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!
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