SkateBIRD is described by the developers as a game about "doing your bes,t" and not about maximizing combos and trick sequences. Still, players nonetheless feel compelled to rack up their points as high as they possibly can. It's just something that comes with the genre, and is one of the most fun aspects of skating games.
Despite being more of a casual experience, SkateBIRD gives players a number of ways to string together ridiculous combos. Some of these methods might feel familiar to long-time skateboarding game fans. Meanwhile, others are totally unique to SkateBIRD, thanks to its birb-centric controls and mechanics.
8 The Ollie, And The Mid-Air Ollie
Just like all skateboarding games, SkateBIRD lets players do some basic recognizable tricks like kickflips, the impossible, and of course the classic ollie. However, because the player controls a bird and not a human, they are actually able to do another ollie in mid-air.
Simply press the ollie button again after getting some height with the first one, preferably at the apex of the jump, to send the birb flying even higher. This can also be used to control the birb in mid-air and readjust one's aim without landing.
7 Building FANCY (Without Tricks)
Similar to the SPECIAL system found in the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series, SkateBIRD offers the FANCY system, though it charges in a completely different way. Rather than building up based on the player's ability to complete tricks, FANCY builds up with the player gaining momentum and ramps and other inclines.
It's a little bit finicky, but essentially, to build FANCY the player needs only pump their birb across ramps, perform spine transfers, and otherwise gain speed by using verticality to their advantage. It builds a lot quicker than one might expect, too, with a full charge often being given for minor movements.
6 Landing Wheels-Down On The Ground
While SkateBIRD makes it pretty easy to land the skateboard after performing a trick, it's a bit of a different story when taking on less conventional jumps. When jumping off of a high ledge to land on a lower ramp, for example, the player must land wheels down or else suffer the pain of being ragdolled.
It takes a little bit of getting used to, especially as players can't reorient themselves vertically, only horizontally. However, as long as the wheels are pointed down after a jump, and one end of the board faces in the direction of momentum, the birb will always land correctly.
5 Grinding On A Ramp (Without Doing A Lip Trick)
Lip tricks in SkateBIRD look like impossible feats, as players are even able to pull them off while falling. They can be a little annoying when the player is trying to grind a rail on top of a ramp, though, as it stops the birb right in their tracks and requires the player to set up the grind all over again.
For those who want to grind the top rail of a ramp rather than perform a lip trick, be sure to approach it from at least a 45-degree angle and consider performing an ollie right at the top to get air beforehand. This allows the birb to keep their momentum, which increases the chance that a grind will be performed instead of a lip trick.
4 The Wall Ollie
In addition to being able to perform a second ollie in mid-air, SkateBIRD players can perform a wall ollie as well. This can lead to the elusive, but perfectly possible, triple jump to reach incredible new heights.
When jumping at a wall, or preferably parallel to one, simply press the ollie button on contact and the birb will launch a little higher. It's best to do this right after a mid-air ollie for maximum verticality.
3 Using The SCREM Button To Extend Combos
The most important thing a SkateBIRD player can learn when it comes to racking up massive combo points is to make liberal use of the "Screm" button. This not only increases the combo multiplier, but it also increases the amount of time left until the points are totaled up.
Because SkateBIRD doesn't require players to revert or manual between tricks to keep the combo multiplier going, using the "Screm" button is important. Press it in between tricks, or when coming down a ramp, to gain a little extra time.
2 Using A Variety Of Grabs, Lips, & Manuals To Rack Up Points
When the combo multiplier number gets higher than 10x, points really start to roll in, especially if the player rotates their tricks regularly. Flip tricks are great for increasing the multiplier number quickly, while grabs, lip tricks, and manuals accumulate points constantly while being performed.
A Squirrel grab trick doesn't net many points with a 1x multiplier. At 10x and higher, however, it turns into a point-generating powerhouse, alongside other similar tricks. Try not to repeat the same trick over and over again, though, as the number of points given decreases each time it's repeated.
1 Getting Launched (But Keeping Control)
Certain levels contain air vents that launch the player across the map in two circumstances: skating directly over the center, or holding a grab trick while landing anywhere on the vent. Holding a grab trick launches the player extremely high into the sky and often out of bounds while rolling over the vent only provides a minuscule push.
The trick to getting this right is to time the grab trick just right to gain maximum velocity and height, and then at the apex of the jump, press any button to get back on the skateboard. The birb won't reset their position; instead, they start on their board at the same height. This lets players get across the map quickly, and also gives them plenty of time to build up that multiplier in the air.
SkateBIRD is available on Nintendo Switch and PC.