Tony Hawk's Pro Skater

"Not how you'd imagine it to be"

What can I say? This is the oddball of any skateboarding game out there. Basically, you have three options:

Halfpipe Mode - You choose a skater, and go up and down in a halfpipe for a minute or so. You can do flips, grabs, and spins. Try to get as many points as possible before the timer ends

Tournament Mode - Make your way through five stages, racing downhill to get to the finish line. You get points for your rank (1-4) and points for tricks you pull off while going downhill. Be in the top three (out of four) after all stages are complete to rank.

1 on 1 vs. Computer - The same as Tournament mode, but you choose one stage out of the 5. You either win, or you lose.


The main problems with them, in my opinion, are:

Halfpipe mode is useless. There is no hi-score system, and after five minutes it's just not enjoyable anymore. The controls are hard to get used to (for example, instead of holding a button to move, you use the control pad. Yet, to do spins, you also use the control pad)

Tournament Mode shouldn't be called "Tournament" mode. It only lasts maybe 5-8 Minutes long. Above all else, it is UNFAIR. Everyone is faster than you are, and the only way to speed up is to grab an "S" symbol, but if you wreck you have to start all over again. The only real advantage you have over the computers is skill, since they wreck more than you do. Basically, the only shot you have at getting rank 1 in any of the levels is to collect a bunch of speed ups, race to the bottom fast while doing as many grinds as possible. Wreck once or take a wrong turn and you're finished. As in halfpipe mode, there is no hi-score system.

1 on 1 VS computer is just as cruddy as Tournament mode, maybe worse. The only thing better about it is that it's only one level and doesn't drag on and on.

Now I'll address the game as a whole:

Graphics - 9/10
For gameboy Color, these graphics are fine. In fact I think this is the best thing about this game.

Sound - 3/10
It's not fun to listen to whatsoever. Gets old very quickly, and there is little variation.

Gameplay 2/10
If there was a hi-score system, that saved your hi-scores for the modes, and the controls were better, this would probably be 9/10.. but they failed dramatically when deciding controls. You'd expect a career mode like in most THPS games, but not in this one.

Overall 2/10 (not an average obviously)
I hate giving any videogame a bad rating, but for this one I have to. I wish I never bought this game to be completely honest. There are better games for Original Gameboy, or even NES. I don't consider this a classic whatsoever.

Reviewer's Score: 2/10, Originally Posted: 11/13/07

Game Release: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater (US, 02/29/00)