Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4

"From big screen to little both games are fun and unique!!!"

The Game:

Tony Hawk has become synonomous with console skating games. The transformation from console to GBA has been very good. The graphics which the series has been so known for are done quite well on the GBA. Although the GBA is quite limited compared to the GCN the graphics are still good. The main difference in 4 is the addition of spine transfer and the missing tracks of hard core music.
The skaters are here as well as many missions and you can unlock pro missions. Create a skater is here but is limited due to the limits of the GBA.

Game play:

The game play is quite good considering the limits of the GBA your skater is 3D but the enviroment is isometric (meaning you cannot see behind objects) which can be quite irritating but can be compensated for. All the tricks are here which suprised me same with flat land tricks. You collect monies from completing missions or finding some spare change around the park. With these monies you can buy outfits get codes and general up grade your skater. The good thing with 4 is as you level up all skaters level up so there is no need of repeating things over and over.

Sound:

Here is where the game takes a step back from 3. The great tracks from Outkast and groups are missing. The generic sound is pretty good but nothing compared to the others.

Control:

The control takes a bit of getting used to as the game is not in full 3D. The list of tricks is plenty giving you a lot of moves to learn. It takes a bit of getting used to the directional pad but once you do it get's fun. The hardest part is getting used to being behind objects as you become semi transparent and it's hard to judge distances from object to object however you do become use to this.

Replay:

There are many missions to play and when they are finished there are pro missions. Depending on what you want to there is a lot of game to play. There is no timer giving you the option to free roam the different skate parks.

Overall:

If you don't own 3 I would definitely suggest buying 4 however if you own 3 there are not enough upgrades to make this a worthwhile buy.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 02/12/03, Updated 02/12/03