720°

Nintendo console exclusive

720 Degrees is a 1986 arcade game by Atari Games. 720°, a skateboarding game, is notable in that along with BMX Simulator, it is one of the first extreme sports video games, and has a unique timed structure that requires the player score points in order to keep the game going.

Released: 1 December 1986
Platforms: Amstrad CPC Arcade Atari System 2 Commodore 64 Commodore C64/128/MAX Game Boy Color NES ZX Spectrum
Genres: Action Arcade Skateboarding Sports
Developers: Atari Games Tiertex Design Studios
Publishers: U.S. Gold Atari Games Mindscape
Modes: Single-player
Perspective: Third person Bird view / Isometric
Themes: Action
Country: United States
Age ratings: ESRB E CLASS_IND L
Languages: English
Time to beat: 1hmain story1hwith extras2hcompletionist

About

720° is a 1986 sports video game developed and published by Atari Games for arcades. Based on the sport of skateboarding, the player controls a skateboarder as they compete in various skating competitions, such as ramp jumping and downhill races, to earn cash.

The game has been ported and re-released to various home console and computer platforms.

›Story

The game's name comes from the "ultimate" trick, turning a full 720° (two complete circles) in the air after jumping off a ramp. 720° has the player controlling a skateboarder ripping around a middle-class neighborhood. By doing jumps and tricks, the player can eventually acquire enough points to compete at a skate park.

Keywords

motorcycle
extreme sports
skateboarding
world map
valuable garbage

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

The game begins with the player controlling a skateboarder skating around a middle-class neighborhood using common objects as ramps for jumps.

The player begins with a number of "tickets", each of which grants admission to one of four skate parks, or "events" in Skate City, the "hub" between the parks. When a park is entered, one ticket is expended. The player gains additional tickets by earning points. ".

Development

The game program for the arcade version was written in BLISS, and utilized the Atari System 2 hardware.

Reception

The game received an overall positive reception among both users and critics. In 1995, Flux magazine ranked the game 79th on their "Top 100 Video Games", writing that it was "addicting" and completely unique for its time.

Legacy

Emulated versions of the game are included in Midway Arcade Treasures, released in 2003 and 2004, and Midway Arcade Origins, released in 2012.

Releases by platformdates and regions as published

Platform	Released	Regions
Arcade	1 December 1986	North America
Commodore C64/128/MAX	31 December 1987	Europe
ZX Spectrum	31 December 1987	Europe
Amstrad CPC	31 December 1988	Europe
NES	1 November 1989	North America
Game Boy Color	1 March 1999	North America