Designing a sequel to 720°, Bonus Entry!

I did have one other idea for the 720° sequel that didn’t fit in with the other blog entries. I was focused on the graphics, controls, and changes to both Skate City, and the competitions that I forgot to mention the soundtrack to the game. I would feature remixes of the classic songs by Earl Vickers, and Hal Cannon. I think that they are both still alive, I’d see if I could get them out of retirements for a few new pieces. Also we have the great cover of the OST by Metronome the City, I’d be sure to incorporate that as well. The game is an homage to the ‘80s skate culture, and classic arcade gaming. I’d try to put together a greatest hits of New Wave, and punk bands that shaped the generation. Groups like Oingo Boingo, Stiff Little Fingers, and The Toy Dolls covered a broad spectrum of US, and British influences. Then there were the faster thrash, and punk songs from Suicidal Tendencies, and Pennywise who helped shape the biggest arcade, and console skate hits. Although Pennywise, and a few other acts were born in the ‘90s, they were still an important part of the scene, and should be included.

In addition to digital format downloads, I would offer a limited edition run on vinyl. The original soundtrack was the very first one to be released on Flexi-Disk. It is highly desired by skate collectors, and arcade fans alike. When Metronome the City released their version they also offered it in a digital, and vinyl format. Putting the 720° sequel soundtrack on a physical record would be a nod to the legacy. Not only that, I would have secret outfits, and skateboards available for those that purchased the soundtrack. Perhaps something inspired by the “Cyco Punk” outfits of Suicidal Tendencies. Which are based in part on Southern California Latino Gang culture. Then there’s the even more iconic outfits worn by DEVO, including the “Energy Dome” helmets worn by the band. I'd certainly enjoy rocking out to the game while my character sported this look.

Do you remember any video game soundtrack ever offering unique in-game items? I’m sure this would be a welcome surprise for fans of the game, and help build enough support to get another game off the ground, if not inspire a team of developers to revisit Skate or Die. What do you think about that? Would you get a limited-edition soundtrack if it offered unique items for the game? Or do you just like listening to rad music? Let me know in the comments section, and I hope I have inspired you to check out skate games from any era. If you would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!

Designing a sequel to 720°, final part.

We have spent the past few days looking at the elements that would go into my version of a sequel to the arcade classic 720°. We covered the changes to the graphics, how it would appear like an isometric sprite-based game, but would actually be a 3D engine. With the updates in technology it would be able to zoom in, and out of the action. Also how the physics would be based on being able to pump transitions, allowing the character to build speed on ramp, and park courses. We looked at being able to spin, and flip along all three axis on vert tricks. We discussed how downhill skating would allow the player to tuck to gain speed, and slide around corners. We looked at the new skeleton skating main character, and how they can be customized. Players would be able to unlock skateboards, shoes, and protective gear which not only change the aesthetic of the character, but can boost their stats in competition. Some of the other things that players can unlock include visual effects to the stages, and character. One of which for example turns the level textures into bright neon colors, even bolder than the already wild graphics. Another would leave colorful speed lines behind the player, which would twist, and turn with their actions.

We also looked at how Skate City, and the competition portions would have evolved. We talked about how competition ramp, park, street, and downhill courses would be randomly generated so that the player would never play the same way twice. The final competition that players would be able to unlock is the Jump contest. In the original game this was a series of jumps onto targets. There were never any contest like this in 1986 when the game was originally released. With that said it would predict the rise in an entirely new form of ramp contest, specifically the Mega Ramp that was pioneered by Danny Way. Danny’s part in the King of Skate contest in 2002, and his video part in the DC Video in 2003 helped bring the gigantic ramp into public consciousness. He worked with the X-Games to get it into an official competition in 2004. It has been a featured event ever since, bringing the world a number of firsts for skateboarding.

The jump contest in the 720° sequel would be replaced with a Mega Ramp. Which is actually two unique challenges. First players have to get across a gap that goes anywhere from 40-70 feet. Players have enough speed, and hang time to perform off-axis 720° spins. Or a front, or back flip, while rotating up to 540° as well. Then they have to deal with an 18+ foot halfpipe which can launch them over 25 feet in the air. With that amount of speed, and height it is actually possible to spin 1260°, or even corkscrew a double inversion which would otherwise be impossible on a regular halfpipe. I want players to realize that all of the practice they’d gotten in vert competitions actually comes in handy when trying to spin, and flip on the monster ramp. I also want players to be in awe of how colossal airs are in the jump park, when compared to a standard halfpipe.

The actual mega ramp requires an advanced level of skill in order to ride successfully. This is why it would be the last type of contest a player would unlock. It requires the ability to go fast, handle split-second reactions, not to mention spin, flip, and land tricks. Players would have to have gotten a lot of experience going through Skate City, as well as entering other competitions to ensure they were completely comfortable with the controls. Also so that the stats of the character would no longer be Novice. An amateur skater would not have the speed, or rotation required to clear the gap, or land a big air out of the halfpipe. This is why Ams would compete on a scaled-down ramp called the Mini-Mega Ramp. It doesn’t have a gap, but rather platform in the middle. 

Competing on the smaller Mega-Mini would help the player learn how to control their speed, pump, and land tricks. The Am version of the ramp wouldn't change too much, aside from the location, and color of the ramp. The bigger differences would happen between Pro, and Legend contests. Those would become as random as other events. The first thing that would be random would be the placement of the quarter pipes at the bottom of the roll in. Some are positioned closer to the gap which would allow players to land standard tricks easier.

To win the competitions a player would have to either try a more difficult flip on the short gap, or more rotations on the long gap. A pro contest ramp might feature two closer quarter pipes, and one longer one, or vice-versa. The thing that would be added to Legend ramps would be a rail in the middle, or off to the sides of the gap. Players would know where the rail was by an arrow painted on the roll in. This would be like the diamond painted on the ramp in the original jump contests. So a legend jump contest would have a short quarter pipe gap, a long gap, and a rail. The placement of the rail, and quarter pipes would be random at each legend jump contest. Players are allowed up to seven tries on a jump ramp. To try and win a medal a player might use a short gap run to get on the scoreboard, and then chase a big launch, or rail combo which is required for the gold medal.

So that would be the last type of contest that you would be able to enter in my sequel. With that audiences would be able to cruise the massive Skate City, and get invited to random events all over the world. I’d like to know if this is a skateboarding game you would be interested in playing. Are there things that you would like to see? Or questions you have on the game play elements? I’d certainly like to hear about it. Also I need help coming up with a good name for it. Maybe this game should be called 900° in honor of Tony Hawk?

Then again Guy Khuri did land a 1080° on a halfpipe, and Mitchie Brusco did a 1260° on the mega ramp! They deserve some consideration too! Well, in any case it needs a good name. Tell me your thoughts on the entire project. Would you like to play it? Do you think I have a future in making games? Thank you for walking down this what-if road with me. Would you like to see me do another one of these armchair write ups on another game? If so which one would you like to see me tackle? If you would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!

Designing a sequel to 720°, part 4...

We have spent the last couple of blogs looking at what I would introduce, or change for a sequel to 720°. I’ve said the graphics, and game engine would get an overhaul. The core gameplay would remain the same, but with some new elements thrown in. The slalom contest would be retired, and in its place we would have street, and park contests. The ramp contest would return, and also be expanded to include random layouts, and locations in order to keep the experience fresh. One of the remaining contests would also be back. The downhill competition in the original 720° didn’t look, or play like any real downhill competition. It was far more fantastic, with super long wooden ramps to speed down. There were corners to clip, and places to jump that acted like shortcuts.

Actual downhill skateboard races are a thing of beauty. The technique, and strategy employed in downhill are unique to the sport. They require a different set of skills, just as park, street, and ramp contests require their own. Even the skateboards, and gear are unique for the races. The fastest tournaments require leather outfits, for aerodynamic, and safety reasons. As well as full face helmets. The decks are longer, and wider on average than most skateboards, with a concave that helps lock the feet in place. They also have wider trucks, and bigger wheels which help with both speed, stability, and stopping power. Skaters can control their speed through corners by sliding on their wheels, and hands. They wear gloves with plastic “pucks” on their palms to keep from being injured. Trying to recreate this would make for a fantastic skateboarding game, and something that I would absolutely love to direct, but it wouldn’t work for a 720° sequel.

By the same token there aren’t too many games to look at for inspiration. Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam by Toys for Bob was extremely fun. It featured skateboards that were accurate to the sport, and details like sliding, and even getting “speed wobbles” if you went too fast. The majority of the game play was focused on performing back-to-back tricks, grinds, aerials, and chasing combos, similar to the THPS series. In this regard it also wouldn’t be a good fit for a 720° sequel. So we have to figure out how to make it live up to the arcade spirit of the original. The stakes might seem mild in the Am downhill races, but as the player progresses through the game they would discover that the downhill portions are just as random, and exciting as any other event.

I would start the early downhill contests on the streets. It would still be an isometric POV. I would have the player race in a group of other skaters, but they would sort of fade so that the camera would focus on the main character. The illusion is that you are still racing against others, when really the races are a war of attrition. There are many obstacles on the way down that can take out contestants. Pressing the kick/pump button actually put the character in a tuck, helping them reach top speed. When the button isn’t being held down then skaters stands up, and slows down. If the player holds down the grab button on turns then they drop some speed, and slide through corners. If a player tries to take a turn at top speed without grabbing, then they slide wide, and crash out of bounds. There are several unique things about the downhill courses. Just like other contests they are randomly generated. A player never races down the same downhill course twice. 

Some races take place in cities, you might end up avoiding traffic in both directions. You can ollie up a curb, and try to avoid rival skaters, and cars. But then you run the risk of crashing into a pedestrian, mailbox, or kid delivering newspapers. You might find yourself racing through a residential street, cutting through alleys, jumping over trash cans. Then there are courses that wind through mountains, where you might have to avoid a rock slide, a construction crew on the side of the road, making it a single-lane funnel into traffic. Falling off the side of some courses might end up with the player dropping into a chasm, or discovering a secret. By the time a player earns a legend ranking they have the gear, and ability to skate as fast as possible. This means the ability to slide through multiple curves in one motion, get back to top speed quickly, and chase down opponents. To help raise the stakes a cop car might appear to go after contestants. It might end up crashing into traffic, or smashing through a barrier, only to appear later on down the road. All of these things should bring back the hijinks of classic Atari games, as well as the exploration in Skate or Die. Downhill races should feel like the best parts of endless runner games, but with an actual finish line.

All of the contests I have talked about so far in this blog series are available for Am, Pro, and Legend events. The last contest for my 720° sequel is the final unlocked for Amateurs, and gets much harder for Pros, and Legends. The reason why will be explained in the next, entry of my series. I hope to see you back for that. Let me know what you think of my game idea so far. Would you play it? If you would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!

Designing a sequel to 720°, part 3...

In the previous blogs I talked up how Skate City would be expanded, and feature objectives, and secrets. Also I talked a little bit about how the character can be visually customized, and how they would earn experience through the game. The character becomes better at performing tricks the more they go through the city, as well as compete. I said previously that the slalom contest would be replaced with street, and park contests. The other contests from 720° would return, but modified as well. At first glimpse fans of the original would think that the ramp contest was exactly the same as the first 720°. At least as an Amateur the first time you are invited to compete in ramp it is the original design.

The vert engine underneath the game should be completely redone. Players can now pump the transitions in order to build speed. On vert skaters are going too fast to push with their back foot, so what they do is either drop, or raise their body weight on transitions in order to build speed. It’s similar to kicking your legs out, and bringing them back in while riding a swing. Pumping was a feature of the ramp, and high air contest in Skate or Die. Not many people realize that there was an animation in the original 720° that had the character pump the transitions as well. Being able to pump is essential not only for big airs, but also to defy gravity in skateparks. Very good skaters can exploit the lines in a park, and use them to go fast enough to get inverted in full pipes, and cradles. Being able to do these things consistently would translate to higher scores in competition.

The best modern skate game to feature the pumping mechanic is the indy hit The Ramp by Paul Schnepf (@_hyperparadise). The Ramp is in an isometric view, just like 720°, and is very close to how I imagine my sequel would appear. It is an exceptional game, but I would still adjust the control, animation, and mechanics if it were to be the engine behind the 720° sequel. In The Ramp it is very easy to go off the side of the transition, especially the faster you go. The same is true for 720°. I would have the game engine “guide” players from flying off the ramp by nudging them to go straight up, and down if your character is right on the edge of the ramp. Yes the player can still shoot off the ramp if they want, but most would appreciate the nudge in the right direction so as to not lost a high score run.

The other thing that I would add to the control scheme is the ability to rotate along all three axis (X, Y, Z). This was something that I had been pushing for Neversoft to do for years in the THPS series. The vast majority of skate games allow your character to rotate along one plane, this is the traditional frontside, or backside spin. Some games might have a special trick that a character can perform like a front flip, or a backflip. While the character is doing in this animation they cannot rotate on any other plane. A few skate games came close to allowing the full freedom of flipping, or rotating on more than one axis. Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam, developed by Toys for Bob in 2006, allowed you to double tap a direction, and have the character flip along that axis. The animations were way over-the-top, which worked well in the context of the game. But 720° was closer to real vert tricks. Animations that looked too absurd would break the consistency of the engine.

The one game that got closest to performing these advanced tricks the way I imagine it was Grind Session by Shaba games. It debuted in March of 2000. After the original THPS, and before THPS2 was released. The game was very well done, it improved in many ways over the Neversoft hit. It introduced manuals, nose manuals, and no complies to the flatland trick library. It also allowed players to flip their board into a lip trick, which no game since has managed to accomplish. In the animation department players could string vert tricks back-to-back with seamless animation. In most skate games, including THPS 1+2, if you perform a grab trick, then another, the game engine competes the animation cycle for one trick before moving to the next one. In Grind Session the animation on the body position, hands, and feet would flow from trick to trick in one fluid motion. None of the animations would reset to the default position in between.

It was staggering how much Shaba was able to make certain skateboarding tricks work in a game format before Neversoft. I stopped calling it Grind Session, and started calling it THPS 1.5. I wasn’t the only one that saw value in what they did. The studio was bought up by Activision, and they helped port THPS3 to the Playstation, Tony Hawk’s Underground 2: Remix to the PSP, and Tony Hawk’s Project 8 to the PS2, and Xbox. Grind Session’s biggest contribution to skating engines was what they did with rotations. Some characters could perform a front flip, or back flip. The characters switched hands depending on if they were doing a front flip (Weddle grab), or back flip (Indy grab). So that they were accurate to the actual trick. While doing the flip you could actually rotate frontside or backside as well. This made the game that much more realistic, while not losing the ease of play.

You may not think that inverted spins, and flips are really possible on skateboards, but they have existed since the late ‘70s. At first they were used on lip tricks. Moves like the Elguerial, Unit, Miller Flip, and Phillips 66 were inverts that required the skater to spin, flip, and push off the coping at the same time. Then there were the aerial inversions. Skaters at that time were having difficulty figuring out how to spin 540° without losing the board. Mike McGill saw Fred Blood, a roller skater, flip into his spins, and that’s how he got the idea for the McTwist, or an inverted 540°. If you broke down the trick into its basic elements it was a backside, front flip, Weddle grab 540°. Whereas a frontside, back flip, Indy grab 540° was known as a Rodeo Flip. Skaters have performed all manner of off-axis flips, and spins for decades. It should be possible to do them in the 720° sequel. They should not be easy to perform. Rotating the front flip, or back flip is slower than a frontside, or backside spin. So a Novice, or Am wouldn’t be able to land those tricks with any consistency. When a character has the stats of a Pro then they finally have the ability land them cleanly. When a character has the stats of a Legend then they can spin, and flip with almost any grab combination, and land them with more frequency.

Ramp competitions are not necessarily all the same in my sequel. I mentioned that the size, and obstacles featured in street, and park contests depended on whether you were an Am, Pro, or Legend. Amateurs had the smallest courses, Pros had more space, and Legends had the biggest, and most complex courses. The same rules applied to ramp contests as well. The original 720° ramp was very simple, in my version I said it was designated for Ams. The Pro ramp has more transitions, perhaps a channel, or spine. Legend ramps are massive, they may have a hip, corner, or extension. Winning these contests require you to make full use of the ramp, while performing aerials, grinds, spin, and flip tricks.

The biggest highlight of the 720° sequel is that contests are completely randomized. I don’t mean that you end up in an Am, Pro, or Legend contest randomly, but instead that the layout, transitions, rails, and roll-ins are randomly placed. You will never end up skating the same ramp twice. This applies to park, street, or other contests. Contests also take place in different towns, so the layout, and colors of the obstacles are unique compared to those featured in Skate City. Imagine a fictional contest taking place in the South Pacific called Big Island. The player gets a hint to the location from a colorful flyer while the stage loads, then they see the park. The ramps have colors, and stickers unique to it. Each time they go back to it the ramp is completely different, yet familiar at the same time. Every contest in the game observes the same rules. Imagine how you would feel if your favorite game changed a little bit each time you played it. The game, like the art of skateboarding, should never become stale.

Every now, and then a ramp from skate history might pop up. For example, once, a long time ago there was a ramp in the town of Guadalupe, located between two junkyards. It was created by a legendary skater Won Ton “Animal” Chin. Long-time skate fans would recognize it from the Powell-Peralta video the Search for Animal Chin. New fans would just know that there are no random ramps that are as unique. There are a few of these ramps from the past that might have only been used for a contest, or two before being torn down by vandals, or even angry city councils. I’m on the fence as to whether or not you could save, and revisit those ramps whenever you want. Also I probably wouldn’t put in a build-a-park editor, as the game should still feel like an arcade experience.

Having the contest stages constantly evolve is possibly the most important thing the game would introduce to the genre. It goes far beyond waiting for DLC content, as the game creates its own new challenges. We certainly have the technology, and talent to make it happen. What I would do with the remaining 720° contests might be more exciting to audiences. I will talk about those in the next blog. I hope to see you back for those. Also, what do you think of my sequel idea so far? Would you play this game? If you would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!

Designing a sequel to 720°, part 2...

In the previous blog I had touched lightly on the design, and layout of the new Skate City. I said that parts of the city were fenced off, and would be revealed as the character progressed through the game. There would also be parts of the city that remain fenced off, and its up to the player to figure out how to get past the fence. There would be a rail, ledge, or ramp that would be needed to hop the fence. Some of these things would randomly appear once an objective was met. Then there would be places that had no obvious way to get into, but seemed skateable. This is where exploration comes into play.

I mentioned that I wouldn’t have tips available by default. I encourage audiences to use their powers of observation to figure out the secrets of Skate City. For example, skaters would notice that there are manhole covers scattered all over the map. At first they simply appear as a street detail, but if a player goes and explores the Skate City reservoir, and water treatment plant then they’d discover there were small tunnels connecting the different banks. On the “blind” side of the camera there would be a manhole that seems to line up with a tunnel opening that is blocked by a wall. If a player goes between the walls they would discover that it is actually a tunnel that leads to another place in the city.

As the player goes down the pipe they would actually see they skate under access tunnels. If a player stops, and jumps while going under the tunnel then their character will pop up in one of the manholes in the city. The player can only come up a manhole, they cannot go back down once at street level. In this way the player learns that they have to seek out the secret entrances scattered throughout the map. Some might be hidden behind a restaurant, or school. Some might even be hidden behind a dumpster. There will always be a manhole nearby to let the players know that a pipe might be in the area. If a player follows a pipe all the way to the end then they might pop up in a Skate City culvert.

This is where I want players to realize that they can actually “pump” the walls of a pipe in order to gain tremendous speed. This might be the only way to launch up, and out of the culvert. Or if a player backtracks, they would realize that they can actually carve a loop within the pipe. Once the player learns the ability to carve then the next contests they are invited to are park, rather than street contests. If a player becomes really good at carving a full pipe loop then those elements might be included on the next level.

Some of the last places in Skate City that you would be able to unlock/access would be epic in scope. While it would be possible to loop smaller pipes, the monstrous Skate City spillway is impossible to loop, although that shouldn’t discourage you from trying, and learning what sorts of tricks are possible inside of it. This is a great place to earn the experience to make vert, and park tricks easier.

The contests in my 720° would be changed a bit from the original. I didn’t want to steer too far from the format of the early contests, but some of them had little relevance to modern skateboarding. For example I would lose the slalom contest. Believe it or not this is still a format of skating practiced by people the world over. The version of slalom in the original 720° bore little resemblance to the actual sport. So it made little sense to keep it in the game. It wasn’t the only skate contest format that fell in popularity. The same thing could be said of freestyle skating, where people perform difficult flatland routines while trying not to fall. It peaked in the ‘80s, and then went underground. There is still a following behind the format, and even world champion contest, but it wouldn’t necessarily be appreciated in a game of this type.

The two most popular formats of skate contests today are Street, and Park. Street contests are based around stairs, rails, and ledges. Contestants focus on grind, and flip tricks under a time limit. The courses in street contests are laid out with obstacles that are roughly the same height as real world handrails, or benches. They reflect the same things that would be seen in daily life. The other format, Park, more closely reflects the layout you might find in a dedicated skatepark. There are transitions, hips, and wedges that can be used to generate tremendous speed, and perform vert-like tricks. They don’t often have the same sort of technical flip tricks that would be seen in street contests. By the same measure street contests are rarely as fast, and explosive as park ones.

I would replace the slalom contests in the new 720° with street, and park contests. When a player is invited to compete they find our what format it is so they can better prepare. This is when players begin to learn that the size of the course depends on their status, or their skill as a player. The first street, and park contests would take up roughly “one screen” in size. They would be able to easily see the obstacles, and figure out a way to score points within the time limit. As a player advances from Am, to Pro, to Legend then the size, and difficulty of the terrain would change as well.

The course for a Legend park contest might be two or three screens in size. It might have a specific feature, such as a full pipe, or cradle that needed to be carved in order to guarantee a victory. The criteria for a skate contest in the game would actually reflect the same thing that judges are looking for in the real world. Actual park, and ramp contests are judged on a number of things. A skater that is capable of putting down clean flips tricks, or grab tricks gets a partial score. But if that’s all they do then they wouldn’t stand a chance of winning. Skaters that have sloppy flip tricks, or sketchy landings might actually do better because they made sure to attempt those tricks going forward, and “fakie” or reverse. They would also earn points for using the entire park. Incorporating grind tricks, carving the cradle, or pipe, as well as spinning frontside, and backside over the entire park would be the best way to win.

The diversity of tricks, and not solely whether or not a few tricks were pulled cleanly would be heavily favored in the 720° sequel. Believe it or not this was actually the case in the original ramp contests. As I played through the original I noticed that the score for pulling tricks depended on several factors. If I did an aerial, not even necessarily while spinning I earned a few points. But if I carved across the ramp while in the air I was rewarded more points. The further across I went, the more points I earned. The same thing applied the higher I went on an aerial. If I managed to carve across the ramp, while also blasting an air then again my score went higher. Spinning was a score multiplier. You earned more points for each 180 you went, and more points if you went higher, or further across the ramp. It was not uncommon to land 1000 point tricks for performing all three variables in the air.

I would take the same approach in 720° sequel contests. Players would be rewarded for the depth of their trick library, how high, and far they went as well. Using grinds, ledge tricks, spinning frontside, and backside would all influence the final score. In the THPS series, and most other skate games you could win a contest by performing the same tricks over, and over. Neversoft did reduce the value of the tricks the more times they were performed during a combo, however that did not mean players would be penalized by the virtual judges.

Replacing slalom the slalom contest with park, and street contests was only the beginning of the changes I’d introduce for my sequel. In the next blog entry I’m going to talk about the changes to the iconic ramp contests. I hope to see you back for that. Do you enjoy my sequel ideas so far? I’d like to hear your thoughts on it so far. If you would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!

Designing a sequel to 720°, part 1...

In the previous blog I talked a little big about the look, and feel of my 720° sequel. So let’s expand on it a little bit more. The engine would be in 3D, but presented in an isometric format. The bold use of colors, and patterns would help give the appearance that it is still a sprite-based classic. I would go out of my way to include dozens of Easter eggs, and callbacks to skate game, and arcade history. Not-so-obvious things like putting the Atari symbol as a skateable feature in a park that looks like it was based on a Marble Madness stage. Then there would be more obvious things, like a bike riding kid that looks a lot like the Paperboy, and sci-fi movie billboards for films based on Asteroids, and Missile Command. Well, you start to get the idea...

Then there’s the placement of the camera to consider. Modern consoles are capable of putting more information on screen. The resolution on the original Atari hardware for 720° was 512 x 384, at a 4:3 ratio, by comparison the Xbox One S, and newer console resolutions goes up to 3,840 x 2,160 (4K), at a 16:9 ratio. This means that proportionally the game would appear to have twice the screen space. It would be easier to see potential lines connecting objects, and gaps in Skate City. The camera wouldn’t be fixed at a specific distance however. It would zoom in to let you see more detail, especially during contest runs. This would come in handy so you don’t lose your character especially on ramps, or pipes that show transparency.

I thought the main character in my 720° sequel should be a skeleton kid. Skeletons, and skateboarding have been attached at the hip for decades. I talked earlier about the influence of artist Vernon Courtlandt Johnson (VCJ) on skateboarding graphics. His work for Powell Peralta cemented the connection to skeletons, and skateboarding. Even the products that Powell created used the motif. The wheels from the company were called “Bones” because of their color. The construction of a fiberglass-reinforced deck was called “Bonelite.” The plastic rails that they put under their boards so they could slide further were called Rib-Bones. The companies first sponsored skater was Ray “Bones"Rodriguez. VCJ’s first skate graphic was for Ray. Powell couldn’t escape their destiny even if they tried. This was partially the reason why I went with a skeleton lead, instead of a regular human for the sequel.

The idea behind going with a skeleton actually has to do with creating a truly neutral avatar. This character is without gender, or race. They are entirely open to interpretation. It could be a white boy in a dress, it could be a black girl with a mohawk. It is entirely up to the player to make the character their own. Of course I'm presenting outfits, colors, and patterns that would have fit in with the '80s aesthetic. Having the ability to change outfits, and shoes is something we take for granted today, but was impossible in the early days of the arcade. The reason I selected the default colors, logo, and costume for the novice was a nod to the arcade original. This character is an amalgamation of the NPC kid found in the parks, as well as the Bones roller skater. 

When a player begins the game they start as a Novice. All of the controls in the game are unlocked from the get-go. If I had my way the hints would be disabled from the beginning. There would be no tutorial. Just as in real skating it is up to the player to figure out what they can, and can’t do as they push around Skate City. Getting close to a ledge, or rail while performing a no-comply or ollie can result in an automatic grind, or board slide. The distance of the slide depends on the speed of the character as always, but also on how many times they’ve tried the trick. Players that repeatedly ollie, or grind start to notice that their character jumps a little bit higher, or goes a little bit further on a grind before automatically popping off. Repetition of tricks ensures that they will be landed successfully. Rails that appeared impossible to grind at the start of the game, seem less intimidating by the end. Just as in real life the more you try the tricks the easier they are to pull. The same goes for frontside, and backside spins.

As the character gets greater stats they start to unlock items. At first these are aesthetic things. New clothes, and shoes. Eventually they become Amateur skaters, and start to get invited to contests. Some of the contests take place on parts of Skate City, but others take place in dedicated arenas. The more time the gamer puts into the game the greater the stats, and the greater the ability of their character. Pro rank, and eventually Legendary skaters can go faster, ollie higher, grind further, and spin more rotations than Ams. The game actually helps keep track of these things, and shows your progress. Even details like furthest rail grind, or number of tiles slid on a pool are saved for posterity. If a player finds winning a contest is too difficult then they can always work on leveling up before trying again. Yet if a player is constantly close to winning, but comes up just a hair short then the gear they unlock can help put them over. Earning the right gear, and putting them on the character boosts their stats during a contest. Ensuring that they spin a little bit faster, or stay balanced a bit longer.

This focus on leveling up, and gear would apply to the skateboards in the game. Since the game pulls a heavy ‘80s aesthetic then the decks, wheels, and colors would be period correct as well. This means that boards would have very distinct shapes. In the ‘80s decks had a distinct nose, and tail. Modern skateboards are almost perfectly symmetrical “popsicle” shape. My sequel would allow players to not only unlock unique shapes, but also change things like the cut of the griptape, color, and even full graphics on it. Players would also be able to add pads, or rails under their deck so they could slide further, and faster. Again, all of these would be based on actual ‘80s skate technology.

Being obsessive about skate history means that I would hide all sorts of Easter eggs in the game. For example I’d make the last two outfits you could unlock be the outfit worn by the kid in 720°, and an outfit inspired by the box art of Skate or Die, with Bionic Lester’s wild green hair. In my mind the avatar represents the spirit of skateboarding. They will go on skating, and inspiring future generations to skate well after I’m gone.

There’s so much more that I have planned for the sequel. I will spend more time fleshing out Skate City, and the new contests in the next blog. I hope to see you back for that. If you would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!