Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure

In an effort to cash in on the skating craze of the early 2000s, Disney, in conjunction with Activision, released Disney’s Extreme Skate Adventure to bring to popular genre to the next generation. To say this game was inspired by the Tony Hawk series is an understatement, as it utilizes the exact engine of Tony Hawk 4 to create this originally-licensed game featuring three Disney properties: Toy Story, Lion King, and Tarzan. With that in mind, created by Toys for Bob (a company that would later remaster Spyro and Crash Bandicoot to much acclaim) this game feels like an extremely well-crafted mod of a popular series.

Inviting the Next Generation of Gamers

One of the most exciting things about Disney’s Extreme Skate Adventure is its inception. What was promoted as a Skate competition for young skateboarders nationwide became a way for the two rising stars (and victors) of the competition to become playable characters in the upcoming game. That said, the two young victors are prominently displayed on the start-screen and character selection wheel of this game for all time.

If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It

However, beyond the originality of the inception—the actual game is a practical carbon-copy of Tony Hawk games with a little Disney magic and marketing flourish thrown in. The game features three modes: Adventure, Free Play, and Versus—all of which may be familiar to fans of the Tony Hawk series. Adventure is a collect-a-thon with original levels based on the Disney properties. They’re exciting renditions of the movies and do well to immerse players in the distinct worlds. That said, the soundtrack of each leaves quite a bit to be desired.

Beyond the Adventure, Free Play mode lets players choose any character to play on any level (Adventure is thematically consistent) which means Woody can skate around Tarzan’s Jungle. The last mode, Versus, pits two players against one another in challenges. And the final, fun piece of development to note, is the Create-A-Skater mode, where players can design their own avatar similar to what the kids who won the competition look like aesthetically.

Watered Down, But Not Too Much

While the game looks and feels like a Tony Hawk game, it doesn’t carry with it the development of the series that Neversoft perfected. Mostly modeled after the original entries of the series, it lacks some of the polish that came later. Challenges are simple, replayability is determined by interest in the level rather than missions to complete, and the actual tricks are slightly unbalanced. For example, lip tricks done by holding down a balance meter on a half-pipe are far easier than landing air tricks—as those seem to require extreme precision.

An Exciting Entry Point

The best thing about Disney’s Extreme Skate Adventure is that it has the ability to get a younger generation not only interested in skating, but the video game counterparts that make up a unique genre. While the game does have some shortcomings in execution, it more than accomplishes what it set out to do—bring skating games to a younger player-base by incorporating characters they know and love.

Pros

• Tried and true gameplay
• Exciting levels inspired by movies
• Great cast of characters
• Fun creation through competition

Cons

• Watered down mechanics/challenges
• Inconsistent trick balancing
• Limited replayability