Tony Hawk's Pro Skater

"It's all there, all right, only it's better."

What a game. What a game indeed. This can be summed up in one sentence: everything that was there in the PSX and N64 versions is there, and now it's even better than before.

Graphics:
The primary addition/tweak to this version. The graphics are SHARP. You can tell a lot has been done to update the characters and set this apart as a Dreamcast game. The animation is as smooth (or smoother?) than ever, and everything just seems tweaked a little tighter than the PSX incarnation was before it. Oh, and another added bonus - little things like the videos in the background (crisp, clear image this time around), and water effects etc are much better. Wonderful!

Sound:
Hmm, not much to say here. If you played the playstation version, you've heard it all before. Great stuff though. A very upbeat, punk-y sort of feel by some big-name bands (licensed music, I love it). Gives a lot of feel to the game, and though if you hear one song over and over it may get repetative, just hit next track and you're on a roll again (no pun intended). The sound effects are just as on as ever. When Tony smacks pavement after missing that 720 Benihara, you'll know it.

Gameplay:
Smooth. Wonderful. Fast. How do I describe this? It moves along quickly. Sometimes it moves VERY quickly, but you will adapt. You will adapt and you will love every second of it. The first time you take off on that first level, make a few twists on that Stalefish you've been perfecting, smash through the glass and come down into a grind on the bar below just before switching stances onto the side of the -- well, you get the point. It's pure magic, and caffeine or no, you gotta get excited at that.

Multi-Friendliness:
The only area where I give this game a knock, and that's only because I'm a stickler for features. The one player mode is excellent to watch, I can easily sit for quite a while cheering my friends and extending my hand to snatch the controller. There are also a few 2-player modes which can be fun, from a general score challange, to a trick challange (think 'who can show off more'), to my personal favorite, 'graffitti', wherein you and a rival player try to trick off of as much environment as possible. Each trick 'tags' that object, and the person with the most tags wins... just make sure your opponent doesn't out-trick you and take your turf! This can be much fun in the smaller arenas where you really have to compete.

Replayability:
Not too many different worlds, a couple unlockable characters, and a blazing pace make the first time through once you perfect your technique a quick trip, but having many different skaters (you will want to see all the decks) and styles of play to master will give this game a lot of life. And most importantly... you can play for a minute or an hour. You'll still want to pop in the game and see if you can beat your score of 40k on the warehouse... trust me.


Overall, a great game well worth your money and quite fit for showpony status alongside your copies of Soul Calibur, Crazy Taxi, NFL2K, and Resident Evil. Just another reason why I am proud to have bought a Dreamcast - for <200$, can you go wrong?

Nope.



-KK-

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 05/24/00, Updated 05/24/00