Tony Hawk's American Sk8land

"American Greatland"

My first experience with the Tony Hawk video game franchise led me to believe that skateboarding was easy, and I ended up bruising my backside several times just by trying an ollie. In a decision probably for the better, I stuck with video games. Considering how many of these skateboarding games exist, there's no time to go back to the real thing. But such a selection has a way of dulling any excitement over another in a long-winded franchise. Luckily, handheld consoles offer some leeway for these things, which is good, because this DS skater brings a lot of new life to the Tony Hawk name.

Graphics:
The first worthy mentionable of Tony Hawk's American Sk8land is how it pushes the DS's limitations to new boundaries. Levels feel very large on the DS screen and make no exceptions to keep things bare in order for the game to run smoothly. That isn't to say the framerate is a problem, though, and is generally reliable minus a negligible dip or two in a multiplayer match. Sk8land is also the first Tony Hawk game to venture into full-fledged cel-shading. Anything more might not have worked so well on the DS system, but the effect is neat and very fitting. Objects have jagged outlines and aren't made of very many polygons, but these are passable shortcomings--if that, even--seeing as how the game is already doing a lot.

Sound:
But even more impressive is this game's audio. I'd been waiting eagerly for a DS game to use actual voice acting, and Sk8land has proven the possibility. Cutscenes are not just short snippets, either. These sometimes take two or three minutes and feature very clear dialogue between Tony Hawk and a new character, Mindy. Add on top of this licensed lyrical music, and it's amazing all this audio was able to fit onto such a little game card. The selection of 12+ songs is mostly punk rock, and they cycle through the same order over and over, so that can get a little irritating. Barring that redundancy, all of this sounds great with very little obvious compression anywhere. Oh, and you can record your own voice samples for bails and specials. I don't know how they could make this any better.

Gameplay:
The core mechanics of the Tony Hawk gameplay haven't changed much. Set goals will require you to score a particular high score or combo, find hidden stuff, or grind/jump special parts of the current level. Sk8land's story plays out as you, Tony Hawk, and Mindy try to earn money to restore an old warehouse skate park. When certain money markers have been met, you can buy one of three pieces for the warehouse to fit into pre-selected areas. Money is earned by riding around the different cities (levels) and talking to random people who will pay you to do certain things (like jump a rooftop or deliver a pizza). It's kind of funny how the people of Hollywood are so willing to fork over $250 for every stunt you do, but Sk8land really hams up the fact that this isn't serious at all.

However, this Story mode is very simple and easy and only serves as a way for you to get used to the game. To compensate for this, a Classic mode is also available. This is a throwback to the Pro Skater days when you had to complete any of ten goals in two minutes or less. Goals are a little more demanding than they were in Story mode and eventually ask of you extremely high high scores. It's nice to have Classic mode there--as it really extends this game's replay value--but the story is more entertaining and feels more like part of a real world. Skating around empty streets in Classic mode is almost creepy.

Control:
Skating is no problem, though. The DS doesn't cut any corners simply because its buttons are smaller or-- whatever else people may have been worried about. Pulling off ridiculously valuable combos is easy even for new DS owners. The only trouble you may come across is getting confused as to which button is which. From playing Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 on the Gamecube too much, I kept mistaking the DS's X button as the Y button. If it bothers you that much, you can even customize the controls to your liking.

And it wouldn't be a DS game without some kind of touching. The obvious applet is a paint program to make your own graffiti and deck art. Unfortunately, this paint program is very stripped down and, at times, glitchy. Restricted to only the stylus, there isn't much chance for precision, and the program periodically scratches an unrelated line across the picture. Basically, you can write "WTF" and move on. But the touch screen is used in-game, also. Special tricks and slow-motion can be pulled off by tapping buttons on the screen. There is also a new Freak Out option which lets you recover some points from a bail by stopping meters on the touch screen with your thumb (or other finger, I suppose). These touch functions don't always feel responsive, but they are purely optional and offer a little more depth for anyone willing to get grease marks on their system.

Frustration:
Playing Sk8land isn't without aggravation, however. Seemingly impossible challenges are okay, because it's something to work towards. What I have a hard time coping with is how difficult it is for your character to turn around. Pulling back will eventually bring your character to a standstill, but it's a slow process and not really desired when the clock is ticking. Making wide turns on the skateboard seems like a good alternative. However, the slightest tap against a wall sends your skater in the opposite direction. It's very frustrating to get stuck bouncing between two walls in some narrow passage. It by no means kills the fun of the game, but it's a nuance that is hard to overlook.

Lasting Appeal:
The Story mode is a once-through affair with a 1.5 DS battery life maximum. Classic mode, on the other hand, is much more than that. Because the challenges in Classic mode are harder, they take a lot longer to finally master. Plus, you are encouraged to beat Classic mode with different characters in order to open up Tony Hawk staple cheats. With or without cheats, this is still a fun game to pick up and play whenever time permits. Sk8land also marks the only third-party DS game to take advantage of Nintendo's online service. The final product is actually better-implemented than Mario Kart DS but not quite as fun or interesting. The connection between the game and website is really cool, letting you download new challenges or upload high scores and replays. Yet once again, Tony Hawk is confined to two players. Online, the limitation was probably mandatory, but even locally, only two people can play a game, and each has to have his/her own copy. Alas, the game modes aren't even that captivating, mostly revolving around trick attacks. What happened to the more interactive modes like Horse and Graffiti? It's very disappointing. Random online matches are still fun, though. The game puts you and another player in a free skate level that acts as a lobby until one player requests an actual competition. It's a really good idea, and I hope in the future there will be better uses for it.

Overall:
Considering the Game Boy Advance has seen more Tony Hawks than Super Marios, it's very likely Sk8land will make another appearance in some form within a year from now. If you have the patience, the wait may be worth it, as I expect the developers to make the game even better now that they've gotten the basics figured out. Regardless, Tony Hawk's American Sk8land is an impressive DS game and packs all the fun and charm of the skating franchise without resorting to silly gimmicks like on-foot missions or obligatory touch controls. And with a sudden $10 price drop, there is little reason for fans of skateboard combos not to add this one to their collection.

Points:
+ Classic THPS gameplay
+ Non-gimmicky new additions
+ Technically amazing
-- Lousy paint program
-- Trouble turning around
-- Uninteresting multiplayer

Score: 8/10

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/11/06