Thrasher Presents: Skate and Destroy

"An awesome skateboarding game, but maybe only awesome through the eyes of a skateboarder..."

I love to skateboard, and I have been doing it for years now. I always played the Tony Hawk Pro Skater series, but felt that it was too unreal in ways. Thrasher is a game where you start out as just a normal kid, and try to work your way up in the industry. Sadly, Thrasher Skate and Destroyed was a game that many people missed when it first came out. If you want a great skateboarding game that is more realistic than the Tony Hawk Pro Skater series, then this is the game for you.

Gameplay: Thrasher’s gameplay is what makes it so awesome. You start off by choosing one of multiple characters, each with their own different statistics and what not, and then you start playing a level. When entering a level, you can do whatever you would like. Kind of like an equivalent to Tony Hawk Pro Skater’s Free Skate mode. By hitting the select button you start your run, which makes a two minute timer appear. Each level has a certain number of points that you must score in order to advance in the game. After the timer has run out, you will be chased, depending on the level by cops or other certain people. After being chased out, if you have enough points, you will unlock a new level, new tricks, and possibly an offer from a sponsor. This is another thing I love about this game; you can select your own sponsors which give you different shoes, boards, clothes, etc. There are a total of 12 levels, and the majority of them are great. There are also multiple two player competitions consisting of longest grind, highest score, and a bunch of others. All together, Thrasher’s gameplay is near perfect once you get the hang of the tricky controls.

Graphics: The graphics aren’t too shabby. Considering this was released in 1999 for playstation, don’t expect it to look anything like the Tony Hawk games on PS2. But for the time that it came out, it is great. The characters are cool looking, the levels are big, the tricks are pretty, what more could you ask for?

Sound: The soundtrack is probably one of the best I have ever heard for a game. It’s all rap, and there isn't a bad track on there. Artists like Grandmaster Flash and A Tribe Called Quest are on it. The only problem I found with the sound was, the songs don’t change, once a song is over, it plays itself again. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, considering all the songs are awesome, but it can get annoying have to go into the options menu and change the song ever 2 minutes if you want a variety.

Replay Value: I’ve never gotten sick of this game. There are a bunch of characters to play through the game with, each with a different special trick, 12 levels, and numerous multiplayer modes. This one will keep you entertained for quite some time.

Buy or Rent: If you are a skateboarder, then you this game is for you. If you are just an everyday gamer looking for another game like Tony Hawk, you might like this, you might not. Therefore rent it, see how you like it, and then decide what to do from there. If you are a skateboarder, then I really doubt you will be disappointed by this game.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/29/03, Updated 07/29/03