Today's which-one-is-evil comparison: Skate versus Tony Hawk
by Zack Stern 
{ Jun 16th 2007 at 12:00AM }
We've played Skate, and we've seen Tony Hawk's Proving Ground. Today's video picks compare the latest trailers for both games.Admittedly, we think the two titles can coexist, at least for this year. Skate is a completely different control experience, while Tony Hawk is the latest in a solid franchise. We can see both games appealing to different -- or even the same -- gamers.
And we're glad Skate is here to keep Tony Hawk honest. Do we really expect a 1.0 game to dethrone Tony Hawk-we-stopped-counting-version-numbers? Maybe not, but competition should make them both stronger.
See the new trailers after the break.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
E8 Foe @ Jun 16th 2007 12:33AM
I think Skate looks better, honestly. Tony Hawk looks and seems to play basically the same as THPS2.
Which I loved.
Several years ago.
WTangoFoxtrot @ Jun 16th 2007 12:37AM
love the photo tag !
Splinter @ Jun 16th 2007 12:39AM
I dont know, Skate almost seems too basic, i think id get bored fast doing the same kickflip manuver.
While ive been playing TH since the beginning, and i really enjoy the create your own park mode. Ive had amazing fun with that, and its great to see that their embelishing that more.
I just thinking that doing the extreme seems more fun than actual skating. Id be like the difference between Guitar Hero, and Virtual Accoustic.
Negativecool @ Jun 16th 2007 12:50AM
They are seemingly comparable. Although after last year's port, I hope Tony goes down in flames. They got lazy with Wasteland on the 360 last year. It was basically the xbox version with polish. Suddenly a game comes along that actually cares and looks like a true next gen game should, and they have to play catch up to compete with the cool new kid on the block.
Kritz @ Jun 16th 2007 12:53AM
Humm. Skate looks bland and boring, and THPG looks like the same thing we've had for the past 4 versions.
I think I'll pass on both. I'll wait for Skate 2 and TH10 before buying another skate game. Or, hell. Maybe I'll just go and buy TH3. I lost my old copy.
james @ Jun 16th 2007 1:10AM
Honestly I think skate looks better. The animations are much more fluid and realistic...buuut I do wonder how precise the flick-it controls will actually be.
Werbal @ Jun 16th 2007 1:45AM
Tony Hawk hasn't been fresh or exciting since about THPS3.
BulletToothTony @ Jun 16th 2007 2:45AM
wow captain kirk looks like one of the keepers from the continual transfunctional from dude where's my car!! lol
perfectchaos @ Jun 16th 2007 2:49AM
negative cool, you do realize they came out with another tony hawk game after that that was built from the ground up for the 360 and ps3, right?
the only problem i see with skate right now is with the flickit controls...and whether or not i'll be able to pull off the various moves like i want to despite the fact that it seems a lot of moves have the same basic joystick motions
mccomber @ Jun 16th 2007 3:02AM
Skate looks good, and like it might be different enough to make these games fun again. But Hawk is a brand, and will sell better amongst the general public. Hopefully the competition will at least force the Hawk series to try harder.
DuhraL @ Jun 16th 2007 3:46AM
For skaters(like me), its a win-win. Two skate games this year.
As of right now, they both look sexy.
Paul Gale @ Jun 16th 2007 4:23AM
Nice comparison and write-up, Zack. I went to Neversoft last Friday to try out Tony Hawk's latest game in development and always have been a fan of the franchise. It'll be interesting to see how Skate comares it once the two games come out later this year. Competition should bring the best out of the two developers.
nebulus @ Jun 16th 2007 4:31AM
I think TH will outsell Skate due to the name and the vast majority of players not having been skaters, I however want skate.
The feeling I get from seeing the movies feels more natural, skating for a lot of skaters is about self progression, hell I remember the elation that I felt once I managed to start clearing a deck on its side when I was a kid (eeek over 20 years ago!).
Thats what I think skate will tap into and I'm glad its coming soon, as my knees are long past the time I could keep a manual going for more than a few feet!
I just wish they could get all the songs of New Deals Useless Wooden Toys Video in there, damn that would take me back!
Evangel @ Jun 16th 2007 5:13AM
I think Tony Hawk is better considering the long lasting history it has.
http://realtechnews.blogspot.com
sqwarlock @ Jun 16th 2007 5:13AM
I'm looking forward to Skate, but I hope they fix the "floaty" problem the game appears to have. The physics seem good when the skater is coming down from an ollie/trick, but going up seems way too loose...or something.
Ikke2003 @ Jun 16th 2007 5:41AM
Skate is more like the Amped of skateboarding games, while THPS is something like SSX. I will definitely pick up Skate later this year... It just looks more promising than this THPS 78392 (which basically still looks and feels the same as it was 5 years ago)
Graphics aren't really next-gen on any of those games... but that's not really necessary in a skate game I think :)
2kings @ Jun 16th 2007 5:58AM
I was a very hardcore THPS fan up till thug 2.
but skate just looks like a breath of fresh air for skating games
and the important thing that thps has been phasing out...realism
sure million point combos are great.
but i wanna look so fricken smooth and stylish
It's not gonna be hard for this THPS to be better than the last couple
p.s. Agent orange ftw!
GarfieldLeChat @ Jun 16th 2007 8:38AM
perfectchaos
porject 8 was a barrren night mare and a terrbile port of the game which wasn't built from the ground up but rushed out hence the lack of interactivitiy the fact you couldn't play your career skater in multiplayer mode woeful online experince (ie xbox ok ps3 none...) frame rate issues on everything, create a skater which looked nothing like you and which had taken all the joy of out it repalcing it with sad non functioning sterotype charchters, poor gameplay added functions which were lose sloppy and just down right vauge...
In short the game was a travesty to the series and ceertainly the worst game they have ever produced inc the thps 3 for the station 1 they realsed...
tim ford @ Jun 16th 2007 10:04AM
its obvious tony hawks will be better. i will buy skate for the 360 if i get one soon but tony hawks has got better and better and there fun. dont you think it will be a bit wierd going from tony hawks where you can pull of stupidly awsome tricks to skate where its all to graphical and slow. it looks to me that skate will be slow and u will never be able to pull off that tripple baclflip
Matthew @ Jun 16th 2007 10:05AM
I stopped playing Tony Hawk after THPS4. I'm much more likely to pick up Skate, simply because the collector in me refuses to pick up the latest Tony Hawk without picking up the titles in between for the sake of completion. Silly reason, I know..I'm obsessive like that.
pandafresh @ Jun 16th 2007 11:57AM
Skate has Rob&Big, therefore it is better, by principle
StevieG @ Jun 16th 2007 12:45PM
Skate has Raining Blood by Slayer on the Soundtrack.
Tony Hawk doesn't.
Skate wins.
Sean @ Jun 16th 2007 12:54PM
I'm going to get both, I'm hooked on the THPS series and I've had fantasies of a game that plays like skate.
BadVermin @ Jun 16th 2007 5:34PM
Skate has Raining Blood by Slayer on the Soundtrack.
Tony Hawk doesn't.
Hawk wins.
BadVermin @ Jun 16th 2007 6:29PM
Please delete this and the previous post. I'm not even sure how that double post happened.
Thanks.
jeremy @ Jul 30th 2007 8:00PM
i think skate will kick THPS to the curb
skate is much more real
and THPS hasnt done anything new in years!
MooCow @ Aug 1st 2007 9:34PM
Doesn't matter how good Skate is, as long as they alienate girls from playing, I'm sure as hell not even giving it a sidelong glance.
And why the hell are you guys taking EA GAMES side for once? I'd rather give my money to Tony Hawk then to the people who routinely sell shit five times worse then Tony, and almost never original.