Two things that I have loved in life... skateboarding and video games.

I used to spend a ton of time playing 720 at the arcade and Skate or Die for the NES.

Then I was blown away by that arcade game Top Skater by Sega where you actually stood on a board.

Years later I spent way too much of one of my college summers playing Tony Hawk.

Still haven't tried Skate yet, but it looks awesome. 

 

The Early Years
When video games really started to kick off in the 80’s, it coincided with one of skateboarding’s high points. Movies like Gleaming the Cube brought the culture to the big screen and skaters like Tony Hawk were just getting started. Because of that, companies saw a chance to capitalize on the trends by bringing them together. One of the first dedicated skateboarding games was 720° from Atari Games. This arcade game featured a skateboarder that had to perform tricks to advance the game. Failure to compete would result in a swarm of bees attacking the rider. Set in a decidedly middle America suburb with a skate-rat twist, players could openly explore the neighborhood and find one of four skate parks to ride and compete in. The goal of the game was to perform the ultimate trick, two spins in the air also know as a 720 – the game’s namesake.

 

In its aftermath, EA stepped up with the now legendary title Skate or Die.

...

While the arcades were burning it up with Top Skater, a cabinet game from Sega that actually allowed players to stand on a board, Activision was working on what would later become a video game mainstay.

... 

With that, Activision released Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, a near perfect blend of arcade gameplay and skateboard style and became an instant classic.

...

Everything about Skate was different. Even the game’s view broke new ground – it mimicked the low, follow style of a skateboarding video. The controls took gameplay to the next level by leaving nearly every action up to the analog sticks. Although it had a learning curve, it made doing even the most basic tricks fun again.

... 

 

 http://www.gameinformer.com/News/Story/200805/N08.0514.1812.57826.htm?Page=1

I used to love that Top skater game.  I killed so much coinage on that shit.

 

Skate is pretty insane. The design/control layout is really innovative so there a few things they could improve on, but far and away better than any TH game.

I need to play Skate.

I sucked at Top Skater but it was awesome. 

i remember the day i was proud to be called a Betty