Tony Hawk's Pro Skater

"Good Game, Even If You're Not Into It"

I must admit, after all the years its been on the console/PC, I've only ever bought Tony Hawks 2 on the Dreamcast, and didn't play much of it (got up to the second stage I think). I decided to buy the N-Gage version since all its games are going for cheap and not many of them get released often either, and I have to say I got hooked to it for much longer than I expected!

Graphics: 9

The graphics on this game look just as good as some of the graphics on the next wave of games - maybe a little worse. But for a launch title the graphics are very good! If you've played it on the Playstation, it looks EXACTLY the same on the N-Gage - even the frame rate and draw distance.

Sound: 10

All sounds sound great. They don't sound neither too fuzzy, or out of place, or repetitive. They all sound very clear - just like the Playstation version.

Music: 9

All the tracks that you find on the Playstation version will be found on the N-Gage version. Ok so they don't sound as perfect as they did on the Playstation - since it used CD quality - but for a hand held it's very impressive for its time. Because I'm not into rock I'm glad they had the option to turn down the music or even turn it off (which also saves loading times).

Game Play: 8

The reason why it got a 8 is because this game is definitely not for everyone. If you haven't played Tony Hawks before, you basically have to perform as many tricks as you can, whilst getting as high a score as you can, and completing certain tasks in each stage to receive tapes and unlock stages and boards. While I was hooked to it for a few days, its not a game that I would just keep coming back to like SonicN or Pandemonium. Also in the Mall, where that fountain is, the game sometimes stops for about half a second (stops movement, sound etc), which can REALLY throw you off timing - as one of the high scoring moves is to jump through it. There are many things to unlock and do, plus the multi-player is great fun. You also have the option to hook up to the N-Gage Arena and post your scores, or videos of you doing many combos - or for the people new to the series - download the videos to get some tips or hints. Again ,shadow racing is also an option on the Arena.

Replayablitily: 8

I gave it a high rating because this game is NOT easy. It will take at least 3 days to get all the tapes, unlock all the levels, boards, characters etc, and that is if you play it 12 hours each day! I didn't rate it a 10 because I'm not really into the series, but I can see a strong replay value in it since you would probably want to beat your score/max combo count, or to even compete in the Arena to win trophy's on your Player Account.

Overall: 8

Not a bad game, nor is it a bad port - although it has a couple of flaws with the stuttering in the mall around the fountain area. If you liked Tony Hawks on the Playstation, then expect the same thing on the N-Gage but with online features.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/10/05