Does the original EA SKATE hold up 16 years later? - Square Eyed Jak 

Yo so about the excessive mongo pushing in my gameplay, I'm an idiot and didn't even realize until I watched it back after beating the game. Must be that Pro Skater muscle memory but I promise it will be fixed in the rest of my SKATE videos this week. Cheers to those pointing it out and cringing at me! 😅😅

the EA skate 1 intro gets me every time. 😍 great video! looking forward to the rest of the series!

Skate was and still is a part of my life. Love this series!

I can’t believe this is already year 7 for Hawktober, well, Skatetember now but the premise is the same. Really cool you’ve kept it going for this long and it’s still just as good.

I been waiting for what felt like a decade for the Skate series review.

Awesome video as ever, Jak. Skate 1 is such a special game for me. I remember skating one of the offical EA Skate terrain that was spread around UK skateparks to advertise the game way back in 2007. There used to be a map online that pointed out the terrian locations found in skateparks, but I think that is sadly now lost to time. I was a happy teen to say the least when I got the game with a brand new Xbox 360 Elite on Christmas day 2007. I was so immersed in the game, that I didn't even care that I was playing it on a small tube TV from the 90's.

My personal favourite part of this game is its art style - something about that paper cutout watercolour aesthetic alongside the handheld fisheye camera look and the soundtrack (The Funeral, Bam Bam, Know The Ledge) feels so makeshift, so real and so nostalgic of the mid-late 2000s and I love it so, so much. Not to mention the AMAZING menu presentation where you have a backpack with your map and all your gear inside, taking the subway, walking into the skate shops to buy more stuff (both with different atmospheres, LL Regs being more chill urban skaters and Slappy's being more aggressive punk kids) which is missing from the other skate games. This game NAILS the atmosphere of chilling with your friends and skating for fun unlike anything else, the only other game that comes close is Tony Hawk's Underground. I honestly like looking at the game more than I do playing it. Awesome video as always, Hawktober itself makes me nostalgic in a weird way since I've been watching them for years at this point. Hope all is well :)

Skate 2 is one of my all-time favorite games. So excited for Skate 4!

Man the first skate game literally changed me. I still own my copy after 9 years and once I a while I play a bit(even though I'll admit it got clunky) and just lose myself in the city,the music,the sounds of the game and the MOOD. I have yet to find a game that puts me in the right mood just like this one,it makes me feel 15 again when I had no worries and I could skate all day with my friends ,having the time of my life,knowing well that those times will never be back.

When the world needed him most, he skated

I remember playing this a couple years ago, and years before that my friend passed away by getting hit by a car, and then I saw him in the game and freaked out, and then hit got hit by a car in the game and I cried so hard..

Congrats on the 7 years of Tony Hawktober! Crazy how time flys!

Man, it's crazy to see that what needed to shake up the skateboarding games was a game that grounded it to near realism. Good on Skate for what it accomplished.

My first thought was "wait, it ain't October" but skatetember works way better

So glad for a new entry to the 7-year running Hawktober, now with Skatember! Cheers for the great content! 👏🏻

16 years.... Holy. I just felt my hairs turn grey reading that title.

thank you for such good content Jak!!! Look forward to this every year

Your content is super. Thanks for it through all the years!

Dude I used to play this game for hours! I loved mastering the flick tricks and finding cool spots to combo.

6:22 caught me VERY off guard Great video as always!

Yoooo ive been Hoping for SKATE in Hawktober forever but this is even better!

My step brother said he "owned" the SKATE disc we owned for Xbox and wouldn't let his other siblings play it because we weren't "real skaters" because whenever he would "test" us on his skateboard he would shove us over the curb until we cried.

That sonic spin ball music in the background gave me PTSD for a second

So glad you're covering this series. I remember winning this game with arcade tickets months after it came out. Classic!

Yay! Always so stoked to see a new video from Jak 😁👌

Was about to go to bed and then saw this was uploaded. No bed till I watch. Thanks for the content

Jack, your next venture might be Square Eyed Jack's Semi-Pro Skater ...an RPG with skateboarding elements available for consoles and Mac/Window's PC's. No offense meant, as a videogame starring our favorite RU-vidr would be pretty rad just like AVGN got a chance to star in his very own video game a few years back. 😊👍

I really love the effort you put into your vids considering the topics are fairly niche. Cheers

Man, that challenge with Rob and Big also almost broke me. It took me days to complete

The tre flip crooks challenge used to bug me when I was 13 but it’s pretty much a first try kind of challenge all these years later

Skate was apart of my life now a 4th skate is coming the second one is just realistic and perfection

Hol up! It isn't even hawktober yet and we are already getting this? Awesome! I love me some early gifts! And finally Skate is being reviewed! I've been waiting for what it felt like forever for this moment!

Stevie Williams Dancing will never gets old. You caught me off guard thanks for the laugh

remember the days of us endless skate battles/and epic bails smashing and breaking bones for hours on end good times !!great vid brother

The way you hit the 360 to get it to open at 2:24 really just gave me a whole flashback. That good old 360 nostalgia is something else.

Awesome video, Skate holds a special place in my heart!… im going to check out the wii video now

Great vid! Can’t wait to see the other videos in this series!!! I have played this Skate before but it’s been quite a long time and unfortunately, I no longer have my original copy on PS3. I do, however, own Skate 2 also on PS3 but I have yet to play it. Definitely going to be checking that out at some point though!

Cheers dude for continuing the Hawktober series, and reviewing some of the best skateboarding games ever made, another dope video from you, here's to the next 7 years.

My first skatember, didn't know it was a thing but this vid was totally radical!

woahh!! what kind of outro was that! you stumped me on "see you tomorrow" instead of "thanks for watching"

Dope dude! Loved this game!

Good stuff as always tbh can't wait to see more

Just started replaying it recently and have been loving it, it’s so good still

Great video as always Jack, it's crazy to think it's been seven years since you started Hawktober dude😱: here's to more awesome videos to come💖😄

Skatember, eh? It's genius! Do a sister series to Hawktober while it's a smart way for you to finally talk about Skate! Big ups, Jak!

welcome back!

It’s always a good day when jak posts

THANK YOU! I knew I wasn't the only one that got stuck on that Rob & Big challenge! That shit was easily the most frustrating of the pro challenges in this game......

Can't believe its been almost 7 Years, Crazy How Time Flies Right? Congrats On 7 Years Of Tony Hawktober Jak Keep the Vids Coming Mate!

Man this was great to watch! Played the shit out of Skate 3, but havent got around to the games that started it all, cant wait for Skate it tomorrow LOL

My favorite game of all time, great video dude!

What a great retrospective, this is a fun watch

Bringing me back to my high school days way better times

Can't wait to watch this video later!

I see it now: Skate 1 is basically a direct remake or homage to the older Trasher: Skate and Destroy video game...even the HUD looks similar. Jack, at the very least you can balance on the skateboard and ride it for a few feet/meters; I could not even do that so I mostly stick to bmx bikes and rollerblades.

Awesome to see Skate and riding platform in the next generation of Tony Hawk Providing Ground and Tony Hawk Pro Skater series. I am just subscribed to your channel 💯🔔👍

I remember getting a PS3 for Christmas back in 2007. I got Call of Duty 4, Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground, and EA’s Skate. Holy moly, going from a GameCube to this. I firmly hold onto my opinion that the first Skate was the best one.

I'm so glad that I still can play all of three games on my Series X. Thanks backwards compatibility, you rock

Oh my god the tre flip front crook challenge is the bane of my existence

Something about skate culture in these games really takes me back to the 2000s and I was never around nor a part of that scene in any way. I love seeing these skateboard game reviews every year. Although I'm not into this genre, I have a lot of respect and appreciation for it!

I still play this game to this day. Skate 1 when it first came out I was in 6th grade and man.. at the time it was groundbreaking to me and felt like such a leap from Tony hawk. Probably my favorite skating game ever made.

I would be suggested this video this early 😂 Bravo

Skate is my favorite game in the series. It is so pure.

Super glad to see that you haven’t suffered the Red Ring of Death dude! Good for you! 🥰❤️😆

Rented Proving Grounds on first weekend out and didn't even beat the first area because I was enjoying Skate so much much more, it was the future and THPG was firmly in the past. Skate 1's campaign was so sick, just skating and photos.

I would generally love to see you learn to skate in real life Jack! Would be awesome to see a video of you learning to ride a board and learning how to ollie. 😁

Don't you worry mate Skate 1, 2, 3 and Skate it for the Nintendo DS will whip you into tip top skateboarding shape !

Skatember? The spiritual successor to Hawktober? :D I can't imagine it will last as many years, as I doubt there is all that much to cover? Skate 1, 2, 3, Skate It on the Wii, Skate It on the DS... The new one coming out. I'm definitely curious if you will be finding a way to extend this past this year!

The most fun online was going on the X-Games map with some friends, getting someone to coffin pose at the bottom of the ramp and the getting everyone else to try and avoid them as they go down x3

Amazing to finally see square eyed jak covering Skate, finally! The first skate was my favourite out the 3, had a rock solid feel to it, skate 2 just felt a bit weird/soft and skate 3 just felt like an expansion pack of skate 2. That mission of trying to land a 360 flip to crooked is one of the only missions I remember, so funny to see it covered in this 17min review video for the same reason I would have thought lol. A surprise nothing mentioned about the fact the map was designed in a big massive downhill style to simply feel like progressing through it is less boring than if it was entirely flat. I didn’t like the places I wanted to skate had coppers/security chasing me out. Also felt there wasn’t enough focus on vert skating, 1 official halfpipe in the whole game felt a bit lame to me (x games half pipe) and from memory this was at the very end of the game

I’m a simple man, I see a square eyed jack review about a skateboarding game, and I click the like button.

I grew up with the Skate Franchise and if it weren’t for my brothers being skaters themselves in that era I wouldn’t have known about Skate and Skate Culture. I did play American Wasteland but Tony Hawk wasn’t as fond as Skate. What I never did was play the first skate fully I played and beaten Skate 2 and 3. What I remember when I was younger I was playing as Dem Bones in X Games but never really progressed through the story myself. I have a new found nostalgia and appreciation for the first game it still holds up and my preference to play any time. The other two games were hit and miss they had added features and at the same time took away features. Everyone should play Skate in their lifetime!!

The Pepsi to Pro Skater’s Coca Cola

That rob and big mission was a urban legend to me, I couldn’t finish it for 6 months which felt like a lifetime. I remember finishing the game and having it hanging over my head like a dark cloud.

Thrasher had such a good soundtrack and aesthetic too. I'd argue those aspects were on point and have aged better than the rest of the game to be honest haha

I’m just here to see where my favourite skating game developed from

I can't unsee the traffic cars from Most Wanted lol

Early Hawktober video? Let’s gooooo

Skate is fun, Ive beaten the first two games. I like them, but it can be difficult at times with the controls (I'm okay with them, but certain flip tricks I found real finicky to pull) and I wish vert was better. It never felt that good to me. But I do adore the career modes and the designs of the city. Its fantastic, even better to explore in 2 since you could walk. I can't wait to play through Skate 3, that's the one I know the least about going in. But Tony Hawk will always be more in my heart. Not only cause of nostalgia, but I just enjoy the more arcadey style compared to the realism of Skate. I love that there are games that keep the spirit and style of Skate (such as Session or SkaterXL). But I wish there were some games that took after Tony Hawk too, since it seems most skateboarding games nowadays take on soley the realistic street style. There should be a balance of fun arcade and realistic skateboarding games.

I like skate 2, slightly more gritty textures, less bright colors. I like the physics engine of skate 3 better. Never had the chance to play skate.

As someone who just finished a 100% completion of skate 1 (at least as much as i could because the online services are down) I surprisingly enjoyed this game alot more than I ever thought I would and until i get my hands on skate 2 skate 1 holds the number 1 spot of all skateboarding games in my mind

to answer the question in the title, hell yeah it does it holds up better than the third one

Spent so many hours on the skate games. Skate 2 is my favorite by far but 1 and 3 are great in their own right. Can’t wait for the new game!

it ABSOLUTELY still holds up! Skate 2 > skate 1> skate 3

love the nails!

I still play skate 3 to this day at least once a month!

My mom surpised me with this game when I was a kid, she knew I wanted it and coming back from basketball camp, she gave me the game. I was excited and it was worth the hype. I loved the Tony Hawk series and play it to this day but, Skate had a fresh new feeling. It felt like a true next generation game. I remember reading about how Skate would allow players to explore a true open world(something that THAW claimed to do). Even THP8 felt more like a bunch of maps connected to one another. Skate felt a map that felt like an actual place rather a bunch skateboarding maps. Unlike some of these simulation skateboarding games, the game didn't feel complex. It balanced realism and arcade just right. Exploring the map and nailing tricks at ceratain sports just felt so satisfying. Even today, the game has held up well and the art style in Skate 1 looks better to me than the other two games. In many ways, I like this over 2 and 3. It was a simple concept but, it felt it was so entertaining and I put a lot of hours into skating around this world. I am a loyal THPS fan but, Skate defintely took thecrown and sadly TH never got it back.

I did end up playing the First Skate title and have about the same opinions as Jak there, the Strict time limit and conditions to complete some challenges are absolutely bonkers and unlike Jak I didn't get very far into Skate 1, although I enjoyed just chilling and skating throughout the world that was given, heck like Jak I ended up having a lot of fun with the video software with it on highlights that you do on there, I should try it out again when I get the chance along with the sequels and such as well they look as fun if not better in places.

SQUARE EYED JAK!

Crazy no hawktober this year 😢

I hope this will lead to you reviewing Session and Skater XL at some point

i remember when the demo for skate finally dropped after the hype from Rob & Big's show and seeing Rob go up to Vancouver, BC to test the game out. i played that fucking demo with the time limit until the wheels fell off.

I'm bummed out all 3 of these games never got ports on the PC. I used to play these games all the time on the 360 and PS3 but now since I don't have those consoles/games anymore I would love to see a port or remaster of the whole franchise on modern systems.

Heh, love tap on the ol 360!

OOOOOOHOHOHOHO, LET'S FREAKING GO! "I like to do things classic around here..." *whacks 360 to open the disc drive* Yeah, that's nostalgic. XD

Besides not being able to get off the board, skate 1 has the best game feel imo

I've played Skate 3. I'm hoping to play the first two games someday.

I had a feeling Skate would be the theme this year. Hell yeah. I haven’t been able to get the hang of the controls of these games myself. But I know they’re very important.

I love Skatetember already!

Finally we're done talking about Tony Hawk and can focus on the true GOAT skate boarding series!