If art imitates life, the evolution of skateboarding video games isn’t too far off from the progression timeline of our beloved culture. It started in the ’80s, with the boneless being the only way to get off the ground, and the first video game, 720, had us spinning its circular joystick around and competing in slaloms and downhills.
In the modern age, we’ve got dual-stick controllers at home on high-powered consoles and each stick and button specifically controls your characters legs and movements—did we go too far? Right in the middle, though, Tony Hawk’s brainchild absolutely obliterated all gaming expectations and changed not just gaming but the world of skateboarding as well. Here’s how our picks shake out.
1. 720°
Not all of you reading this might remember this upright arcade classic. Built in the ’80s, this game had a rotating joystick and simple “Kick” and “Jump” buttons. Your character was a classic ’80s skater who only got off the ground by bonelessing. Perhaps this video was designed before the Ollie was common knowledge? Arcade visitors worldwide got their wrist workouts trying to whip around those 720 bonelesses before time ran out, and the swarm of bees wiped you out.
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“Released in 1986, 720° by Atari was the world’s first skateboarding arcade game, capturing the thrill of 80s skate culture with its unique joystick and open-world challenges like the half-pipe and downhill race. The iconic cabinet, topped with a boom box-inspired design, made it stand out in any arcade.”
Twenty-seven years after its release, arcade animals are still setting new records on this relic:
Dude’s got 720s on lock and a bionic wrist.
720
2. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater Franchise
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, the THPS franchise should be a household name. Not just the biggest skateboarding game to ever hit consoles, but it’s the best-selling title in Activision’s history. We’ve done our fair share of deep-dive articles on the games below.
Related: 13 Fun Facts About the “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater” Video Game Franchise
In its latest news, THPS has just released remastered versions of THPS 3 and 4 so they’d be worth a download to see all those classic levels in 2025 4K glory. Plus they’ve got new characters like Rayssa Leal and Yuto Horigome. The soundtrack as well mixes bands from the original releases (Motorhead, Gang Starr, CKY) with new tracks.
3. The EA SKATE Franchise
The much-more-difficult-to-play skateboarding game on the market to counter the THPS franchise. EA’s SKATE also got a roster of big-name pros to star in the game, and they had the most epic commercials for each game launch. After SKATE 3, there’s been a long-awaited crowd-frothing for the next installment, which is scheduled for this year, finally. The OG game trailer below is worth a rewatch. Gonz as a surgeon?!
4. T&C Surf Designs: Wood and Water Rage
A classic from the Nintendo days! Half skating, half surfing, you could step on board as one of T&C’s colorful “Da’ Boys” mascots and Ollie and boardslide your way through the beachside levels—1988 was a great year. Peep this playthrough as Tiki Man barges the seaside ‘crete:
T&C
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5. Skater XL
Another physics-based gameplay model, where each controller stick corresponds to your skater’s legs, this one locked down Tiago Lemos, Evan Smith, Tom Asta and Brandon Westgate as its playable pros. Play on a console or on your phone.
Still updated with user-created maps, get down on the Skater XL Mod Browser on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.
6. Session Skate Sim
Session Skate Sim launched in 2022, boasting controllable pros like Daewon Song, Dane Burman, Nora Vasconcellos, Jahmir Brown, and Torey Pudwill, skate spots like The Brooklyn Banks, D7, Pyramid Ledges, San Francisco’s Pier 7 and China Banks, various Philly locales, and core shops No Comply and Nocturnal. Capture your tricks and edit ’em up for the homies.
“Welcome to the golden era of 90s skateboarding as Session: Skate Sim steps out of Xbox Game Preview and into the big leagues for our official launch. With its unique twin stick control system, transfer weight on the board to pull off tricks as if you were skating in the real world. Don’t forget to capture it on a video and share it with the in-game video editor, after all is it really a sick trick if no one was around to see it? Skate across various locations including Brooklyn banks (New York City), FDR Park (Philadelphia), Pier 7 and China Banks (San Francisco) and more. We’ve got an iconic roster of skaters you can play as too or create your own with gear and skateboard parts from real-world brands. From gameplay to gear, we’re pushing absolute realism when it comes to Skateboarding, experience it for yourself now as Session: Skate Sim is available NOW on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.”
Related: 8 Best Skateboarding Movies and Documentaries To Watch
7. California Games
Who could forget this 1987 classic with the vert ramp in front of the Hollywood sign? Now available on Steam, once you’re done ripping the half pipe, try your hand at roller skating, surfing, BMX, footbag and the flying disc. Half of these are in the Olympics now!
8. Skate or Die
The late ’80s were rich with skate video games! Yes, this is the one with the Rodney Dangerfield-looking mohawk guy staring you down in the skate shop. Released by EA in 1987, they’ve come a long way to now making the SKATE series. This one kinda stands up: The half-pipe tricks are fun, you can go head-to-head in the pool joust, and the downhill jams rip—bombing down a back alley, kicking and punching your opponent as you go?!
Finish strong by Ollieing onto the hood of a cop car. The developers knew what was up.
Related: 9 Core Skate Shops You Need to Visit in San Diego
