight at the same time. When I actually tried to kick my friend while riding my board I remember to this day the hit I took on the ground when he pushed me off my board. TOTALED.
The game spawned a winter sequel called Ski Or Die and it’s own sequel Skate or Die 2. All of which are great games and worth a look. You can’t compare this game to the modern games like SSX or Tony Hawk as they are just to simplistic. But if you can put on some 80’s metal and hi-tops you may find the charm these games offer you.
Have you played these games? What are your thoughts on them?
