Graydon Webb – The Contrarian American

Disney’s Extreme Skate Adventure

I will not blame you if you don’t remember Disney’s Extreme Skate Adventure. Hell, it took a little thinking for me to come up with it in my mind palace. But looking back through years of licensed fodder and shovelware, the most enticing and satisfying piece of movie-based video game media was without a doubt… this one. What could be better than a skateboarding title based on three of Disney’s biggest franchises, and genuinely made with love?

Disney’s Extreme Skate Adventure takes the player through the worlds of Toy Story, The Lion King, and Tarzan, all the while ollie-ing and grinding across everything in sight. Growing up, I never cared to play the Tony Hawk titles. I never really thought I cared for skateboarding at all, to be honest! But I do remember this game rarely leaving my Game Boy Advance’s cartridge slot, as it was a staple on long trips and in my day-to-day life.

I could spend hours in the world, talking to NPCs from the movies, exploring various set pieces from Pizza Planet to the Elephant Graveyard, and completing challenges along the way. Oddly enough, now that I have dabbled in things like Tony Hawk Pro Skater, I see just how similar these big titles were to Extreme Skate Adventure. I recall the feeling of anxiety I would get as a child, trying to complete a timed challenge or collect all the hidden letters in a level. That feeling continues into the games of big names, but without the Disney flair, I have no interest. This is a game I would love to see make a comeback, as it impacted my life so much and Disney could really compete using its more recent IP’s. Imagine skating around Motunui or even the Death Star? That would be totally gnarly.