Now, skateboard on the streets of Tokyo, virtually
To celebrate the Olympics, the popular side-scrolling video game Skate City now has a new city for gamers to explore: Tokyo
Skateboarding is all set to make its exciting debut at the Tokyo Olympics in the coming days. There has been much anticipation around the discipline’s inclusion in the Games. You might find yourself watching skateboarders perform in the street and park formats at the Olympics. But now, you can enjoy a similar experience with the popular side-scrolling video game Skate City, which has just released a new expansion update to its existing list of in-game locations: Tokyo.
Skate City, which is published by the Canada-based indie studio Snowman, was first released in 2019. The game revolves around the concept of street skating and takes players to some real-world skate locations around the globe: including the streets of Los Angeles, Oslo, Barcelona, and Miami. You can now add Tokyo to that list. The first three cities in the game are currently released on PC and console. Skate City Tokyo is available exclusively on the video game subscription service Apple Arcade.
The game features a challenge mode with each city presenting unique hurdles and obstacles that players must clear by pulling off different tricks and skills. The other mode endless skate sees you skate at your own pace, while also completing some in-game goals.
For the last few years we’ve been looking for an interesting way to tie a real-world event into something we make, but we never wanted to do anything that didn’t feel meaningful. When the Tokyo Games were announced it was a no-brainer for us, says Ryan Cash, co-founder of Snowman, which also publishes the popular Alto game series. Skateboarding is coming to the Olympics for the first time, which is a triumphant moment for the sport. We knew we had to be part of it in some small way.
Tokyo is set to be the largest and most vibrant city to feature in Skate City to date. Players will be able to skate through a diverse range of neighbourhoods and famous skating spots to experience the city’s unique identity. This expansion update will blend Tokyo’s iconic, neon-soaked city centres together with character-rich backstreets and beautiful parks.
There are 21 new challenges and some 30 new goals in ‘endless skate’ for players to try and perfect. They can also capture their best runs with in-game recording tools and share their skate videos online. You can zoom in, spin the camera and even slow down time to highlight your best skateboarding tricks.
As seen in Alto’s Adventure, Odyssey and The Lost City, music is a key element in the games published by Snowman. Skate City’s buzzing, atmospheric low-fi beats music is also getting new soundtrack additions. What’s more? Players will also be able to unlock new skateboard decks, clothes and gear in the skate shop within the game. You can customize the look of your skating character with new shoes, glasses, hats and a lot more.
Andrew Schimmel, senior producer at Snowman, says skateboarding’s inclusion in the Olympics for the first time is a big cultural milestone for the sport. He adds: We wanted to celebrate the moment by releasing our take on one of our most favourite cities in the world: Tokyo.
Skate City Tokyo is available exclusively on Apple Arcade
Catch all the Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
MoreLess
First Published:23 Jul 2021, 08:00 AM IST
- Top Gainers
- Top Losers
- 52 Week High