Tony Hawk's Underground

"Great game."

I've been interested in the Tony Hawk series for some time, but I never had the nerve to actually buy any of the skateboarding series. But somebody picked up on my interest for it, because it was the only Gamecube game I got for Christmas. I was tentative at first, this being my first and only skateboarding game in my collection. But after a while, this game grew on me.

Unlike previous Tony Hawk games, you start off as a local amateur skater punk living in a New Jersey suburb. However, you catch your big break and are able to sign up for a team and skate competitively. You travel to different skate parks all over the globe and make a name for yourself.

I can't speak for the other Tony Hawk games, but the gameplay in Underground is fast and responsive. You can perform tricks with ease. The button response is incredibly fast; you can execute several tricks in a single jump. The learning curve is not too bad for beginners; I didn't know how to do a Manual until halfway through the game. The levels are massive and provide dozens of trick spots for advanced gamers. You can create a skater, tricks, and skate parks. The trick creator menu offers for dozens, if not hundreds of variations of tricks. There are several parts you can use to create your ideal skate park. Also, this game offers a decent challenge, at least to those of us who aren't familiar with skating games. The game gives you multiple objectives to complete, which get progressively challenging throughout the game.

The graphics aren't the best I've seen on the Gamecube, but they are still decent. You can see enough detail on the face and clothes of your skater. The levels are well-detailed; you can see the details of the cars, and buildings, as well as the shadows cast by various objects. The sound is excellent. The voice of your skater is crisp, clear, and understandable. Each character has a unique voice, which adds more depth to the characters and overall storyline. The music is decent as well. Most of the music is either rock or hip-hop, but the music of KISS stands out among the rest.

Overall, great game. It has hours of addictive gameplay and unlockables to find. If you're into the Tony Hawk series, this game is a must-have. And if you're new to skating games, pick it up as well.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 02/23/04