SkateBIRD is, at its core, not a hardcore skating simulator like many in the genre. It's a casual experience meant to be picked up and played in spurts, and it's as charmingly funny as it is fun to play, even though it's not as robust as games like Skate 3 or its main inspiration, the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series.

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It does have its own unique mechanics and things players should learn, though. It's far from a more colorful rip-off of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater with birds instead of people, it has unique gameplay elements that set it apart. Although it's easy to pick up, there are lots of things players should know before heading into the game for the first time.

9 Learn The Turn Radius - It's Wider Than You Think

Skatebird Turn Radius Beginner Tips

One of the most fundamental parts of any skating game is gaining speed and turning effectively. It's the only way to gain good air and accurately hit the skating features (grinds, ramps, etc) spread throughout each level.

However, compared to many skating games of its ilk, SkateBIRD's controls are much looser. You won't be able to make a turn on a dime, especially at high speeds, so spend some time getting used to the turn radius.

8 Ollie (And Air Ollie) Early To Get Maximum Height

Skatebird Awesome Things You Can Do Ollie

Performing an Ollie in SkateBIRD is pretty simple, but accurately aiming an Ollie to lead into a grind or get to a special area is a different story. At speed, players will find that Ollies take a second to build up, though the player's bird spends more time in the air than expected too.

Practice Ollies often and learn how long it takes to get to the apex of the jump after pressing the Ollie button. It takes longer than one might think, and new heights can be reached by double jumping with an Air Ollie.

7 The FANCY Meter Determines Speed And Height

Skatebird Fancy Meter Beginner Tips

While Tony Hawk's Pro Skater has the SPECIAL meter that determines the ability to do special moves, SkateBIRD has the FANCY meter. This meter determines how fast the player can go at maximum speed, and it also determines how high one can get when launching off of a ramp.

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To build up the FANCY meter's charge, simply perform tricks (particularly Ollies) and jump off of ramps to build vertical momentum. After a few tricks, the FANCY meter will be fully highlighted.

6 You Can Spine Transfer At Low Speeds

Skatebird Beginner Tips Spine Transfer

Spine transfers are an essential way to connect combos together when performing tricks off of ramps that sit back-to-back. By pressing the right bumper, players can watch their bird gracefully glide over the top of the ramp's spine and land on the other side of the ramp.

While it might seem like players have to build up speed to pull this off, it can actually be done at any speed, provided there's somewhere to land. Simply press the transfer button at the very apex of the jump and watch as the game takes the wheel for a second and launches the player over the top without additional inputs.

5 The "Screm" Button Can Be Used To String Combos

Skatebird Screm Combo Builder

SkateBIRD has a unique take on the English language, for example, instead of Create-a-Skater it has a Create-a-Birb system. Additionally, players are given the ability to "Screm" whenever they like. It gives a small number of points and adds to the combo meter.

While the game does not require players to learn how to Revert, Manual, or use other fancy tricks to string together combos, using the "Screm" button is an effective way to increase the multiplier and extend the time given for pulling off high-scoring combos.

4 Approach Grinds From The Side To Avoid Lip Tricks...

Skatebird Beginner Tips Grind

Grinding in SkateBIRD is as simple as approaching the edge (or wire, rope, ledge, etc) that you want to grind and pressing the top button on your gamepad (X on Switch, Y on Xbox controllers). However, if the player approaches the grind directly, it will instead initiate a lip trick.

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To avoid this, always enter a grind at a slight angle. This ensures that the game doesn't automatically convert the grind to a lip trick, as both grinds and lip tricks use the same button on the controller.

3 ...And Lip Tricks Can Be Performed On The Way Down, Too

SkateBIRD Beginner Tips Lip Tricks

While other skating games require the player to perform a lip trick exclusively on the way up a ramp, SkateBIRD allows players to pull these off on the way down too. It should defy physics, but perhaps it works because the game's birbs are so tiny their weight doesn't affect their balance.

To do a lip trick, either on the way up a ramp or landing from the air, simply press the Grind button while approaching perpendicular to the surface. It initiates a balancing mini-game that's pretty forgiving.

2 Look For Secrets Hidden Throughout Each Level

SkateBIRD Beginner Tips Secrets

Secrets are spread throughout each of SkateBIRD's five main levels, each of which unlocks something new in the game. Some of these secrets unlock new cosmetic options for Create-a-Birb, like skateboard decks or new clothing choices, while others unlock new music to play in the background.

It's not something that will improve your ability to pull off tricks, but these secrets are nifty ways to encourage players to fully explore each level. Be sure to scan the environment and look for floating objects in out-of-the-way places.

1 Change The FOV To 90

Skatebird Options Beginner Tips Field of View FOV

One of the simplest and most effective things a player can do to improve their experience in SkateBIRD is to increase the field of view, or FOV. In the game's options menu there is a slider that determines FOV, even on the Nintendo Switch version of the game.

By default, this is set to 75, but it can be hugely increased. Having this setting at 90 gives players a wider view of the environment without causing a fisheye effect - although extremely high FOV values can give the game an authentic skating aesthetic in its own way.

SkateBIRD is available on Nintendo Switch and on PC.

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