Play Skitchin' Online

Summary

Skitchin' drops you onto a neon‑slick street where you control an inline skater who can accelerate, jump, crouch, and swing a grab‑bag of weapons—nunchaku, chains, pipes, crowbars, whips, even baseball bats—picked up from the roadside. The core thrill comes from "skitching," clinging to a moving car’s bumper to steal momentum, then slinging yourself onto another vehicle or shaking off rivals who try to push you off. Successful tricks trigger a quick judges’ panel that rates your stunt, adding cash to your growing bankroll.

The tournament spans twelve cities, from Vancouver to New York, and you must finish in the top five to advance. Each race costs entry money, so you’ll spend your earnings on fresh skates, wheels, and protective gear before the next bout; worn equipment can cause a blowout or a costly hospital visit. Police cars pay more but risk a fine, and a password at the end of each race lets you pick up where you left off.

Multiplayer shines with a split‑screen mode that lets two players race together or duel in a pure head‑to‑head showdown. A larger “Tournament” option strings together a series of two‑player matches for up to eight competitors, keeping the chaos alive beyond the single‑player grind.

Developed by EA’s Canadian studio, the game re‑used the Road Rash engine and was built on footage of Toronto’s Skate Ranch, where pro skater Troy Manering’s moves were rotoscoped into the sprites. The art team toured the city for authentic graffiti, and Jeff van Dyck assembled a 16‑track grunge‑heavy soundtrack after an intensive listening session in a locked room.

Critics praised the fluid scrolling, large animated sprites, and the gritty graffiti aesthetic, though some found the backgrounds bland and the skitching controls a touch sluggish. Scores ranged from 5/10 to 19.5/20, and the title even cracked the top‑five rentals at Blockbuster in 1997. GamesRadar+ later honored Skitchin' as one of the best Sega Genesis titles, cementing its cult‑classic status.