Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2

"Buy this game....now!"

When I first heard about THPS1, I scoffed. A skateboarding game? Haha, ''sure, I'lll buy that''. Then, I actually played the game. As anyone who has played it knows, I wasn't laughing anymore. The sequel, which isn't just a fresh coat of paint and a bunch of new levels, continues to be as new, and interesting as the first game, while having a disinctly different feel. The new features are all good, and, since he last game had no major problems, there were no problems necessary to fix for the sequel, so don't expect an entirely overhauled gameplay technique. It is still the same game, at heart, so fans of the original, do not be worried. Be warned, though, this game is signifigantly harder than the original, with the fist level being harder than San Francisco, in my opinion. Oh, yeah, better tune up your skills. In Philadelphia, to clear the level, you need 250,000 points in 2 minutes, while the begginning level is 75,000 (don't worry, this game awars points much easier than the first game). I, personally, found this very hard. Cutting right to the chase, this game hits a home run in every area, the only minor hitch is the difficulty, and, a few graphical problems concerning draw-in, or whatever else the terms are for messy graphics. This game is a must-buy.

Graphically, this game is again, pure gold. It belies it's medium's (platform's) age, and delivers a solid performance, with an excellent frame rate. The only problem with that is, there is heavy draw-in, and you tend to fall through objects soemtimes, and you see things through walls. The edges are smooth, for the most part, and look nice, at a distance, or close up. The skaters themselves are very detailed, as you are actually able to discern a face, somewhat. They look 3-D, and they are very smooth, and fluidly animated, thanks to the super-speedy framerate. Activison seems to be milking the PSX for all it can, as Spider-Man, X-men, and THPS2 have all looked excellent (what the hell happened to Tenchu 2?) Few games are able to deliver graphics on par with this game. This game looks great, and runs fluidly too, at litle cost.

Score: 9.6/10

This game has great sound (well, not as great as the music) and music wise. The soundtrack includes Papa Roach, Rage against the Machine, Powerman 5000, and Naughy by Nature, plus 12 others. These songs range from quieter, more subtle songs, like ''Cyclone,'' to in yor face, brash songs like ''When Worlds Collide,'' by Powerman 5000. Overall, they fit in very well with the game, and they should, since the skaters themselves chose the music fo this game. The quality of the sound from these songs is great too, they sound fabulous. My only beef would have to be the fact they seem to replay again every 5 minutes. The sound is also very good, the sound changes when your skater changes surface, when he/she jumps, and when they are grinding (yet it isn't as good as the music, why?). I want to know who the heck voiced the collision sounds, they sound like cavemen grunting. That sound reminded me of the wrestlers getting beaten in WWF Attitude. Oh well, not everyhing can be perfect, but this game does an excellent job in this area, so, it is forgiven :P

Score: 9.3/10

Control-wise is this game is top-notch, which is part of the reason this game is so fun. With these simplistic conrols, you'll be busting out 900 Melons, Indy Nosebones, or even ''Sacktaps,'' in no time. The controls are easy to learn and execute, and you can configure them to your tastes (I prefer the default, since I am used to it), so you are sure to find a way you like. The good thing is, while being easy to master, they can also get more complex, with things like Manuals, Boneless', No Complies, Nollies, and Fakie Switches, to name a few. These can be pulled off to really pump your score way up there, but require skill and precision as well. The controls also make it a breeze to grind, but you need to learn how to balance yourself if you hope to get very far in this game. The only minor problems I had with the control was the sometimes questionable collision detection, and the turning can be messed up, but works well for the most part. I must add, busting tricks with the analog is easy, and recommended, since you'll be playing this game non-stop when you get it. You may want to use the D-pad for specials, however, it is tricky in analog mode. If only Syphon Filter 2's control was this tight...

Score: 9.8/10

Overall, this game is an absolute masterpiece, up there with the Syphon Filters, Metal Gear Solids, and Final Fantasies, as well produced, and presented games (not to mention intensely fun). This game adds many, many new features such as: create a park and skater modes, it has even more secrets than the previous game, it features the ability to earn cash, and choose which stats you upgrade, the ability to buy tricks, and customize the tricks you use, the ability to buy your boards, and see some cool jamaican dude while you do:), a much more in depth stats feature, where there is an actual difference between the abilities of your skater at the begginning and end of the game, it looks like the graphics were slghtly retouched, there is a cool Mat Hoffman demo in the option's mode, you have the option to find like 300 or so gaps, doing so unlocks a new skater (Private Carrera, there are 16 skaters in total, I believe). Officer Dick is still in the game, as is *SPOLIER SPOLIER SPOILER* Spider-Man, whom I have yet to earn:( I have already put a lot of time into this, and have beaten it with Tony Hawk already, yet, the game is so fun, I am going o come back and beat it with everybody *so, I'll see you all in a year;) * I can't think of a better game on store shelves right now (well, my crappy ones at least), so, get your pay check, bug your parents, but somehow, buy this game.

Score: 9.9/10

Would I reccomend buying this game?: Were you comatose during the review? Get off your duff, and go buy it now, and if you already have, go play it again:) This is a great game fans of all types of genres will love.

*Note: I am available for help as best as I can on AOL Instant Messenger. My screen name is StynEs 15. I'm willing to help anyone, plus I'm on late, so send me a message:)*

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 09/27/00, Updated 09/27/00