I wasn’t a kid built for skateboarding. Kid, I was a little too bad to do something as naughty and cool as that. What if I scrape my knee a little, or worse, feel embarrassed? So I did what any kid curious about skateboarding would do and bought a Tech Deck. And then I never learned how to get good at it. I’m only a little bitter about this teenage failure, but all is not lost, because today there is a complete video game that can allow me to experience such a feat digitally: Stuntboost.
Stuntboost is a game that, in reality, is a first-person skateboard platformer, it’s simply presented as if you were riding a miniature skateboard with your hand among cardboard courses in your room. It’s worth noting that your hand is more involved in the design than explicit, you can’t actually see it while playing, but the movement certainly seems to replicate that feeling. You can turn a corner at any time, gravity is more of a suggestion than something you have to commit to, but the momentum of it all seems to be firmly in place as well.
The game is divided into different tracks, complete with cardboard half-pipes and laptop platforms. Speed is the name of the game here, this is obviously a game that will appeal to speedrunners, with a timer at the top of the map judging your performance (or bad). All of this is complemented by a punky late 90s/early 2000s pop soundtrack that people in their 40s will probably feel nostalgic for. You can even collect VHS tapes! Do you remember it?
Those of you who need a little competition to have fun will also be enticed by the online leaderboards, with the ghosts of other players present to challenge your skills. I’m also tickled by the fact that it’s not just about skateboarding; you’ll find scooters and a car that’s almost certainly supposed to be Initial D’s Toyota AE86. Cute! If this all sounds interesting to you, then you can grab Stuntboost on Steam now.
