Tony Hawk's Pro Skater

"The one that started it all..."

Back in the days, 2000, Activision came out with a little (okay, it wasn't that little as it was a huge success) gem called Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. People were skeptical of the idea of bringing skateboarding to a video game. Now, nearly four years later and almost ready for a fourth installment to his video game legacy, Tony Hawk has become a household name in the world of video gaming.

Graphics 9/10

By today's standards the graphics of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater is bad, but back in the days it was absolutely gorgeous especially the Dreamcast version. As a first generation game on the Dreamcast it was a very pretty game, crisper than a freshly bought head of lettuce. On the subject of detail, the game is even more detailed than some of today's ''next-gen'' games. The game also featured great particle effects like blood and sparks(?) when grinding.

Sound 9/10

Great sound track! The first Tony Hawk game featured some of my favorite songs. Track includes songs from Goldfinger, Bad Religion, Dead Kennedys, and Primus. Sound effects aren't too shabby either. From the clacks of the ollies to the skater hitting the cement it's all distinguishable.

Gameplay 10/10

Can this game be any easier to play? No, because it's already the easiest it can be. Press a direction and a ''face'' button and you're trickin'. ''A'' ollies, ''B'' is for grab tricks, ''X'' is for flip tricks, and ''Y'' is for grinds. ''R'' and ''L'' is for sharp turns. Doesn't get much easier than that. There are also special tricks which are done by pressing a combination of directions and a ''face'' button while your special meter is full. This adds a lot more fun to the game because special tricks are just that- special, and they have a lot of point value.

Modes 8/10

Modes in this game are few but fun. There is the career mode where you go through to max out your skater's stats. There is a multi player mode which includes five different games to play.

Features 9/10

-10 skaters with 2 secret skaters
-9 huge, well designed levels
-killer sound track
-crisp, clean graphics
-has Tony Hawk
-has the 900
-multi player- 5 games
-real graphics on skateboards

Replay Value and Lasting Appeal 9/10

In order to completely beat this game you need to beat everyone's career not just one skater's. Everyone has a movie ''ending'' so this urges you to beat it because you want to see it. After that's finished, get a friend and play HORSE. After that, just free skate around and by the time you know it, it's midnight (assuming you started playing in the day).

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 08/07/02, Updated 08/07/02