720 Degrees

"The random people kicking and blocky cars that drive through skateparks is the most fun part of this game. Skate or die? I'll pick die."

So you like skateboard games? Great! You won't like this one. Here's my review:

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Synopsis: A simple, cheap little skateboarding game for the NES. Probably the first of it's kind, but pretty primitive.
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Graphics: They're general NES graphics, not good, but not as horrible as some games. If you want to know what a skateboarding game looks like on an old Nintendo, this is it. I almost want to say good for NES standards, but since the game is mostly ramps and stuff, it's nothing special.
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Play Control: If you're looking to do crazy tricks, you have but a few buttons to use. Most of doing this is in timing, which is not tough at all. It is not a difficult game, and is pretty easy to get the hang of. Unless you're trying to get a crapload of points, the controls are pretty simple.
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Game Design: This is one of the game's biggest failures. I felt that the game was too small, even for NES standards. It's basically the same course, 4 levels. It's so simple, the game could have been programmed in a day for all I know. The game is just a few stands, streets, ramps, and “parks”, which are really 2 second long hills. Nothing impressive.
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Satisfaction: For myself, not much at all. It's pretty mediocre. I wouldn't say the game is utter garbage, but it wasn't cool or fun other than that skateboarding gamers in the ‘80's had something to enjoy. Otherwise, it doesn't stand out too much and didn't entertain me all that much either. I will give it that it is more unique than some games though, a rare genre on the NES.
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Sound: This is another problem. I have heard worse Nintendo music, but I wouldn't call the music good. Especially when they tried to make a “funky beat”, with 8 bits, it ended up horrendous. Every other tune was just your normal annoying NES tunes.
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Comments: It's short, it's simple, yet boring. If you're a diehard skate fan, you might like it. Otherwise, it is only fun for a few minutes. And it's also really random too. Cars flying through skate parks, killer swarms of bees, random people kicking, and the list goes on and on. It's a rather dull game in the long run, so I will stick to the later Tony Hawk games.
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Ultimate Rating: 3/10
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Reviewer's Score: 3/10, Originally Posted: 10/12/07, Updated 10/15/07

Game Release: 720 Degrees (US, November 1989)