Skate or Die 2: The Search for Double Trouble is a clear improvement over the original game, but it's still a bit rough around the edges. The new side-scrolling adventure mode offers more freedom than the first game's static levels, but it can be clunky and frustrating. The real fun comes from the separate halfpipe mode, where you can test your tricks and combos without worrying about the janky story mode. Overall, it's a nostalgic trip for fans of early skateboarding games, but newcomers might find the dated visuals and mechanics a challenge to overcome.

(This is the 24th game in my challenge to go through many known games in chronological order starting in 1990. The spreadsheet is in my bio.)

I've never been a skater, which I think is pretty important as a disclaimer before I review Skate or Die 2: The Search for Double Trouble, which released in September 1990 in the US only (according to Google results) and was developed/published by Electronic Arts for the NES.

This is a sequel, obviously, and I did not play the first game before playing this, which would introduce you to some of the characters here. It tells its own story though, so playing the first is by no means necessary.

In this game, you ride a skateboard from side to side and can also shoot with a paintball gun. That will be necessary as there are plenty of enemies who shoot you back or simply run into you.

While I dive into a bit more detail below, let me tell you that I would have probably been less forgiving of the game's rougher parts, of which there are plenty. As it stands, some potentially more low key presentation of skater-life has definitely flown over my head and I will simply judge how I experienced it. If you're all about the skater lifestyle, I'd keep this in mind when reading the review.

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STORYTELLING
The part that positively surprised me the most, the storytelling in this game - or at least the attempt - is definitely above average compared to all other games of this year I've played so far. The game starts by introducing you to the cast with pictures and lines of text. There is you (the hero), CJ (your girlfriend), Rodney (who sells skateboards) and Lester (who teaches you tricks), among others. There is also an antagonist, Icepick, who even has a catchphrase (he calls you a Poseur a lot).

But even more admirable is that there are several cutscenes in the game, one playing at the start and end of the game and one after each level is complete. They actually tell a full story with ups and downs, there is a little bit of character development present and there is the antagonist, Icepick, who gets in your way a few times and practically asks for a beating. Some of the scenes I did find to be humorous and I learned a new insult in "Poseur". Granted, the game never got me to laugh out loud and it never even was "exhale out of my nose" like funny, but it helped set the tone. And having a story unfold definitely provided some extra motivation. I have to say though that I wouldn't have beat this game if it weren't for the short length of the game overall and the fact that I used a guide. The story itself definitely wasn't nearly enough motivation for that, but it helped a little bit.

GAMEPLAY
There are 4 levels in this game. In the first, you skate on a street and can finish it by finding and killing an old woman. Yes, really. During this level, you can collect food items like tacos, but also CDs, which you use as currency. The currency is useful for whenever you find Rodney and Lester during the levels, as they give you new skateboards or teach you new skills. During this level, you go into a bunch of areas, where you either find enemies or items, until you find the old woman somewhere and kill her to finish the level. Enemies run into you (like dogs) or shoot at you. You can dodge them by placing yourself above or below the projectile (still am not used to that) and you can defeat dogs and such by jumping on top of them.

In the next level, you are in a shopping mall and have to go to a bunch of stores and deliver something, as you get a job as a delivery person to collect some money as part of the story. This is literally the same thing over and over again until you lose your mind or the level ends, whichever comes first. During your run, you are attacked of course and this is where I started using a guide because I was losing my mind.

This is also where I should mention that the game controls like ass. The worst part about it is that once you stand still. Turning around and starting up your skateboard again literally takes 5 seconds every time. This makes the game an incredible slog. It doesn't help that it's really hard to figure out where exactly you are supposed to stand to dodge stuff, because it's projected so poorly (check graphics/art design for my thoughts).

The third level then has you collect 16 (?) blueprint parts on a beach, which, again, is very repetitive. Oh and by the way, both this level and the last have timers, which makes it worse.

The final level is probably the worst level I have played out of all games in 1990. You have to find the building permit somewhere and fight the final boss, but you have to go through a maze of about 7 billion screens that you can easily get lost in. Plus there are enemies everywhere. Again, I used a guide to get through it and just have another "YES" under "Beaten?" on my spreadsheet, but I otherwise recommend to not even force yourself through this. It's so bad and not fun at all.

Finally, let me mention that you use a paintball gun to shoot, but can also throw firecrackers and eggs at enemies.

Overall, gameplay sucks and the awful controls are only the second worst part behind the mission objectives.

MUSIC/SOUND/VOICE
There actually are some digitized lines in this game, which, hey, fair enough. I've only played three other games with voice acting so far and one of them was Loom, and the version of the game with voice acting wasn't even available in 1990 (the others: Michael Jackson's Moonwalker where the single line that was said was "Michael", and Elivra: Mistress of the Dark, where Elvira just said some gibberish that didn't align with the dialogue). So props to EA for including a few lines like "Major Bummer, dude" in this game.

Sound design was meh but turned into horrifying after the final level with all those elevators. Music was alright but can't say I liked the soundtrack that much.

GRAPHICS/ART DESIGN
While it doesn't look to bad graphically, I do have a few complaints. Namely it's the issues I've had with the perception of depth in this game. It's a 2D game, sure, but platforms that are supposed to be higher don't really feel that way, it just seems like you're moving wider rather than higher up. Also, to avoid crashing into others, you can't stand right in front of them, you have to move aside. Unfortunately, it is incredibly hard to tell when you actually are in collision course with someone. And sometimes others will walk/skate below your position and your entire sprite will still show up on top of them as if you were the one in a lower position.

Finally, as mentioned plenty of times, it's just important to understand that over half of the story will take place in that god awful warehouse, so it matters much less to me if the beach level actually looks pretty good, since that part is over relatively quickly.

ATMOSPHERE
For the most part the game sets fitting atmosphere but it's hard for me to praise it anymore than that when over half the game takes place in a warehouse with the same rooms over and over and over again, just with a different color filter plastered on top.

CONTENT
Again, over half the story mode takes place in the same place and is incredibly boring. Overall, the story takes about 2-3 hours (longer if you don't use any guide, but not in a good way). There also is a freestyle mode where you can do some tricks, which is a welcome addition but not that much fun.

LEVEL/MISSION DESIGN
The first level is actually well designed all things considered. You have no time limit, you can get acquainted with the controls, collect some stuff, go into garages and manholes to do things, find a couple guys who give you items/upgrades and then finish the level whenever you are ready to. Then you get a bunch of levels that have time limits and are incredibly repetitive, before you find yourself in the worst level of all, the warehouse level, which is simply there to push the playing time of this game.

CONCEPT/INNOVATION
Skate around a level and do a bunch of optional stuff and stumble upon a few guys who are willing to trade you skateboards and tricks. You almost think that you're playing a sandbox game in those levels, though on a much, much smaller scale than you're accustomed to when hearing "sandbox". Still, that's probably what I enjoyed the most about the game. Other than that, the game certainly is unique in that it's a skateboarding game, but mostly in a negative way.

REPLAYABILITY
I didn't get all moves and skateboards, which is something you can try to achieve in a subsequent playthrough. Other than that, there is no reason to replay this, and after that final level, it's unlikely that you will want to.

PLAYABILITY
The game works well at all times.

OVERALL
In general, this is not a good game. If you play this today, you will probably not even care enough to finish it as a non-skater. If you are part of the skater-life, you'll probably at least appreciate the game, but it will still take a lot of determination to finish this without using a guide. It just has too many holes in gameplay and level design.

WHAT THEY SAID AT THE TIME
- Slo Mo for GamePro, Issue 13 (Aug 90): "You don't have to be a die-hard side-walk surfer to get into S or D 2" | I respectfully disagree
- Howard H. Wen for VGCE, Issue 20 (Sep 90): "Skate or Die 2 doesn't take itself too seriously but rather does what's fun. And after all, that's what video gaming is all about, right?"