PSOne Review: Tony Hawk Pro Skater
The game that started a never ending series of great sellers. This is the game that made me run out and buy a Playstation. Although it might not have all the freestyle moves of the newer games in the series it set the basics for everything that followed. The game has solid controls, great levels, a decent sound track, and above all endless gameplay. For anyone that has come into the Tony Hawk Pro Skater series of games after 3 or 4 you might find this game very limiting. As for anyone that has been with this series since its birth, its fun to go back and play through.
For me it has always been the levels that are more possible in life that I have come to like best. This game with a few exceptions has some great levels that are just that. I know the chances of finding skate parks done up this much or schools with that many great stairs and ramps woudl be a rare find, but it is atleast possible. Althought the game was released in 1999 it has some great bands that predate it like Dead Kennedys, Goldfinger, The Vandals, and Primus. No Tony Hawk game is complete with out Tony’s friends and it has your standard line up of some great names. It also has a custom character system that in its time was on par with most other custom character system in games.
The game play is objective driven (read that as no story mode), knock over 5 barrels, beat the sick highscore, etc. Do enough of the objectives and you unlock a new level with some of the same objectives and some new ones. The only other variation to the game play is the competition level in which you have to skate against other skaters to rack up the most points and get a medal.
After playing all the others in the series this game has lost some of its fun for me, but will always be one of those games that I know ate up a large chunk of my life.
August 12th, 2006 at 5:34 pm
Oh man, that takes me back. I fully agree with you about the realistic levels! It was totally the type of game that made you want to skate for real. I remember always checking out real places and talking about it would make such a rad THPS level.
August 12th, 2006 at 6:13 pm
After playing this game for months on end I remeber I use to walk down the street thinking.. You could kick flip on the rail, grind the rail heal flip off it to the stairs and board slide down the rail and then kick flip off onto the car. :)
August 14th, 2006 at 12:16 am
Yes!! Oh man, I am getting a new cooler for my video card soon so I will have to load up some THPS 4 and maybe go back and play 2 again just for kicks…
August 14th, 2006 at 8:48 am
There is a new one coming out called Project 8 I belive.
August 14th, 2006 at 4:27 pm
Man, talk about a runaway success story on that franchise, eh? They’ll still be pumping out THPS games when we’re old men :)
August 14th, 2006 at 4:45 pm
I hope so, cause I dont see me getting sick of them. :)