1987’s Skate or Die spawned an NES only sequel in 1990 that was imaginatively titled Skate or Die 2. No word yet on whether Nike has plans for a shoe based on Skate or Die 2. I don’t remember this game at all, but there’s probably a lot of info to sift through. Apparently, you accidentally run over the mayor’s wife’s dog on you skateboard, causing the mayor to ban skateboarding. Then you have to skate through the ghetto avoiding thugs and dragons, etc.. you know, normal skateboarding stuff. Unlike the other skateboard “simulators,” Skate or Die 2 looks more like a regular walking adventure game with skateboards pasted onto the feet of the characters. In some of the frames of the sprite animations (old 2D gaming terminology) the skateboard almost disappears. Oh yeah, you get to carry a gun too. Actually, it’s getting more and more realistic as time marches on. One thing that is worth checking out is the theme song, or at least the first 30 seconds of it. It’s got a very heavy Devo vibe. Check it out after the jump.
Skate or Die 2 – Theme song.
Pretty good man. I’d slap that in my yellow Walkman and crank it up.
Skate or Die 2 – the gameplay footy
A guy on Youtube called TheUltimateGamer07 has posted a five part (Yes! Five part!) video of gameplay footage with playing tips overdubbed. I can’t watch, but maybe you are bored at work. Very, very bored. How far does he get, and is there anything funny in the footage? I leave it to you, dear reader, to let us know.
Aww hell. This joker has embedding disabled. WTF? Ah well. You can follow the links or skip down to other people who have posted some gameplay without the coy tricks.
Skate or Die 2 Gameplay & Tips – Part 1
Skate or Die 2 Gameplay & Tips – Part 2
Skate or Die 2 Gameplay & Tips – Part 3
Skate or Die 2 Gameplay & Tips – Part 4
Skate or Die 2 Gameplay & Tips – Part 5
Skate or Die 2 Gameplay
VIDEO REMOVED
Skate or Die 2 – The payoff
This guy skipped right to the end.
Skate or Die 2 – Vert ramp footage
At times the background music sounds like the Donna Summers song I feel Love. Here’s a link to the Red Hot Chili Peppers covering it.
Skate or Die 1&2 reviewed like it was 1987
Apparently trying to make up for all that lost time when the Interwebs™ wasn’t invented, you can find guys (obviously) actually reviewing 20 year old video games on dead platforms. Sure, we’ll review the occasional old skate video on VHS, but come on people…
11 comments
Tatter Demalion
Riding the ramp was so fun and smooth… the most tricks of any skate game at the time. The same button combinations created different tricks depending on how often you pumped and what speed you were going. You could even do christ airs, and transfer the spine. This was probably the most advanced skate game until THPS series started.
cskate
Ha-ha, that’s so awesome Judi. We’ve been looking at your graphics for the past 19 years and had no idea. Full circle and all that.
Judi Oyama
You know your old when the ad’s and graphic you designed are coming back. I worked on all the Skate or Die 2 ad’s, banners and stickers back in 1989. The guy in the ad jumped 40 times and we got one good shot. (Before computers.) Hand colored black and white photo.
Kilwag
The bees are from 720. They come out when you are taking too long, and when they do, the game would scream “Skate or die” at you. 720 was the arcade game that was out before this game.
Ash
Is this the one that a swarm of bees would chase you every so often? And they say, Tony Hawk Pro Skater is realistic!
nweyesk8
T&C Surf is still hella fun to play.
Danimal
anyone remeber T&C surf? the skateboarding part was pretty fun, i’m still holding onto that original NES cart too.
oldfatjeff
Anyone up for a round of pool joust?
paige
Man, I love those games. I have both of them in storage somewhere. The Bart Simpson game where you skateboard through China and various other locale is pretty awesome, too, if my memory doesn’t fail me. I also like Troma, so you can take “awesome” however you want.
bobcat
I only play it for the halfpipe part – still have o.g. cart for NES. hit select at the intro then schralp it up. gotta love the photoshopped natas doing a fastplant at the mall on the label.
move your player to the top of the screen and hit ‘select’ 10 times until you hear little bells. that way you have unlimited guys for the whole time period. the trick is to wait until 1:30 when the chick comes out of the window then grab the fruit at the top and do your big guns tricks to get 2x points.
corncobcock
word has it, some construction in St. Johns is of EPIC proportion. Terror alert orange. love and kisses, MOM