Minimum Requirements: 233MHz G3, hardware 3D acceleration (ATI Rage Pro or better), MacOS 8.6, 32MB RAM, OpenGL 1.1, QuickTime 3.0, 4x CD-ROM
Network Feature: Yes
3D Support: OpenGL
OS X Support: Carbon
Retail Price: $44.95
Availability: Now
Rating: T for Teen
Before I get into this review, I'm going to take two horrible, evil actions. First, I'm going to let public opinion sway my review. Second, I'm going to admit it.
Well, I've already got one out of the way.
When I got my preview copy of Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2, I was immediately impressed with the graphics and gameplay, but I didn't so much care for the game itself. I couldn't get into it, which I attributed to my lack of skating knowledge. With no manual, I had no idea what moves I was even supposed to attempt, let alone pull off. So, I basically skated around and around, hitting buttons in random sequences and occasionally calling out, "That was wild...how did I do it?"
When the game arrived with an actual manual, I was all set to learn some tricks and start having some real fun. Of course, it's not that easy. Despite a brief explanation on basic and trick controls, there's still a lot of playing to be done before you're ready to appear on ESPN2.
That's where I got hung up. As I fell and crashed and basically humiliated myself in front of...no one, really, I kept asking myself, "What's the point?" I can understand why people would so this in real life; there's the rush of speed and danger, and the thrill of pulling off some wild stunts...and of annoying the minister as he chases you off the church steps. But in Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2, after my first successful nosebone, or whatever, my only thought was, "Well, that was random."
Enter my wife's cousin, Nick. He's sixteen, and he's into the extreme sports to the point where he almost lost his spleen in a dirt bike accident. That's pretty cool, if you ask me. Like getting attacked my a shark. If you get attacked by a shark and lose no limbs, that's the greatest thing that can happen to you. Talk about a story for the grandkids!
But I digress. I told Nick I had Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2, and the next thing I knew he was spending the weekend with me and my wife. So, I spent the better half of two days watching the kid skate through airplane hangers, the streets of New York, an abandoned bullring, and who knows where else. All the while, he kept calling out moves and game pad sequences to me, trying to teach me the finer points of skateboarding. When I again took over, I knew what to do, but I still didn't know how to do it.
Of course, I'm quite certain I'm not the demographic at which Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 is aimed, as was obvious from the moment I launched the game. The opening movie is jammed with clips of skaters doing all sorts of things for which I would've been punished for trying when I was growing up. The music of the movie also sets the tone for the game...loud and aggressive. I'm told the soundtrack features music by Rage Against the Machine, Naughty By Nature and other voices of the generation, but I'll have to take their word for it. I was just pleased their was an option to shut it off while playing. It's not that I'm against loud music, as my neighbors will attest, but rather that listening to the wheels grind on the pavement and bones crunch on the sidewalk is much more entertaining.
Those who skate or who simply enjoy watching others do it are sure to be pleased with the myriad choices they'll have in this game. Everything from your favorite moves to your favorite shoes can be set up when you create your own skater. If you prefer to not go through the hassle, you can select from presets based on real life skaters.
When it came time to pick a skater, Nick chose Tony Hawk. I made my own...I guess it's the RPGer in me, which may be why I was disappointed I couldn't configure my skater's charisma level and warrior class. Both custom built and preconfigured characters are better at some tricks than others. Secret moves can be executed after first successfully completing other more standard tricks, and new moves can be obtained as your character progresses.
The same basic choices are offered for skating areas; you can either select from pre-constructed areas ranging from Montana to Marseille, or you can create your own. Yes, Virginia, there is a level editor, and a fairly robust one at that. You can build and name your own hometown skate park, then never use it because the standard areas are more interesting. Many even have hidden secrets, and finding them is half the fun.
Of course, in order to get to them, you'll have to get good. Free skate and single session options are offered, but the levels for these are locked out until you've completed them in career mode. This is where all the fun is, anyway. You're given a bunch of goals to complete in each park (finding money, performing moves, getting a certain number of points, etc.) and other parks are opened to you once you've nearly completed all the goals. The money you accumulate can be used to tweak your board for better performance. Eventually, you're entered into tournaments where you go up against computer controlled opponents. There's also an excellent multiplayer function that allows gamers to compete in many different ways, such as horse and high score competitions.
The graphics in Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 are astounding. Sure, the skateboard disappears whenever you smack face first into the concrete, but I'm sure it appears to do so with real skaters, too. I'm also certain that the laws of physics are a little more strict with real skaters, but I'm fine with the forgiving gravity within the game. And a word of advice; game pads make gravity easier to handle...except for in OS X. The game works great in Apple's new OS, but game pads don't.
Yet for everything that Tony Hawk gets right, I still couldn't get into it. Try as I might, I could not find the incentive to attempt the same moves over and over to advance to the next level. After all, what's waiting for me there other than more of the same? For that reason, I was all set to give this game a three...until Macworld Expo.
Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 was everywhere at the show. It was in the keynote, it was on the show floor...it was at the Apple VIP party, for crying-out-loud! Tony Hawk and the Wallflowers.
I asked Aspyr's Amy Torres if she could explain the game's popularity, and she basically suggested it's because it allows people to do things they always wish they could. Okay, I guess I can understand that. After all, to virtually life's routine is the reason I play Tomb Raider, Centipede and such. Not everyone who wants to be a pro skater has the means to do so, and this game expertly simulates that thrill. For all of those people, Tony Hawk will become your new best friend. For the rest of us...well, Tony wouldn't give us the time of day. That's okay, though. I know that Lara Croft will still have us over for some tea and good conversation.
Review: Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2
When the game arrived with an actual manual, I was all set to learn some tricks and start having some real fun. Of course, it's not that easy. Despite a brief explanation on basic and trick controls, there's still a lot of playing to be done before you're ready to appear on ESPN2.
But I digress. I told Nick I had Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2, and the next thing I knew he was spending the weekend with me and my wife. So, I spent the better half of two days watching the kid skate through airplane hangers, the streets of New York, an abandoned bullring, and who knows where else. All the while, he kept calling out moves and game pad sequences to me, trying to teach me the finer points of skateboarding. When I again took over, I knew what to do, but I still didn't know how to do it.
Those who skate or who simply enjoy watching others do it are sure to be pleased with the myriad choices they'll have in this game. Everything from your favorite moves to your favorite shoes can be set up when you create your own skater. If you prefer to not go through the hassle, you can select from presets based on real life skaters.
The graphics in Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 are astounding. Sure, the skateboard disappears whenever you smack face first into the concrete, but I'm sure it appears to do so with real skaters, too. I'm also certain that the laws of physics are a little more strict with real skaters, but I'm fine with the forgiving gravity within the game. And a word of advice; game pads make gravity easier to handle...except for in OS X. The game works great in Apple's new OS, but game pads don't.