A lot of attention has been given to EA’s newest entry in the Skate following the recently received pre-alpha trailer along with updates from the developers. With that said, there is still no official release date for Skate, so fans of the series are left waiting for the next entry in the popular skateboard simulation game. Luckily, there are many other skateboarding games currently available that will allow players to hone their skills and bide their time until Skate releases.
Skateboarding games first gained momentum with the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series and have since evolved and grown to not only appease gamers, but avid skateboarders as well. In recent years, many skateboarding simulation games have been attempting to take a more realistic approach to the sport, a craze that was likely first inspired by the original Skate. With the constant upgrading of gaming hardware and physics graphics, there are many skateboarding games that have taken Skate’s realism to the next level and have created a simulation experience that feels more lifelike than ever.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2
The Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater games truly birthed the skateboarding genre and while these games are not nearly as realistic as the Skate series or other skateboarding games, their legacy should not be overlooked. Though the original game was released in 1999, the series has created a name for itself in being a fast-paced, arcade skateboarding simulation. And with the remake of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 releasing in 2020, many fans have been able to revisit the classic games with far better graphics and controls.
Unlike the Skate series, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater prides itself on unrealistic tricks and combos and encourages players to get creative with their timed runs on each individual level. The Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater games create a unique challenge that has yet to be recreated by any other skateboarding game. These titles allow gamers who may not be familiar with the sport to use basic controls to pull off impressive stunts and gain a basic understanding of skateboarding.
Session: Skate Sim
Sessions: Skate Sim was first released in early access in 2017, and this title aimed to be one of the most realistic skateboarding simulation games to date. The main draw to Session: Skate Sim is its unique take on the way players perform tricks. By utilizing the dual-stick controllers to their full potential, Session: Skate Sim makes each control stick operate the player skater’s feet, with the left stick controlling the left foot and the right stick controlling the right foot. So as opposed to simply flicking a control stick or hitting a single button to perform a trick, players must coordinate their feet in order to successfully land a trick, which makes performing tricks much more complicated, but also more rewarding.
With that said, Session: Skate Sim has been in early access for some time and still needs some polishing before its full release. The downfall to the game’s extreme realism is the precision players must have when attempting to land tricks that may seem simple in other games. Luckily, the title has received many updates, with the most recent one tweaking the physics and adding a plethora of new gear. If all goes according to plan for the developers, Crea-ture Studios and Illogika, Session: Skate Sim is scheduled to fully release in September 2022.
Previous Skate Games
There is no better way for players to prepare for the newest Skate than by honing their skills and mastering the franchise's iconic trick system in the first three games in the series. Though it has been over 10 years since the release of Skate 3, many fans are still enjoying the skateboarding games, as they seem to find a happy middle ground between arcade-style and super realistic games. Even though there is a sense and feel of realism in the Skate games, it is also possible to perform outlandish tricks and combos that players are still improving to this day.
The original Skate and Skate 3 are currently available on Xbox Game Pass through the Cloud Gaming service, making the series even more accessible to long-time fans as well as newcomers who might want to partake in Skate’s take on skateboard simulation before the newest game releases. Since the new Skate game will be a free-to-play live service title, it will be accessible to more people than ever, meaning players will definitely want to practice their skating skills using Skate’s unique control scheme before hitting the streets in the new game.
Skate is currently in development.