SkateBIRD

Through the fun story and throwback gameplay of arcade skateboarding, SkateBIRD delivers a refreshing game. Despite some frustrating moments with the movement and controlling of skating, enjoyment can still be found.

SkateBIRD is a silly little indie game that does quite an impressive job of adapting familiar skateboarding gameplay to a bird-sized world. Completing its missions and finding its collectibles may be rewarding but you'd wish there was much more to it than that.

Is it on the level of a Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2? Or a Skate 3? Alas, no, but SkateBIRD successfully stands out from the crowd with a unique premise, lashings of charm and solid mechanics. It’s not perfect by any means, and can often be a pretty frustrating experience, but with a plethora of menu options with which to simplify and improve that experience, it’s a game that should appeal to anyone who likes their games on four wheels and a deck.

If you've ever desired to roleplay as a variety of avian creatures with a tendency to pull off sick tricks on four-wheeled boards, then SkateBIRD is basically your only option. This cute indie game successfully delivers a goofy skateboarding experience most of the time, but annoying and plain inconsistent movement as well as some boring level design prevent SkateBIRD from being great.

Do you like adventures with absurd stories? SkateBIRD is your game.

SkateBird is just a regular skateboard game, make no mistake, but with a little twist. Its peculiarity, however, doesn't seem to add something very valuable to its gameplay, unfortunately.

SkateBIRD is a great gimmick. It is super fun to create a bird and the level design is definitely fresh. However, with its increasingly frustrating physics, repetitive challenges and bland graphics, it’s ultimately a poor copy of other better skateboarding games.

SkateBIRD has the skeleton of a great skateboarding game, but with the collision issues and the movement being as spotty as it is, it just brings down the entire experience. There were times in my play sessions I was having a blast pulling off combos and tricks and would come crashing down when I would hit a grind that didn’t work, or I would tap on the edge of a wall and fall off. Then on resetting my character would have the camera facing the wrong way and would be moving forward right back into the wall I just hit. It’s a sad truth, because under that, there’s a great skateboarding game here. Players looking for a new skateboarding game may get some enjoyment out of this, but keep in mind you most certainly will find issues with the movement. If you’re willing to put up with some frustrations, there’s something here for you, but if you’re easily bothered, maybe wait for a sale.

In an odd way, then, Glass Bottom Games has captured the truth of the situation; contrary to its mission of cuteness, it has made a game that feels hollow-boned, caged by unflattering mechanics.