Move over, Tony Hawk. You've got some new competition gunning at you in this game, which features up-and-coming skaters who are both dangerously hip and recklessly rebellious. Endorsed by skating bible Thrasher magazine, this game captures the true spirit, style, and skill of the renegade freestyle street-skating culture. Choose from several skaters, pick an outfit, and then select from one of 12 skateboarding locations, including the Brooklyn Bridge banks or L.A.'s Santa Monica Courthouse. These and other concrete temples are all based on real-life locations.

There are more than 100 tricks to master, which is necessary if you want to unlock secret levels or outrun the donut-eating cops. Since motion-capture technology was used to design the movement of each skater, each special move looks fairly natural when executed. In addition, each environment is completely interactive. For example, you will see leaves fall from a tree if you happen to hit it. Of course, you can also interact with objects to show off your skating skills. We had fun sliding down ramps and jumping over trashcans.

One of the strengths of Thrasher: Skate and Destroy is its phenomenal hip-hop soundtrack, which features icons like Grandmaster Flash, Eric B. & Rakim, EPMD, A Tribe Called Quest, Gang Starr, Sugar Hill Gang, Afrika Bambaataa, Public Enemy, Stetasonic, and Run-D.M.C. --Carrie Bell

Pros:

• Endorsed by Thrasher magazine
• One of the only freestyle skating games on the market
• Totally interactive environments

Cons:

• Difficult to master
• Graphics could use some sharpening

Average Customer Review: ( 49 customer reviews )
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I'm going to break this skate simulation down into various categories for you:

Graphics 8/10 Not exactly pushing the playstation's limits, but they work well. They're not really as ugly as they are plain. Low on detail, but by no means an eyesore. There are more than a few glitches in this however, but they don't detract from the fun.

Gameplay: 9/10 Every trick imaginable is crammed in this game. They can all be linked smoothly together through a clever trick system. This game moves a lot slower that Tony Hawk Pro Skater and will take some getting used too. When you take a slam, it takes to long to get up, which can be annoying in timed runs, where every second counts. It feels like the ledges in this game haven't been waxed in years, and balance is lost too quickly when grinding. Most of the trick animations look really good, except for a few: F/S nosegrind, b/s smith, and hardflip all leave much to be desired. This game boasts a clever nollie modifier button, so you can actually do nollie and fakie tricks, unlike Pro Skater.

Sound: 10/10 This game comes with a great old School hip-hop sound track featuring Gangstarr, PublicEnemy and a Tribe Called Quest. I being a big fan of punk, really enjoyed the game's soundtrack. All the skate noises sound authentic and you will feel like you are actually skating.

Control: 7/10 Doing flip tricks on this game is awkward to say the least. Because you have to hold a directional button to do different flips you will also lean in that direction. This does not give you the precision needed to line up different flips in to grinds. After you master this game you will get the kind of get the hang of it. (You have to press the flip trick direction very fast.) But it is still a problem. Also the pump/go button is the same as the grind button so sometimes you will be riding over a ramp or curb and accidentally grind it. It can get annoying. Other than that I had no problems and thought everything else worked out pretty smooth. There is two little cool features in this game that I thought should be mentioned: You can die in this game, so think twice before you hurl your self off those buildings, and if you think you are going to slam you can bail in the air to reduce damage.

Challenge: 9/10 This game is not easy and first time players will be faced with a good amount of frustration. Give it some time though and you will be rewarded with the satisfaction of playing a truly outstanding game. Pretty soon you will be on your way too becoming Thrasher Skater of the Year, which is no small task.

Multi-Player: 8/10 There are 7 different games to play with a friend. The problem is none of them can be played simultaneously, they are all turned based. Longest wallride and hardest slam are some of the more diverse games to play. I wish they had longest manual contest though.

Replay Value: 10/10 You will be playing this game long after you have beat the snot out of the 1 player game. If multi-player doesn't keep things interesting enough, it's always a blast to try to top your previous high scores on levels. The high level of challenge also keeps things from getting stale.

Overall 9/10 This game is directed toward actual skaters. A non-skater would probably not have a very good time with this game. If you skate and think Tony Hawk Pro Skater is too unrealistic, pick this game up right away. It is really fun and well worth your money!

5 of 5 found the following review helpful:

A Must Buy For Any SkaterFeb 10, 2000

When I first played this game I thought it wasn't that good. I thought Tony Hawk's Pro Skater was better. Then I got used to it. After that I was like "Tony what?" In Thrasher you can pull off almost any (if not all) skating moves. In Tony Hawk's Pro Skater you can only pull off a few. I noticed that in Thrasher you can do half-cabs, in Tony Hawks you can't. The graphics may not be as good, but so what. This game is one of the best games I've played on the Playstation in a LONG TIME. The interactive levels make this game even better. If you bust a trick over a gap it'll give you a "risky" factor. I also like it when the cops come to take your board. If you bust a trick in front of them it gives you a lot more points. It is hard to put everything I like about this game in here, so just go out and get this game and see for youself. You'll fall in love with it in about 20 minutes.

7 of 8 found the following review helpful:

Fun as hellApr 10, 2000

When I first started playing,Skate & Destroy,I thought the controls were bad and that the gameplay was extremely boring. The only reason being, I had just finished playing, THPS(Tony Hawks Pro Skater). Which is fast and extremely easy. When you play skate and destroy, the controls are a little hard to get used to but as you as you do get used to the game itself, there is know way you can go back to THPS. In Skate and Destroy, there are so many different tricks and options. Even for multiplayer, there are seven different modes to choose from.(There is a mode called sick fix, where each player sees who can hurt themselves the hardest). There is even a bail button. This game is immesly realistic and has everything. PLus there are over twice as many tricks in Skate and Destroy as there are in THPS. Also, in Skate and Destroy, as you move on in the levels (12 by the way) you can get different sponsors to choose from. And you become more experienced and learn different tricks. If you just want to sit back and go couch skateing real easily, choose THPS. But after you play Skate and Destroy, you will just think that THPS is BORING.

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