Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2

"A Vast Improvement on THPS One"

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 for the Gameboy Color. Would it be a disappointment like THPS1 or would it prove sequels can be much better then the originals?

Graphics: The graphics of this game are pretty nice...the developers put detail into the scenery and objects. However, the skaters all look the same, except every skater has his or her own color. For example, Bucky Lasek may be shaded green, while Tony Hawk is shaded blue. However, the game's graphics are very acceptable for GBC, and one can tell they were not just slapped together.

Sound: For a GBC game, the sound isn't too bad. The music isn't all the same for every level. In fact, some of the songs are kind of catchy. I still find myself humming a particular song from the game in my head from time to time. The sound effects are much the same from the previous GBC Tony Hawk title, with grind like scratches and ollieing-like clicks and clacks. There is also a little bell-like ding whenever one pulls a special trick.

Gameplay: This is where the most improvement from the previous title shows. There are two types of levels: side-scrolling type levels and roam around levels. In the side scrolling levels, your skater moves left and right only, and there are half pipes to pull stunts and lots of ledges to grind. In the roam around levels, one can move their skater up, down, left and right. there are more places to explore and to find nice lines (places to grind from ledge to ledge) to discover. To sum it up, side scrolling levels are more Vert-aimed, while roam around levels are street skaters paradise.

There are five goals per level: Usually two goals that require one to reach a certain score, collect S-K-A-T-E, find a particular place/do a certain task (I.E. find a secret area/go around the loop five times) and getting all of the cash floating around in a level. When you clear a goal one receives money, which they can spend on boards and unlocking new levels. There are about six to seven levels in all, including The Hanger, New York, and Skaters Paradise.

Another nice little perk this game has is pictures of skaters doing tricks which one earns by clearing out career mode with a skater.

The big kicker of this game is that it is only one player. I'm not sure if a two player mode could be incorporated with this game, but it would be very cool to challenge a friend to see who can get the higher score.

Final Comments: Don't expect Play Station caliber Tony Hawk Gameplay. However, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 for the Gameboy Color is fairly addictive and a fun little portable game. For those disappointed with Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 for GBC, you should probably be happy with this one, because I was very happy with the changes Activision made. The game should last about a week, but after that it will be fun to pick up and play every once in a while.

Rent or Buy: As with any games, I say rent first. But however, if your local rental place doesn't rent out GBC games, definitely buy. Don't expect too much out of this game length wise, but after you beat the game and put it away, you'll be happy to pop it into your GBC when you find it on the back of your shelf. Happy gaming!

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 10/14/02, Updated 10/14/02