Skate or Die! review - Nintendo Entertainment System

Skate or Die! box art Skateboarding has been big for ages now, with clubs, magazines, and whole shops devoted to the sport. Now, if it's raining or you've broken your trucks, you don't even have to leave your bedroom to go 'boarding - so long as you've got a Nintendo and a copy of Skate or Die.

The game casts you as a rad dude in a post-holocaust future. The aim is to prove your abilities to Rodney Recloose, the owner of the Flesh 'n' Asphalt Skateboard Shoppe who, along with his mates, rules the roost around town.

The game is divided into five different sections: the downhill race, freestyle on a half-pipe, downhill jam where you fight an opponent, half-pipe jump and pool joust where you battle other players.

Control of the board is by "regular foot" or "goofy foot", which gives either rotational or directional controls - you just pick the one which best suits your playing style. There's also a choice between competition mode or practice mode, to allow you to practice before you enter the real challenges.

What the Mean Machines staff thought

This is one of the most complicated games on the Nintendo to get to grips with initially, as the responsiveness is rather poor. However this game has a great deal to offer in the long run, with its wide range of options and the multiplayer possibilities. This is fine if you're into games which require loads of practice before you get anywhere, but if you like your action a little more immediate, you'll find yourself getting very frustrated by this.

One you've got over the hurdle of the tricky control method, Skate or Die has plenty of skateboarding laffs 'n' frolics on offer. The sprites are great, with plenty of neat touches - just watch your man get chopped to pieces when he skates into a chain-link fence, for example. The events are pretty varied and all apart from the high jump (which requires simple button-bashing to succeed) are fun to play. Check it out if you're into skateboarding.