Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
- November 24, 2000 14:47 PM PST
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Not since The Search for Animal Chin came out in the late 80's have so many people stayed inside for skateboarding. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 continues where the original left off, in a very good way.
Not since The Search for Animal Chin came out in the late 80's have so many people stayed inside for skateboarding. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 continues where the original left off, in a very good way.Zero to Sixty
The original Pro Skater captured the thumbs of millions of gamers worldwide last year and now the sequel is set to do it again. You might be wondering, "How much better could it be?" The answer is "A lot!" Neversoft tweaked several gameplay aspects, added new trick and combo options and three new skaters, and included what Tony Hawk fans were fiending for: a build-a-park mode. All you skaters, tear the sleeves off your shirts; all you non-skaters, enjoy the fun without the pain and witness the return of Tony Hawk's Couch Enslaver-- err, Pro Skater 2.
Manual to Kick Flip to Manual to Blunt Slide to Manual etc.
The coolest thing about THPS is the ability to bust tricks that would leave a real skater flat as a pancake. Possibly the coolest and most pronounced new trick in THPS2 is the manual (a.k.a. the wheelie for all the old school skaters and BMXers). In real life, skaters perform manuals on curbs, ramp decks, and picnic tables. Now this two-wheeled trick can be performed in THPS2. Following a long string of tricks you can land in manual, perform another trick, land in manual, and on and on, racking up points all along the way since they're all linked together. It's a great way to generate points once you get hang of it, and it adds a lot of fun to the game. In addition to the manual, Neversoft has added lots of new tricks and awesome slam animations that really convey the pain that can come from face-planting on concrete.
Park Architect
One of the things that made THPS such a huge hit was the great level design. Neversoft included hidden hard-to-reach rails, huge transfers, and trick bonus areas that kept gameplay fun and interesting. Inevitably, after a few hundred runs through each level, they became a bit old, and that's where THPS2 will shine brightest. Not only are there eight ramp packed levels, there'll be a "Skate Park Editor" which will allow you to design and then skate your own park. If you like grinding and have no time for transition, you can make a park full of rails, curbs, and benches. If you're a bowl enthusiast, you can drop a bunch of bowls to launch in and out of into the park. It's up to you, and after you make a few and figure out what works well, you'll be making parks that rival those found in the game.
Stay tuned for a full Tony Hawk's Pro Skater Review, downloadable parks, and interviews with the skaters from the game.
