Thrasher Presents: Skate and Destroy (Game)

Thrasher Presents: Skate and Destroy

GAME » on November 15, 1999

A skateboarding game with technical depth and an original expression of street-skate culture in video-games.

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Overview

Thrasher Presents Skate and Destroy, also known as Thrasher: Skate and Destroy (or simply Skate and Destroy) and known in Japan as Thrasher SK8, is a skateboarding game developed by Z-Axis and published by Rockstar Games (Company) (with UEP Systems (Company) co-publishing in Japan) for the Sony PlayStation in North America on November 15, 1999, in Europe on January 28, 2000, and in Japan on March 4, 2000.

One of the earliest 3D free-range skateboarding games, Skate and Destroy has players skating two-minute skate sessions in various locales across the United States (with later levels in Europe (Location)) as one of six fictional skaters (each with their own unique stats) in order to win competitions, gain sponsorships, and work to become a professional skater.

While it has a similar structure to Tony Hawk's Pro Skater (released two months prior), Skate and Destroy has a more methodical and simulation aspect to skateboarding, with more precise controls required to successfully perform tricks (such as harder difficulties requiring players to press the correct button at the correct time to land their tricks). In addition, the game includes ragdoll physics, a damage system for both the skater and skateboard (where improper bails can cause the run to end prematurely), and a unique system where the police can chase the skater at the end of the run (shown in first-person from their perspective, failing the run if they manage to catch up).

The game is a video game tie-in with the American skateboarding magazine Thrasher, featuring various branding and a licensed soundtrack full of 1980's and 1990's hip-hop music (which was unique at the time, as skateboarding games of the time tend to focus on punk and ska music).

Z-Axis later made similar extreme sports games with the Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX series (for stunt biking) and Aggressive Inline (Game) (for inline skating). Some of the game's simulation aspects were later found in skateboarding games such as the Skate (Franchise) and OlliOlli (Franchise) series.

Gameplay

Unlike the Tony Hawk (Franchise) series of games, Thrasher was a much slower playing game that required precision inputs, landing and didn't focus on over the top high scores and arcade like gameplay. Players were required to complete their tricks from start to finish by pressing the correct button just as they land. Skateboard could break in the game if for example the player ollies from too high a spot to a lower level. There's a bail feature in the game, which lets the player leave the skateboard and tuck themselves up to minimize damage. If the player or the skateboard takes too much damage the run is ended.

Each level starts with free skating and no limits. To progress to the next level, the player has two minutes to beat a high score. Players can push their luck and try score more points after the two minute timer but at this point the player is being chased by a security guard who will taser and arrest the player which forfeits the run. Other than that there are no other objectives.

As players progress through the main story mode, which follows one of the fictional skaters trying to achieve a professional status, sponsorship's are obtained which give players access to new skateboards and clothing. These sponsorship's are rewards for beating competition levels, where players must obtain a high score but are also judged based on skill, style and risk taking.

Characters

The game includes six skaters to choose from, each with their own stats and special tricks. Unlike the Tony Hawk series, all characters share the same unlockable tricklist with the exception of their one unique trick (which is unlocked by clearing the game with them).

Axl - Speedy skater with high ollies and good spins, despite being weak in performing technical tricks and grinds.
Kahli (Character) - Excels in performing all sorts of tricks, despite his slow speed and low ollies.
Scab (Character) - Speediest skater, but weak at performing all sorts of tricks.
Jasmine (Character) - Best at performing spin tricks, weak at performing technical tricks, and worst at performing grind tricks.
Roach - Best at performing more technical tricks and grinds, despite being the slowest skater and having both the worst spin tricks and low ollies.
Cyrus - All-round skater with high ollies and no real upsides or downsides.

As Roach, entering BEESUITGUY as the player's name turns him into Bee Suit Guy, who wears a bee suit and starts with maximum stats. Each character also has their own hidden deck that is unlocked with certain names (SOMBER for Axl, ZONTAR for Kahli, VENGE for Scab, TODDLAND for Jasmine, BYTOR for Roach, MARDUK for Cyrus, and ZAXIS or ROCKSTAR for any character).

Stats

Name	Ollie	Tech	Spin	Balance	Landing	Speed
Axl	10	5	7	4	8	9
Kahli	3	9	7	9	6	5
Scab	7	3	4	5	10	10
Jasmine	6	5	10	3	6	6
Roach	3	10	3	10	5	4
Cyrus	10	7	8	7	7	7

Levels

Progressing through each of the game's 12 levels requires players to participate in two-minute runs, with the game having a score goal. Most levels end each run by having the player evade a police chase, although special Contest levels simply end the run (while having a point penalty for falls). Prior to the run, players can freely skate the level at their convenience.

USA

Hometown

New York (Location)

The Subway
Washington Square Park
Brooklyn Banks (Contest)

Los Angeles (Location)

Venice
LA River
Courthouse (Contest)

San Francisco (Location)

China Banks
The Hills
Embarcadero (Contest)

International

South Bank
Der Kolosseum (Contest)

Multiplayer

There are seven different multiplayer modes available, none of which have both players skating simultaneously. Instead, each player takes turns skating in an effort to either get the most points or, in the case of H.O.R.S.E, surviving the longest.

Sessions - A single two minute run, with the highest score wins.
Nickel Bag - A single trick attempt per round, with the highest trick score winning the round. Best of five rounds.
H.O.R.S.E. - One player performs a trick, and the other must succeed at the same trick. Failing so gives them a letter, and the first to spell out the word loses.
Top Dog - Five trick attempts, each at a particular location in the level. Highest total score wins.
Sick Fix - Three attempts at inflicting the most damage to themselves by falling off the board and rag-dolling.
Long Grind - Three attempts at making the longest grind.
Big Wallride - Three attempts at making the biggest wallride.

Soundtrack

Rappers Delight - Sugarhill Gang
Planet Rock (Elektric Mix) - Afrika Bambaataa & Soul Sonic Force
White Lines (Don't Do It) - Grandmaster Flash
King Of Rock - Run DMC
I Know You Got Soul - Eric B & Rakim
Rebel Without A Pause - Public Enemy
Kool Keith Housing Things - Ultramagnetic MC's
I'm Housing - EPMD
Talking All That Jazz - Stetasonic
Award Tour - A Tribe Called Quest
Just To Get A Rep - Gang Starr
Freestyle Noize - The Freestylers
My Beatbox - Deejay Punk-Roc
Crossfader Dominator - Sniper

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