Here’s the official trailer for the forthcoming video game Shaun White Skateboarding.
There are some folks that think it’s going to be revolutionary, but I’m more of the mindset that developers are running out of evolutionary steps to make skateboarding video games different. Fortunately, they aren’t running out of ways to make exciting commercials. One interesting thing, it’s his first skateboarding game and he doesn’t even make an appearance in the trailer.

– Thanks to Eric Cherry for the tip.

Earth Ace, your favorite skateboarding astronaut has some footy. Unfortunately it’s the recurring theme of whiny kids becoming heroes. Unlikeable characters you haven’t seen since the most vertical primate. Seriously, this is one annoying protagonist. I know this is meant for kids, but it’s really kind of funny that on the one hand, he can’t win a skateboard race with a bully, but on the other hand he’s an astronaut charged with saving the solar system. It starts with a nice Thrashin’ style downhill race.

At this point I think there must be a place that sells the logic board for this type of LCD game intact for finishing and repackaging as you see fit. I think I may have picked this up from the dollar bins at Target. Gameplay: Things come down the road and you push buttons to avoid them. Very boring. Kind of funny considering you used to have to pay upwards of $70 ($20 from 1977 adjusted for inflation) for the same programming logic with less interesting graphics. Yes. I’m talking about Mattel Electronics handheld games. Instead of a 2 dimensional LCD silhouette, you were stuck with LED blips. How did those old handheld games cost? I want to say around $20, but it might have been $35 or so. There was no skateboard version, but it was the same game as Auto Race. Aesthetics did pay tribute to Mattel Electronics with a board series. I like them because I’m nostalgic for old toys (HELLO!!!!!!!) but I’m pretty sure these are just lifted straight from the old advertisements.

I happened to catch this commercial on TV about an hour after the behind the scenes Spohn Ranch footage of the shoot was pulled from YouTube. My guess it the folks at EA didn’t want it detracting from the original, or something vague like that.

– Thanks to Vince for the tip.

Here’s a quick time lapse video of a modular vert ramp being assembled and ridden for an EA Skate 3 commercial shoot.

[Source: Spohn Ranch]

Well, someone half did their homework. Mongo Grinders is the name of the toys. They are basically little bendable animal figures with suction cups on their hands and feet, and a little skateboard. The skateboard is 100% cheap plastic and the suction cups are crappy too. They did do a google search for skateboard lingo and use it all the packaging and marketing. They didn’t quite get it right though. There’s a fancy web site too, with everything but pictures of the actual products. I’d post some myself but my camera is broken. There’s an indy sticker on that board and a half-assed “save the earth” message tacked on to the whole thing.

Skateboarding — like exotic animals and taking care of our environment — can be an interesting and rewarding activity in which to participate, but being smart and safe is the key to avoiding harm and continuing that enjoyment. And remember — planet Earth is our only skatepark, treat it with respect!

So yeah, get some Mondo Grinders.

I’m busy, busy, busy. Trying to make it in America. Enjoy this shot of assorted Skate and Annoy fodder from reader Uncle Tom. Enlarge-o-rama.

I couldn’t bid on this, too poor. It’s an old auction. The guy was supposed to email me some more high-res photos, but I guess he had better things to do than take pictures of old skateboard toys for people who didn’t even bid on his auctions. But man, if I had the money… I think these were a series of figures in the 80’s that were kids on skateboards running into stop signs and garbage cans. I have a couple of them in my dungeon, but I never saw this set. Enlarge-o-rama. A couple more from another extinct auction after the jump.

From the Reasonably Clever blog’s Toybox of Fail, it’s the Jing Zhiwei brand’s lego bootleg titled “Death’s Head vs Astronaut.” They don’t make the distinction between alien and astronaut, which is very forward thinking of them. It’s his profession we are interested in, not what shade of green red his skin is. He looks like more of a devil or an ant man than an astronaut anyway. If there was going to be an epic battle between the grim reaper and a life form from another planet, it’s only natural that it should take place on skateboards, no?

Mike V: Do or Die has been out for about a week now. Reviews are mixed, some people love it, while others are perplexed by what appears to be a driving game grafted onto a skateboard title. Which begs the question, if you can drive around the city, can you stop off at a hockey game and fight some fans? (Cue Rimshot) But seriously folks… One of the things that lookspretty cool is the fact that you can play as Mike during different points in his career, including the Powell days, complete with licensed Bones t-shirt in the graphics. Actually, the developers made a big deal about the fact that there are licensed products in the game. What does that remind you of? As a pacifist, I’m waiting for the less macho lite version tentatively titled “Mike V: Live and Let Live.”