Skitchin'

About Skitchin'

Skitchin' (1994) is EA Canada's Road Rash-powered inline skating racer, in which skaters fight with chains and bats and hitch rides on car bumpers through twelve cities.

Skitchin' in Depth

An inline skater competes in a tournament across twelve cities, including Vancouver, New York City and San Diego, needing fifth place or better to advance. Skaters can accelerate, jump, crouch, attack rivals and skitch, grabbing a moving vehicle's bumper for momentum, then launch off to slingshot to another vehicle or shake off an opponent trying to shove them away. Nunchaku, chains, pipes, crowbars, whips and baseball bats can be picked up from the road, often marked by traffic cones, or snatched from rivals mid-swing, and several can be carried at once. Ramps allow tricks scored by a trio of judges.

The skater starts with $100 and earns more by winning, skitching, performing tricks and knocking down opponents, while every race charges an entry fee. Between races, skates, wheels and protective gear wear out and can be replaced in a shop, whose owner refuses any purchase that would leave the skater unable to afford the next race; worn skates risk a blowout and crashing in worn gear means a hospital bill. Skitching on police cars pays more but risks arrest and a fine, and cars grow faster and rivals more aggressive as the tournament goes on. Critics praised its fluid scrolling, large, well-animated sprites and detailed settings, along with its two-player mode, but criticised its lack of level variety.

Making Skitchin'

EA's Canadian division developed it, conceived by Dave Ralston, designed by Dave Warfield and directed by Tim Brengle, with programming by Lance Wall, Daniel Wesley and Lee Ingraham. Reusing the Road Rash engine to capitalise on that series' success, the team rented a warehouse with ramps for Jack Snowden to videotape Manering's moves. Released for the Genesis in 1994, it received generally positive reviews, with critics noting its similarity to Road Rash and finding the concept novel, though Mean Machines Sega and EGM felt the novelty wore off quickly, and GamePro found skitching tricky to master.