SKATE OR DIE 

 SKATE OR DIE is a colorful and humorous multi-event game of
competition based on a trendy and relatively new sport: 
skateboarding. The authors, David Bunch, Michael Kosaka, and Stephen
Landrum, have worked together and separately on such software hits
as The TEMPLE OF APSHAI Trilogy, SUMMER GAMES, GFL CHAMPIONSHIP
FOOTBALL, and COMMUNIST MUTANTS FROM OUTER SPACE. 

 SKATE OR DIE is distributed by Electronic Arts, a premier software
company that usually knows what it's doing: In this case, however, 
it's anybody's guess as to who is going to buy this product. (The
Commodore 64/128 version is the basis of this review; IBM-PC version
notes follow.) 

 SKATE offers five events -- Pool Joust, Freestyle, High Jump, 
Downhill Race, and Downhill Jam -- each of which can be practiced
individually prior to actual competition. These events reappear in
Compete All, and each can be skated individually or in sequence. In
single-player mode, SKATE supplies the necessary competition in the
form of Lester, who is not only the greatest (most "bionic" in SKATE
lingo) skater in the solar system, but also (accordi to the game
package) "stupid, mean, and ugly." When you enter Rodney's Skate
Shop at the start of the game, you'll encounter the roots of
Lester's genetic lineage. 

 Rodney's Skate Shop is where, by moving a joystick-driven pointer
around the screen, you sign up for competition or practice, change
the color of your skateboard, check out the high scores screen, or
listen to Rodney's potentially rude remarks. After selecting
practice or competition, you will find yourself on a skateboard in
the Town Square, from where you'll guide your board down streets to
the various events. 

 Specific events determine the screen displays. Pool Joust is an
empty swimming pool in which two skaters take turns trying to
splatter an opponent's brains all over the concrete with a boffing
stick. The High Jump and Freestyle events consist of a steep-sided
ramp, with fan-filled bleacher seats in the background. The Downhill
Race takes you through an obstacle-riddled park, and the Downhill
Jam takes you through the obstacle-riddled back alleys of the inner
city. 

 SKATE is controlled by a joystick. A second joystick lets you
compete against another human, rather than the three computer-driven
opponents. The Downhill Race and Downhill Jam events offer two
methods of skate control: Regular and Goofy. In Goofy mode, pushing
the stick forward moves the board forward, whereas in Regular mode
the same action slows or stops the board. Goofy feels more natural, 
which is to say the board moves as you'd expect. 

 Depending on the event, the joystick also controls several board
tricks, such as kickturns, aerials, handplants, and rail slides. 
Pushing the button and/or leaning toward or away from a direction
does the trick, although no trick lasts forever. You must click the
button and/or lean again to complete the action, land safely, and
continue the event. 

 On the Freestyle ramp, you score points for executing these
tricks. In the High Jump event, you are allowed to make five passes
from left to right. The height marker is on the right, and clicking
the button at the highest point records the jump. Both Downhill Race
and Downhill Jam events are timed, and each offers opportunities to
earn bonus points. 

 In the Pool Joust event, each skater takes turns with the boffing
stick and tries to knock the opponent off his board. Various
Freestyle tricks are available in Pool Joust. A trigger push readies
the boffing weapon. 

 Upon completing all five events, you will be apprised of your
score. And, if you've been good enough, you'll enter it on the high
scores table in Rodney's Skate Shop. 

 The SKATE game package contains a double-sided disk, a foldout
instruction sheet written mostly in skateboarder's talk, and a
sticker of Lester. 

 The SKATE OR DIE graphics screens feature colorful details and
excellent skate animation. The various tricks seem accurate and
ridiculous, simultaneously. Blowing a trick, for example, causes the
skater to slide down the Freestyle ramp on his knees, or land flat
on his back, all protective pads and shields scattered about. 

 The Downhill Race in the park takes you through a timed obstacle
course and offers chances to score bonus points by guiding the board
through drainpipes and steering it around gravel and foliage. The
Downhill Jam through the back alleys offers opportunities to score
bonus points by knocking over flower pots, garbage cans, and your
opponent. Skating through the chain-link fence is advisable only for
a good laugh. 

 SKATE OR DIE looks and plays just fine. All aspects of the game
meet the familiar standards of Electronic Arts. The only part I
can't figure out is this: Who will buy the product? Skateboard
fanatics? Game fanatics? Disgruntled Yuppie accountants from
California? 

 Since Electronic Arts has a sturdy reputation, it is easy to assume
that SKATE OR DIE will make a wonderful addition to your software
shelf. My suggestion is that you "test skate" SKATE OR DIE at your
local software store to make certain that your money will be well
spent. 

 IBM VERSION NOTES 

 The MS-DOS version of SKATE OR DIE is another of Electronic Arts' 
meticulous translations. Provided you have EGA or EGA compatibility
(as most VGA cards offer), the program looks about as good on an IBM
as it does on the Apple IIgs, and better than it looks on the
Commodore 64. It's just as playable, too, although a standard 4.77
MHz processor may be a bit too slow for EGA graphics. 

 SKATE OR DIE includes both disk formats: one 3-1/2" disk and two
5-1/4" disks. Neither set is copy-protected (but information from
the documentation is required to start the game). The instructions
also outline the simple installation program, should you wish to
install the game files on a hard drive. If you play from one or two
floppies, make backup disks first, because the game disks are
write-protected and will not save scores. 

 SKATE OR DIE requires an IBM PC, XT, AT, Compaq, or other
compatible, Tandy 1000 series, 3000, or 4000. A joystick is
recommended by Electronic Arts, and I agree: The program is tougher
to learn using the keyboard, and definitely inelegant. Your system
will need 384K and a CGA, EGA, or Tandy graphics adapter. As
mentioned, if your machine is 4.77 MHz, you may find that the EGA
graphics slow down the action to an unacceptable degree. You can
force CGA mode for faster skating, but with the marvelous graphics
available in EGA, this is obviously not an optimal solution. 

 When you boot the program, you'll be prompted for your graphics
adapter, and asked to identify various acrobatic routines according
to the fold-out instruction sheet (a slight inconvenience). Then, 
the program begins and you proceed as outlined in the above review. 

 The function keys allow you to toggle sound effects and music
(separately), pause the game, and to move backwards through the
menus until you exit the game. This is a pretty handy feature. But
there's one peculiarity of the program that is a definite pain: The
system clock halts while this game is running, so every time you
finish the game, you need to reset the clock. I'm curious why this
game -- and none of the hundreds of other games in my library -- 
causes this annoying problem. 

 In spite of this admittedly minor idiosyncrasy (it's apparently not
a bug, since it's mentioned in the documentation), SKATE OR DIE is
one of the better arcade translations for MS-DOS. This is true
especially if you have an EGA, a joystick or two, and a clock speed
greater than 4.77 MHz. The graphics exhibit pizzazz and style, the
gameplay is more complex than most arcade games, and there's a great
variety of play modes and challenges. 

 SKATE OR DIE is published and distributed by Electronic Arts. 

*****DOWNLOADED FROM P-80 SYSTEMS (304) 744-2253