Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4

"Portable skating bliss all over again"

Tony Hawk 2 was decent. Tony Hawk 3 rocked. Tony Hawk 4 rocks. Once again, the birdman makes his mark on the GBA, and I couldn't be happier. This is definitely the best portable THPS game yet, and finally offer some major changes to the regular formula. The signature Tony Hawk gameplay has only improved with time, and for you skeptics, is just as good on the small screen. It's all a matter of adapting to the situation and in this case, and it is very rewarding to do so. Of course, I am referring to the...

Graphics: The biggest change you'll notice if you are coming to the GBA from your PS2 is the isometric overhead perspective. For a seasoned GBA-THPS veteran like me, this is nothing new. But for the newbies, it takes some getting use to. All you have to know is that control depends on which direction the character is facing, not which part of the screen you want him to go. What this means is that if the character is facing you, and you press left, the character will turn right. If the character is facing right, and you press right, he will face more towards you. It sounds more confusing than it is, but after a few minutes of calibrating yourself, you'll be fine. Alas, I am straying a bit from the point. The graphics haven't changed much since 3, but that's not necessarily bad. They were good then, and they're good now. This time, though, they even added some lighting effects. So, when you get closer to a streetlight, your character will get a bit brighter. One problem they tend to forget about when designing the levels is that tall stuff = blind spots. If there's something like a big building in a level, you have no idea what's behind it. You can still see your character, but there's no way of knowing just what's there. That's the only real problem with the game's overhead perspective. Although the game's landscapes are essentially 3D pictures, Vicarious Visions threw in a bunch of spiffy polygons. This means that your skater is in true 3D, as well as other things such as decks when scrolling through the list. For a portable game-no, for ANY kind of game, this THPS looks great. 8/10

Control: The thing that all THPS games are known for is the silky-smooth gameplay. As appropriate for a sequel, it adds even more elements to the mix (previous additions include manuals and reverts). The one you'll probably use most often is the spine transfer. What this does is help you cross from one ramp to an opposing one, as long as they are back to back. Again, this is much more easily demonstrated than explained. Another new feature is the level out, which gets you into a more landing-suitable position if you find yourself going from ramp to pavement. Then there are what I view as the more pointless additions- lip and grind transitions. These will primarily go unused, as they really are quite complex and difficult to use. Last, but not least, are the flatland tricks. These aren't anything to get excited about, but they're basically nice looking manuals and things to do when you run out of momentum and want to keep a combo going. None of these new additions are as ground breaking as the manual and revert were back in the day, but are definitely nice to have. 10/10

Sound: As with the past portable Tony games, sound is just nothing special. The sound effects are good, nothing you'll really remember hours after you play. The music is pretty ho-hum, and could probably be a lot better. It's not bad, it's just not very good, either. 7/10

Glitches: A few problems here, among the technical troubles is the fact you don't always go ''out of bounds'' when you go past the levels boundaries. It's no big deal, just a bit of an annoyance. There some random other stuff that happens from time to time (gameplay related stuff), but nothing to get hissy about. 8/10

Replay: This game will have you coming back for more and more, and you'll love every second of it. From the career mode that actually varies from character to character (well, the pro challenges, anyway), to the things to open up, this game is gonna take a while to completely finish, so have a few pairs of batteries ready. Also, there are now save slots, so you'll never have to delete your game if you want to start over again. You will likely find gameplay addictive, and you'll never have to be far from it again. 9/10

Overall: This game is a pretty solid package. The traditional cheats have returned, as well as a few new ones. Past career modes can't compare to the new standard, and that is something to make a big fuss about if you don't have anyone else to play with, like me. Like all THPS games, I am a very happy customer and will be awaiting future installments. 9/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/01/02, Updated 12/01/02