Thrasher: Skate and Destroy
Encyclopedia
Thrasher Presents Skate and Destroy (also called Thrasher SK8 in Japan
and Thrasher presents Skate and Destroy; see box art) is a skateboarding
video game developed by Z-Axis
and released in 1999 for the Sony PlayStation. A Game Boy Color
version was also developed, but was later cancelled. This is likely due to when Thrasher was released, following in the wake of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater
and therefore being largely overshadowed (much like many other skateboarding and extreme sports games released after).
Despite having less recognition, it received high scores from both IGN
and GameSpot
, being seen as "technically superior to Tony Hawk" and an "almost sim-like approach to the sport". Aside from less advanced graphics, this was one of the reasons Thrasher was ignored, as the learning curve
(due to unconventional controls) is fairly steep compared to the 'pick up and play' style of the Tony Hawk games.
The objective of the game is to take one of the six fictional skaters
and work through a total of 12 levels across the globe, gaining sponsors, decks and clothing, and eventually appearing on the front of the Thrasher magazine
- from which the game takes its name.
of skateboarding as a whole, the focus of the game is mostly on technical tricks and to perform tricks efficiently, a formula that the future skateboarding series Skate
would build on, whereas the Tony Hawk series, even from its outset, had a focus on arcade style gameplay and is rather more forgiving.
Like the other Z-Axis developed sports titles, the game features ragdoll physics
. In keeping with the realistic nature of the game, players can break their skateboard and even bones if they crash hard enough (especially if the player does so into moving vehicles). Breaking their skateboard will mean the player has the restart their run and will lose their score, so it is in their best interest to use the 'bail' button combination (L2 + R2), as well as the 'tuck' button (Circle/O), while in the air to minimize the damage.
Unlike many other extreme sports titles, most importantly Tony Hawk's, the game has a drastically different control scheme. The
face button performs ollies, aka jumps. In Tony Hawk the 
button face button gains speed and performs ollies, in Thrasher it also gains speed but instead performs grinds when near the edges of certain objects (instead of the 
button in THPS, which is now used in combination with the directional buttons for different flips). The player does not need to ollie while skating to perform fliptricks, instead only the button is used. Holding one of the shoulder buttons in combination with and a direction will produce either a nollie or fakie variation, depending if the skater is in a Switch stance.
While in the air, grabs can be executed by pressing the
button in combination with a directional button. Pressing this while skating flat (in conjunction with , if desired) will instead perform different degree spins. Powerslides and Switching stances are done by pressing the L1 shoulder button plus Down, or L1 plus the button respectively. Manuals and Nose Manuals are executed by pressing L1, the Button and either Up or Down. If the player uses the Right button instead of Down or Up while near a wall, a Wallride is done instead of a (Nose) Manual.
Playing on the ‘Expert’ difficulty setting also adds to the gameplay. The face buttons should be held while in the air to increase height, and the (Ollie) button must be pressed before every landing, so that the skater can balance properly to finish the trick. These requirements do not apply to the other difficulties.
; This occurs when the time limit reaches ten seconds. The player is seen from behind, with a policeman's arm extended out ready to grab the skater, who then must then leave the level through one of the designated exit doors. If the skater is caught, then their score is annulled and the run must be done again.
In the competition levels (last level of each zone), the player's objective is also to gain score, except this time they are being judged on "high difficulty, risk and style". Repeating the same tricks in the same areas devalues their point score, so the player must use a wide selection of different tricks and objects in the level, as well as avoiding bails (sometimes almost completely) to progress.
At certain points in the game, the player is also offered choices of sponsors. Three are available at once, but only one can be chosen, which then gives the player new decks, shirts, pants and shoes to outfit their skater with.
Once the player has completed the game on the Expert setting, they are classified as a 'Pro Skater'. However, to fully complete the game and to feature on the cover of Thrasher Magazine
, the player must go back through the levels and once again complete them. At the end of the runs, the player is able to take a photo of any tricks performed in that run to feature on the cover. Completing all of this lets the player feature in the 'Skater of the Year' issue of the magazine, which marks the end of the game.
, the players do not skate simultaneously, instead they take turns. The game types are actually exactly the same as Dave Mirra, just renamed. Each game takes place on a different level associated with the specific challenge. The game types are follows:
Hometown
New York
Los Angeles
San Francisco
International
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and Thrasher presents Skate and Destroy; see box art) is a skateboarding
Skateboarding
Skateboarding is an action sport which involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard.Skateboarding can be a recreational activity, an art form, a job, or a method of transportation. Skateboarding has been shaped and influenced by many skateboarders throughout the years. A 2002 report...
video game developed by Z-Axis
Z-Axis Ltd.
Underground Development was a video game developer founded in 1994 and acquired by Activision in May 2002. In 2005, Z-Axis relocated to Foster City, California...
and released in 1999 for the Sony PlayStation. A Game Boy Color
Game Boy Color
The is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than...
version was also developed, but was later cancelled. This is likely due to when Thrasher was released, following in the wake of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater
-Reception:The game was very well-received by most critics, scoring an outstanding 92 on Metacritic based on 18 reviews for the PS1 version. IGN gave the N64 version of the game a 9.1 out of 10 praising the gameplay for "genius control, combo system and design" despite little criticism with sound...
and therefore being largely overshadowed (much like many other skateboarding and extreme sports games released after).
Despite having less recognition, it received high scores from both IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
and GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
, being seen as "technically superior to Tony Hawk" and an "almost sim-like approach to the sport". Aside from less advanced graphics, this was one of the reasons Thrasher was ignored, as the learning curve
Learning curve
A learning curve is a graphical representation of the changing rate of learning for a given activity or tool. Typically, the increase in retention of information is sharpest after the initial attempts, and then gradually evens out, meaning that less and less new information is retained after each...
(due to unconventional controls) is fairly steep compared to the 'pick up and play' style of the Tony Hawk games.
The objective of the game is to take one of the six fictional skaters
Skateboarding
Skateboarding is an action sport which involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard.Skateboarding can be a recreational activity, an art form, a job, or a method of transportation. Skateboarding has been shaped and influenced by many skateboarders throughout the years. A 2002 report...
and work through a total of 12 levels across the globe, gaining sponsors, decks and clothing, and eventually appearing on the front of the Thrasher magazine
Thrasher magazine
Thrasher is a monthly skateboarding magazine founded in 1981 by Kevin Thatcher, Eric Swenson, and Fausto Vitello. It regularly publishes articles , skateboard photography, interviews with professional skateboarders, interviews with and reviews of musical groups, skatepark reviews, and miscellaneous...
- from which the game takes its name.
Gameplay
Reviewers noted the more realistic style and different control layout, compared to Tony Hawk, which added to the overall difficulty of the game. Because it is more of a simulationSimulation
Simulation is the imitation of some real thing available, state of affairs, or process. The act of simulating something generally entails representing certain key characteristics or behaviours of a selected physical or abstract system....
of skateboarding as a whole, the focus of the game is mostly on technical tricks and to perform tricks efficiently, a formula that the future skateboarding series Skate
Skate (video game)
Skate is a skateboarding video game developed by EA Black Box for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It was released in North America on September 17, 2007 for the Xbox 360 and September 24, 2007 for the PlayStation 3 and in Europe on September 28, 2007 for the Xbox 360 and October 5, 2007 for the...
would build on, whereas the Tony Hawk series, even from its outset, had a focus on arcade style gameplay and is rather more forgiving.
Like the other Z-Axis developed sports titles, the game features ragdoll physics
Ragdoll physics
In computer physics engines, ragdoll physics is a type of procedural animation that is often used as a replacement for traditional static death animations.-Introduction:Early video games used manually-created animations for characters' death sequences...
. In keeping with the realistic nature of the game, players can break their skateboard and even bones if they crash hard enough (especially if the player does so into moving vehicles). Breaking their skateboard will mean the player has the restart their run and will lose their score, so it is in their best interest to use the 'bail' button combination (L2 + R2), as well as the 'tuck' button (Circle/O), while in the air to minimize the damage.
Controls
Note: This section describes the default control configuration. Two others can be selected in the options menu.Unlike many other extreme sports titles, most importantly Tony Hawk's, the game has a drastically different control scheme. The
face button performs ollies, aka jumps. In Tony Hawk the button face button gains speed and performs ollies, in Thrasher it also gains speed but instead performs grinds when near the edges of certain objects (instead of the button in THPS, which is now used in combination with the directional buttons for different flips). The player does not need to ollie while skating to perform fliptricks, instead only the button is used. Holding one of the shoulder buttons in combination with and a direction will produce either a nollie or fakie variation, depending if the skater is in a Switch stance.While in the air, grabs can be executed by pressing the
button in combination with a directional button. Pressing this while skating flat (in conjunction with , if desired) will instead perform different degree spins. Powerslides and Switching stances are done by pressing the L1 shoulder button plus Down, or L1 plus the button respectively. Manuals and Nose Manuals are executed by pressing L1, the Button and either Up or Down. If the player uses the Right button instead of Down or Up while near a wall, a Wallride is done instead of a (Nose) Manual.Playing on the ‘Expert’ difficulty setting also adds to the gameplay. The face buttons should be held while in the air to increase height, and the
(Ollie) button must be pressed before every landing, so that the skater can balance properly to finish the trick. These requirements do not apply to the other difficulties.Skate Mode
This is the main gameplay mode, where the player advances through 12 different levels in a series of two minute runs. When the player enters a level, there is no time limit so they are free to explore the whole area before starting their run with the Select button. The player then has two minutes to get the high score necessary to complete the level without breaking their board, or being arrested by the police officerPolice officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
; This occurs when the time limit reaches ten seconds. The player is seen from behind, with a policeman's arm extended out ready to grab the skater, who then must then leave the level through one of the designated exit doors. If the skater is caught, then their score is annulled and the run must be done again.
In the competition levels (last level of each zone), the player's objective is also to gain score, except this time they are being judged on "high difficulty, risk and style". Repeating the same tricks in the same areas devalues their point score, so the player must use a wide selection of different tricks and objects in the level, as well as avoiding bails (sometimes almost completely) to progress.
At certain points in the game, the player is also offered choices of sponsors. Three are available at once, but only one can be chosen, which then gives the player new decks, shirts, pants and shoes to outfit their skater with.
Once the player has completed the game on the Expert setting, they are classified as a 'Pro Skater'. However, to fully complete the game and to feature on the cover of Thrasher Magazine
Thrasher magazine
Thrasher is a monthly skateboarding magazine founded in 1981 by Kevin Thatcher, Eric Swenson, and Fausto Vitello. It regularly publishes articles , skateboard photography, interviews with professional skateboarders, interviews with and reviews of musical groups, skatepark reviews, and miscellaneous...
, the player must go back through the levels and once again complete them. At the end of the runs, the player is able to take a photo of any tricks performed in that run to feature on the cover. Completing all of this lets the player feature in the 'Skater of the Year' issue of the magazine, which marks the end of the game.
Multiplayer Mode
There are 7 total multiplayer game types available for 2 players. In the same way as Dave Mirra Freestyle BMXDave Mirra Freestyle BMX
Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX is a video game released in 2000 featuring Dave Mirra and other professional BMX riders. It was developed by Z-Axis Ltd. and published by Acclaim, and was released on the PlayStation, Dreamcast, Game Boy Color and the Windows PC...
, the players do not skate simultaneously, instead they take turns. The game types are actually exactly the same as Dave Mirra, just renamed. Each game takes place on a different level associated with the specific challenge. The game types are follows:
- Sessions: Each player has a two minute run to beat the other player's score.
- Nickel Bag: Players take turns doing single tricks. The highest scoring single trick wins.
- H.O.R.S.E.: One player does a trick, then the other must match it. If they do not, they are assigned one of the letters of 'HORSE'. The first player to get all the letters, spelling out the whole word, loses.
- Top Dog: Each player takes turns doing different tricks at five different spots. The highest total point score wins.
- Sick Fix: Taking advantage of the ragdoll physics, the players take turns inflicting the most damage to the player by crashing into different objects in the level. The highest score wins.
- Long Grind: Longest grind in the level wins.
- Big Wallride: The highest wallride in the level wins.
Levels
There are 13 levels. They are listed below in order of progression.Hometown
New York
- The Subway
- WashingtonWashington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Square Park - Brooklyn BridgeBrooklyn BridgeThe Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River...
Banks - West SideWest Side-India:* Kanpur* Mumbai* DELHI* Kolkata* Chennai* Bangalore* Hyderabad* Ahmedabad* Pune* Lucknow* Ludhiana* Jaipur* Patna* Indore* Bhopal* Chandigarh* Vadodara* Rajkot* Kochi,India* sagwara-Switzerland:...
Sex Shop
Los Angeles
- VeniceVenice, Los Angeles, CaliforniaVenice is a beachfront district on the Westside of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is known for its canals, beaches and circus-like Ocean Front Walk, a two-and-a-half mile pedestrian-only promenade that features performers, fortune-tellers, artists, and vendors...
Beach - LALos Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
River - The Courthouse
San Francisco
- China Banks
- The Hills
- Embarcadero
International
- South BankSouth BankSouth Bank is an area of London, England located immediately adjacent to the south side of the River Thames. It forms a long and narrow section of riverside development that is within the London Borough of Lambeth to the border with the London Borough of Southwark and was formerly simply known as...
, United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... - Das Kolosseum, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Skaters
There are six fictional characters to choose from in Thrasher. The skater descriptions are taken from the game manual. Players can rename and re-clothe (when new clothes are unlocked) any skater if so desired. Each player has different statistics, meaning that some tricks will be performed more easily. Also, each character also has a special move that is executed with a specific combination.- Axl: Tough and Versatile. He'll take on any terrain with huge snaps and has scar tissue thicker than most people's kneepads.
- Kahli: All-around skater. At home on ledges and picnic tables. Can pull any grind, with flips in and out.
- Scab: Rides fast and hard. Bombs hills, jumps off buildings and grinds anything available. Tough.
- Jasmine: A vertical fiend. More comfortable on mini-ramps than street terrain, and can throw down 540's all day long.
- Roach: The tech commando. Each trick is in the bag as long as he's on flat ground.
- Cyrus: A heavy hitter, throws big snaps over big sets. Destroys barriers and hydrants with huge kickflips.
Soundtrack
All of the songs on the game are from the rap genre, and represent a definitive selection of 'classic' rap from the late 1980s and early 1990s (many are from "The golden age of hip hop"). There is even a two-page section in the game manual dedicated to "The History of Hip Hop". While skating, two songs can be chosen at a time - one for freeskate, and one for the timed run.- A Tribe Called QuestA Tribe Called QuestA Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006...
- Award Tour - Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force - Planet Rock [Elektric Mix]
- Deejay Punk-Roc - My Beatbox
- EPMDEPMDEPMD is an American hip hop group from Brentwood, New York. The group's name is a concatenation of the members' name "E" and "PMD" or an acronym for "Erick and Parrish Making Dollars", referencing its members, emcees Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith...
- I'm Housin - Eric B & Rakim - I Know You Got Soul
- Gang StarrGang StarrGang Starr was an influential East Coast hip hop duo that consisted of the late MC Guru and DJ/producer DJ Premier. Their style combined elements of New York jazz and hip hop.-Background:...
- Just to Get a Rep - Grandmaster FlashMelle MelGrandmaster Mele Mel , also known as Melle Mel , is an American hip-hop musician — one of the pioneers of old school hip hop as lead rapper and main songwriter for Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.- Biography :...
- White Lines (Don't Do it)
- Public Enemy - Rebel Without a Pause
- Run DMC - King of Rock
- Sniper - Crossfader Dominator
- StetsasonicStetsasonicStetsasonic was an American hip hop group formed in 1979 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York. It is remembered as one of the first hip hop crews to use a live band, and the group's positive, uplifting lyrics made it forerunners of alternative hip hop and jazz hip...
- Talkin' All That Jazz - The FreestylersFreestylersThe Freestylers are a British electronic music group, generally fitting into the breakbeat genre. Recently their style has incorporated more of a drumstep sound, more in line with The Prodigy and other such artists.-Career:...
- Freestyle Noize - The Sugarhill GangThe Sugarhill GangThe Sugarhill Gang is an American hip hop group, known mostly for their 1979 hit, "Rapper's Delight", the first hip hop single to become a Top 40 hit. The song uses the instrumental track from the classic hit "Good Times" by Chic as its foundation....
- Rapper's Delight - Ultramagnetic MCsUltramagnetic MCsThe Ultramagnetic MC's is an American hip hop group based in Bronx, New York. Originally founded by Kool Keith, the group is composed of Ced Gee, TR Love, and Moe Love. Tim Dog became an unofficial member in 1989. In 1990, DJ Jaycee was added as Roadmanager and backup DJ. A former member, Rooney...
- Kool Keith Housing Things
Critical reception
The game was well received within the gaming press, gaining an average of 8.2/10 from 3 of the top review sites (individual scores listed below). According to the same list, the average 'Gamer score' was around the same, measuring 7.8/10, which brings its overall total to 8.0/10.- IGNIGNIGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
: 8.5/10 - GameSpotGameSpotGameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
: 8.1/10 - GameProGameProGamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
: 4/5, or 8/10
External links
- Official Thrasher: Skate and Destroy website
- Thrasher Magazine
- Thrasher at GameSpotGameSpotGameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
- Thrasher at IGNIGNIGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...