8 Great Video Games That Inspired EVEN BETTER Ones

3. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater Inspired Skate Story

After many, many years of development by solo developer Sam Eng, Skate Story was finally released at the end of 2025, and it instantly entered the annals of all-timer skating games.

While doing press for the game, Eng couldn't help but acknowledge that his time as a child spent playing Tony Hawk's Pro Skater had a huge influence on the end product, even though he hoped that Skate Story would stand on its own two feet.

And boy, did it do that or what?

As absurdly entertaining and undeniably iconic as the Tony Hawk's franchise is, Skate Story was a gigantic breath of fresh air in the skating space, what with its utterly singular aesthetic and surreal story.

Just try and name another skating game where you play a demon made of crystal who is tasked with skating to the moon and swallowing it. What the hell, sure.

From its tactile, nimble skating gameplay to its aesthetics and, yes, its gorgeous music, Skate Story showed just about every other skating game in town a thing or twelve.