Thrasher Presents: Skate and Destroy

"Don't ignore this game because of Tony Hawk."

This game would have gotten more respect if it did not got released right after Tony Hawk Pro skater. These are two quite different games. Tony hawk is more of a fast action arcade game. Thrasher is a more realistic skating game which takes longer to learn. The control and animations are both smooth (the wipeouts are great). There are 12 areas to skate one: two of which, however, are rather lame. In one player mode some more advanced tricks are leaned as you go. You can also choose the sponsers you want to represent on your shirt, shoes, and board. The sound track on this game is the coolest I've heard on a playstation game. Rather than having music created for the game it uses existing old-school hip-hop songs by such artists as Run DMC, Gang Starr, and Public Enemy. Also included is, in my opinion, one of the coolest rap songs ever: Rappers Delight by Sugar Hill Gang. I think the main flaw is the lack of a split screen 2 player mode. Also, in the game when you are moving slowly near a ledge or stairs, the character sometims falls for seemingly no reasson. Overall this is a fun game for anyone once you get good at it but actual skaters will appreciate it more than non-skating gamers. Sure if this game is an 8, then Tony Hawk probably probably should be a 9 due to its pure fun factor, but I dont think that should keep you away from this game.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 12/04/99, Updated 12/04/99