Tag: Skateboarding »

For all the hate that it gets for being a pastime for slackers, skateboarding really does require a lot of skill. All those flips and spins take real athleticism, and there's all the jargon to memorize. Fortunately for us less extreme individuals, Epic Skater makes things a lot simpler by handling all that pesky “moving” business. We check out this upcoming endless runner - or skater, rather - in this edition of It Came From Canada!

Epic Skater always starts with its kid hero bursting out of a dusty old classroom to go skate in the big city. But from there, the game randomly strings together its environments to create a slightly different experience each time. Certain sections will become familiar, but changing the order keeps players on their toes, and their toes on the board. The different backdrops are also lovingly detailed, whether it’s the giant “Epicwood” sign or the various restaurants players skate by after emerging from the sewers. And it’s all brought to life in a colorful, fast-paced, 3D cartoon world.

As an endless runner, the only goal is to make it as far as possible without stumbling over an obstacle. But what’s the fun in that? The real goal is to get as high a score as possible using the game’s fairly robust, Tony Hawk-style trick system. Swiping or holding down on the screen in various ways will trigger all kinds of unique flips, spins, and jumps. Players can chain moves together through manuals, or if their timing is really precise, hop right onto a grind rail in the background. The game gets quicker the longer it goes on, and soon players will be leaping over massive gaps at breakneck speeds. They might even start to worry for the kid - especially after watching some of the gnarly failure animations.

Between runs players can use the coins they’ve gathered to upgrade their board, or buy boosters at the start of each round. With real money they can also buy energy drinks to continue a failed run without losing any points. But as far as freemium elements go, that’s pretty inoffensive. Plus, by paying attention to the achievement system players can earn most of the experience they need to take their skater to the next level without crutches.

Currently, Epic Skater is only available in countries like New Zealand as part of its soft launch phase. But expect it to shred its way onto App Stores everywhere soon.

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A new game starring Tony Hawk, famous in gaming circles for the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series, is coming to iOS.

Tony Hawk's Shred Session takes after lane-based runners such as Subway Surfers, having players swiping to do tricks in skatepark levels across two different game modes. Six real-world skaterboarders, including both Tony Hawk and his son Riley, will be available. See more about the game in this hands-on video of Tony Hawk playing the game with Hodappy Bird protagonist Eli Hodapp.

Tony Hawk's Shred Session is planned for this summer, with a soft launch in the coming weeks.

Pocket Gamer reports that, in a recent video on Bloomberg TV, Tony Hawk has confirmed that another game in the iconic is bound for iOS.

There's not much else to go on, really. It's going to involve skateboarding, and Pocket Gamer mentions that the mogul seems pretty "enthusiastic about the project," but that's pretty much it. Although it's a little odd that he thinks there hasn't been a Tony Hawk game on mobile yet, given that Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 has been available since 2010 (and hasn't been updated in years). Maybe what he really means is that it'll be the first game in the series that was developed specifically for mobile?

Regardless, a new game is coming and we'll be keeping an eye out for more details.

Penny Time, the side-scrolling action game by Penny Skateboards Austrailia, has just updated with its first free content update. The new update has added a new mode, accessories, and a new character.

While a new character and accessories need no explanation, the new mode added to the game is a competition mode. In Competition Play, players compete head-to-head with other players from around the world. Winners in the competition will receive one of 15 original 22" skateboards from Penny. The competition ends in a little over a week. Check out the leaderboards here.

Penny Time is a skateboarding game from the Austrailian skateboard manufacturer, Penny. The game is a side-scroller where the player rides a Penny skateboard in search of points and multipliers while doing tricks. And to add the the fun, the skateboard has the ability to freeze time! More, free downloadable content is planned including even more characters, accessories and mode.