Update: Now with the proper 60fps trailer - the Nintendo one was apparently cut to 30. Enjoy!


The absence of a truly great skateboarding game in the vein of the classic Tony Hawk's or Skate is a great and continuing shame for many '90s kids who recall kickflipping and grinding through the urban polygonal playgrounds back in the day. We've got the two Olli-Olli games on Switch, but we're still hankering for some full-on 3D skating, preferably to a soundtrack of American punk rock. It makes all those faceplants a little more bearable, you see.

Hoping to channel some of that nostalgia, Skater XL has been announced as coming to Switch in today's Indie World Showcase. While it looks perhaps a little too much like the skateboard games of old, we're not too bothered if it isn't the prettiest game on the block. We're more interested in the fact it promises an 'evolved' version of the skateboarding classics we know and love with 'unparalleled board control'. Created by a team of skaters, the physics are a focus for the developers and it also boasts several real-world skate spots where you can show off your finest ollies, nollies and the rest.

Check out the trailer above and you'll find it actually looks much better in motion than the bland environments suggest.

The game has been in Early Access on Steam for a while now and while it doesn't look like much, the focus on getting the technical nitty gritty perfect is encouraging. It might not be the big budget, AAA skateboarding experience fans of the genre are after, but if it nails the spirit of those classics, we'll be more than happy. Right now it's only got a '2020' release date, but we'll let you now when there's something more concrete.

Look, we got through the whole thing without using the words 'Sk8er Boi'! Feel free to congratulate us and leave your thoughts about Skater XL in the usual place.