Editing Skate or Die!

{{Short description|1987 video game}}
{{About|the video game|other uses|Skate or Die (disambiguation){{!}}Skate or Die}}
{{Infobox video game
|title = Skate or Die!
|image = Skate or Die! cover.jpg
|developer = [[Electronic Arts]] <br /> [[Konami]] (NES)
|publisher = Electronic Arts <br /> [[Ultra Games]] (NES)
|designer = Michael Kosaka <br /> Stephen Landrum <br /> David Bunch
|producer = Don Traeger
|artist = Michael Kosaka <br /> Nancy Fong
|programmer = David Bunch <br /> Stephen Landrum
|composer = [[Rob Hubbard]]
|series = 
|released = '''Commodore 64'''<br />October 1987<br />'''Computer ports'''<br />1988-1989<br />'''NES'''<br />{{Vgrelease|NA|December 1988<ref>{{Cite web|date=December 2, 1988|title=Skate or Die|url=http://www.newspapers.com/image/705999673/|access-date=July 14, 2024|website=Newspapers.com|language=en}}</ref>|PAL|1990}}
|genre = [[Sports video game|Sports]]
|modes = 1-8 players
|platforms = [[Commodore 64]], [[Apple IIGS|Apple II{{sc|GS}}]], [[MS-DOS]], [[Amstrad CPC]], [[ZX Spectrum]], [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]]
}}
 
'''''Skate or Die!''''' is a [[skateboarding]] video game released by [[Electronic Arts]] (EA) in 1987 for the [[Commodore 64]]. It is EA's first internally developed game.<ref name="polygon">{{cite web |last1=Campbell |first1=Colin |title=How EA lost its soul: chapter 8 - A tug-of-war with developers |url=https://www.polygon.com/a/how-ea-lost-its-soul/chapter-8 |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |publisher=[[Vox Media]] |access-date=26 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150716011630/https://www.polygon.com/a/how-ea-lost-its-soul/chapter-8 |archive-date=16 July 2015 |date=14 July 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> Versions for the [[Apple IIGS|Apple II{{sc|GS}}]], [[MS-DOS]], [[Amstrad CPC]], and [[ZX Spectrum]] followed. It was ported to the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] by [[Konami]], published under the company's [[Ultra Games]] branding.

==Gameplay==
[[File:Skate or Die screenshot.png|thumb|left|Freestyle ramp event in the C64 version]]
In the style of the [[Epyx]] [[Summer Games (video game)#Legacy|''Games'' series]], players can compete in five different skateboarding events, either individually or sequentially. When the events are challenged sequentially, up to eight players could sign up to participate.

The game featured two [[half-pipe]] events - the freestyle ramp and the high jump, two downhill events - the downhill race (in a park setting) and the downhill jam (in a street setting), and the pool joust. The pool joust, downhill jam, and the downhill race (in two player mode only) were all head to head, while the ramp events were single player. Except for the joust, which was a hand-to-hand knockout competition (literally and figuratively), all the event winners were decided by a point system.
 
Four characters were featured in ''Skate or Die!'': Rodney Recloose, a wild man with a purple mohawk and a [[United States Marine Corps|Marine Corps]] tattoo (and a facial resemblance to comedian [[Rodney Dangerfield]]) who runs a skateshop in the game, and his son Bionic Lester, an even wilder kid with a green flattop, who the player character was able to take on in the joust and the downhill jam. In the joust, Lester and his two cronies await the skater. Poseur Pete challenges beginners and Aggro Eddie takes on intermediate players, leaving Lester with the advanced pros.

==Development==
Electronic Arts founder [[Trip Hawkins]] was looking for a way to capitalize off of the success of the [[Epyx]] sports games, but at the time, only being a publishing/distributing company, there was little he could do. He decided to hire programmers to make a game that would cash in on this success. Right around the same time, several Epyx programmers and graphic artists quit over Epyx' decision to bring [[Atari Corporation]] in to market and manufacture their console project (later known as the [[Atari Lynx]]). Trip Hawkins found out about these programmers leaving Epyx and reached out to hire these programmers for the purpose of producing a sports series of games. The idea for a skateboarding style game came from Producer Don Traeger, who had been inspired by a coin-operated skateboarding game from Atari called ''[[720°]]''. Trip Hawkins also hired [[Rob Hubbard]] to come over from England to compose the title screen music.

The [[Atari ST]] conversion was contracted to [[Codemasters]], who contracted Kinetic Designs to do the work. It was scheduled to be released in June 1989 but was never released.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Whitta |first1=Gary |title=Skate or Die - Review |journal=[[The One (magazine)|The One]] |date=February 1989 |issue=5 |page=43 |url=https://archive.org/details/theone-magazine-05/page/n41/mode/2up |publisher=[[EMAP]]}}</ref>

==Reception==
Yung Min Choi reviewed the game for ''[[Computer Gaming World]]'', and wrote that "''Skate or Die'' is an enjoyable game for teenage board freaks who cannot get enough radical action on the cement or "over-the-hill" adults who don't want to risk their lives and limbs to experience the simulated thrill of this action sport".<ref name="CGW46">{{cite magazine |last=Choi |first=Yung Min |title=Sidewalk Surfin' Safari |magazine=Computer Gaming World |date=April 1988 |volume=1 |issue=46 |pages=34}}</ref>

The C64 version of ''Skate or Die!'' was also well liked for its introductory music, a catchy rock-flavored tune with digital samples that took full advantage of the [[MOS Technology 6581|SID]] chip's capabilities. Composed by [[Rob Hubbard]], it has become a popular tune among modern fans of SID music and remixers of such tunes. For Konami's NES port, Kouji Murata composed an arranged version of the tune for the NES's [[Ricoh 2A03]] [[sound chip]].

The game sold just over 100,000 copies between its release date and the end of the NES era.{{citation needed|date=April 2018}}
 
The game was reviewed in 1988 in ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #132 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game 2 out of 5 stars.<ref name="Dragon132">{{cite journal
|title=The Role of Computers
|last1=Lesser|last2=Lesser|last3=Lesser|first1=Hartley|first2=Patricia|first3=Kirk
|journal=Dragon
|issue=132
|date=April 1988
|pages=80–85}}</ref>

==Reviews==
* ''[[Zzap!64|Zzap!]]'' (January 1988)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/zzap64-magazine-033/page/n159/mode/2up|title=ZZap!64 Magazine Issue 033|date=January 1987}}</ref>
* ''[[Computer and Video Games]]'' (January 1988)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/Computer_Video_Games_Issue_075_1988-01_EMAP_Publishing_GB/page/n25/mode/2up|title = Computer & Video Games - Issue 075 (1988-01) (EMAP Publishing) (GB)|date = January 1988}}</ref>
* ''[[ACE (Advanced Computer Entertainment)]]'' (January 1988)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/ace-magazine-04/page/n68/mode/2up|title = ACE Magazine Issue 04|date = January 1988}}</ref>
* ''Player One'' (October 1990)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Le site des anciennes revues informatiques |trans-title=The site of old computer magazines |url=https://www.abandonware-magazines.org/affiche_mag.php?mag=32&num=799 |website=abandonware-magazines.org |language=fr}}</ref>
* ''[[Mean Machines]]'' (October 1990)<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.meanmachinesmag.co.uk/review/18/skate-or-die.php |title=Skate or Die! - Nintendo Entertainment System - Mean Machines review |access-date=2022-03-21 |archive-date=2020-01-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200108044530/http://www.meanmachinesmag.co.uk/review/18/skate-or-die.php |url-status=dead}}</ref>
* ''[[The Games Machine]]'' (May 1989)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/the-games-machine-18/page/n63/mode/2up|title=The Games Machine Issue 18}}</ref>
* ''[[Your Sinclair]]'' (May 1989)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/your-sinclair-41/page/n17/mode/2up|title = Your Sinclair Magazine Issue 41|date = May 1989}}</ref>
* ''[[ASM (Aktueller Software Markt)]]'' (December 1987)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/asm_magazine-1988-01/page/n49/mode/2up|title=Aktueller Software Markt (ASM) Magazine (January 1988)|date=January 1988}}</ref>
* ''[[The One (magazine)|The One]]'' (February 1989)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/theone-magazine-05/page/n41/mode/2up|title = TheOne Magazine Issue 05|date = February 1989}}</ref>
* ''[[Amstar]]'' (December 1990)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Le site des anciennes revues informatiques - www.abandonware-magazines.org |url=https://www.abandonware-magazines.org/affiche_mag.php?mag=24&num=13604 |access-date=2023-12-22 |website=www.abandonware-magazines.org}}</ref>
* ''[[Commodore User]]'' (December 1987)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/commodore-user-magazine-51/page/n17/mode/2up|title=Commodore User Magazine Issue 51|date=December 1987}}</ref>
* ''Power Play'' (December 1987)<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Kultpower Archiv: Komplettscan Powerplay 2/1988 |trans-title=Kultpower Archive: Complete scan Powerplay 2/1988 |url=http://www.kultpower.de/archiv/heft_powerplay_1988-02_seite42 |website=kultpower.de |language=de}}</ref>
* ''[[Joystick (magazine)|Joystick]]'' (French) (September 1990)<ref name=":0" />
* ''Power Play'' (November 1989)<ref name=":0" />
* ''[[ACE (Advanced Computer Entertainment)]]'' (March 1989)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/ace-magazine-18/page/n86/mode/2up|title = ACE Magazine Issue 18|date = March 1989}}</ref>
* ''[[The Games Machine]]'' (November 1989)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/the-games-machine-24/page/n84/mode/2up|title=The Games Machine Issue 24}}</ref>
* ''VideoGame'' (March 1991)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/VideoGame_Ano_1_Numero_01_1991_Sigla_Editora_BR_pt_Video_News_Numero_102A_Edicao_Especial/page/n27/mode/2up|title=VideoGame - Ano 1 Numero 01 (1991) (Sigla Editora) (BR) (pt)&#91;Video News - Numero 102A - Edicao Especial&#93;|year=1991}}</ref>
* ''[[Crash (magazine)|Crash!]]'' (May 1989)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/Crash_No._64_1989-05_Newsfield_GB/page/n13/mode/2up|title = Crash - No. 64 (1989-05) (Newsfield) (GB)|date = May 1989}}</ref>
* ''[[ASM (Aktueller Software Markt)]]'' (October 1989)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/asm_magazine-1989-11/page/n73/mode/2up|title=Aktueller Software Markt (ASM) Magazine (November 1989)|date=November 1989}}</ref>
* ''[[:fr:Jeux et Stratégie|Jeux & Stratégie]]'' #51<ref>{{cite web | url=https://archive.org/details/jeux-et-strategie-51/page/88/mode/2up | title=Jeux & stratégie 51 | date=June 1988}}</ref>

==Legacy==
A winterized sequel, ''[[Ski or Die]]'', was released in 1990 for the Commodore 64, [[Amiga]], [[Atari ST]], PC, and NES, and a true sequel, ''[[Skate or Die 2]]'' was published in 1990 for the NES. ''[[Ski or Die]]'' retained the multi-event format while ''Skate or Die 2'' veered into "adventure" territory. Both games featured Rodney and Lester.

In 2002, [[Criterion Games]], creators of the ''[[Burnout (series)|Burnout]]'' series, was working on a ''Skate or Die'' remake or sequel for the [[PlayStation 2]] and [[Xbox]]. Due to Criterion having issues with [[Electronic Arts]], the game was cancelled in 2003 in favor of ''[[Burnout 3: Takedown]]''. It was in development for 12 months before it was cancelled.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://kotaku.com/5625243/burnout-devs-were-making-a-skate-or-die-game | title = Burnout Devs Were Making a Skate or die Game | date=30 August 2010}}</ref>

In 2007, the NES version was re-released for [[Nintendo]]'s [[Virtual Console]] service in Europe (excluding France) and Australia.

==References==
{{reflist}}
 
==External links==
* {{moby game|id=/skate-or-die}}
* [https://www.lemon64.com/?mainurl=https%3A//www.lemon64.com/games/details.php%3FID%3D2321 ''Skate or Die!''] at Lemon64
* {{WoS game|id=0004534}}
 
{{Skate or Die}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Skate or Die!}}
[[Category:1987 video games]]
[[Category:Amstrad CPC games]]
[[Category:Apple IIGS games]]
[[Category:Cancelled Atari ST games]]
[[Category:Commodore 64 games]]
[[Category:DOS games]]
[[Category:Electronic Arts franchises]]
[[Category:Electronic Arts games]]
[[Category:Konami games]]
[[Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games]]
[[Category:Nintendo Entertainment System games]]
[[Category:Skateboarding video games]]
[[Category:Ultra Games video games]]
[[Category:Video games developed in the United States]]
[[Category:Video games scored by Rob Hubbard]]
[[Category:Virtual Console games]]
[[Category:ZX Spectrum games]]