Starting with 720° for the Atari, skateboarding has achieved the ‘Impossible’ and become a staple in the video game industry. The games celebrate the enjoyment of the sport and those who have contributed to its growth into the phenomenon it is today. What would skating even be without staples like Bam Margera, Rob Dyrdek, and Tony Hawk himself? On that topic, what would the culture of skating be without Viva La Bam, Jackass, Ridiculousness, and Lords of Dogtown? With the return of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and 4 after over 20 years comes the uniquely specific culture of the skateboarding video game.
I would go so far as to say that skateboarding is in a league of its own compared to other sports games because, ultimately, they are about finding joy in the face of adversity and connecting with others through an activity that encourages individuality and silliness while also building bounds of confidence. You aren’t going from city to city or country to country to play with your team in an arena to shoot baskets or make goals; you’re heading into the urban backstreets of Boston by yourself to skate the Liberty Trail as a Ben Franklin impersonator.
This level of freedom is rare in sports games, as they thrive on competitive structure and realism. Skateboarders are not just playing games based on their favorite sport, they’re reimagining how they enjoy it. Of course, other skateboarding games focus more on realism, like Skater XL, Session: Skate Sim, and the ridiculously popular Skate 3. Even then, the spirit of skateboarding is ever present within them because: what is the sport without failure and injury? In fact, much of the appeal of skateboarding games comes from that very cycle of failure and recovery. The heart of the genre isn’t about perfection, but about expression.
Now that Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and 4 have returned, we are reminded just how much these games have shaped more than just gameplay; they’ve shaped personalities, music tastes, and entire aesthetics. If you aren’t a fan of Goldfinger’s Superman because of THPS or didn’t try fingerboarding at least once in your life because of Tony Hawk‘s Underground, then you are definitely missing out.
