Skate or Die!
System: NES
Release Date: December 1988
Developer: Konami
Publisher: Ultra Games
Genre: Sports
Konami pulls out the Ultra Games label having published five games in 1988. Our next title is the extreme sports skateboarding Skate or Die! This is another one of my childhood games, but I can’t say it’s a particularly good game. You start out in the skate shop owned by Rodney Recloose. There, you enter your name, talk to Rod, and then either practice or compete in five different events.
You can choose which of the five events to compete in, or skate over to the compete all and run the gauntlet. You start with the Freestyle Competition. You move back and forth ten times and attempt to earn points by pulling off tricks. There are several tricks you’re supposed to be able to pull off, but I could only reliably do the rail slide and do poorly on aerial spins. After that, you move to the High Jump. You have to mash the B Button as well as the direction you’re moving in. The faster you mash, the higher you fly.
You then move into the Downhill, which is a race to the bottom. You earn points by jumping over or ducking under obstacles. There are plenty of places to biff it and if you’re super unlucky, you can get stuck! The Jam is similar, but this time you’re racing another skater. You need to collect points by breaking stuff, punching your opponent, and jumping on the cop car at the bottom. The last event is the Joust. You choose one of three opponents and have to run into them while pressing the A Button. Once you gain an advantage of two knockdowns, you win!
Graphics: 1.5
The graphics are alright, but not good.
Sound: 2.0
The music doesn’t live up to Konami standards, but they aren’t terrible.
Gameplay: 1.0
The controls don’t always work as well as you’d like. I remember playing this with the Rock ‘n’ Roller controller when I was a kid to hilarious results.
Difficulty: 1.5
The opponents aren’t difficult, but the button mashing is no good.
Fun Factor: 1.5
There’s a little fun to be had, but it’s in competing against your friends, not the computer.
Overall Grade: 1.5
Skate or Die! earns a C-. I have semi-fond memories as a kid, but it doesn’t hold up into my adult years.