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System:
PSX
Genre:
Skating
Publisher:
Activision
Developer:
Activision
Players:
1-2
Release date/year:
1999
Other systems:
Nintendo 64
» Screenshots
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- Tony Hawk's Pro Skater
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1999 Activision - Activision - PSX
Intro
Many attempts have been made to successfully fuse videogaming with skateboarding, however, on the 32bit platform, there have not been too many. In fact, only one other noteworthy title has surfaced (and released to date) goes by the guise of Street Sk8er, which was very limited concerning control but did provide the essentials: skating and surfaces to grind on. Activision and Neversoft have provided yet another skateboarding title for the shredders... that being Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. As an influential icon in the world of skating, it is about time his character is adopted for a game of this type.
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Features
Tony Hawks Pro Skater (THPS) sports large environments with which are littered with opportunities to grind or catch air from. Most of these courses requirements involve the accumulation of video tapes (or cassettes). There are five of them within each stage though only 2 or 3 are required to progress to the next stage. However, by collecting all of the tapes, locked boards and courses are revealed. The second set of requirements allow the player to score as many points possible within the given time (2 minutes).
To complete these events, the player must perform tricks! Points are distrubuted based on bailing (or lack thereof), high scoring moves and also variation. The noted objectives are manditory only in the Career Mode (which the only mode where secrets are uncovered). The Single Session mode gives the player the exact same time (2 minutes) to perform as many high scoring moves as possible. Afterwards, an instant replay becomes available which can be slowed down, but not manipulated further. Freeskate mode pretty much allows unlimited time to... well, do anything, but no replay here. The multiplayer options consist of Graffiti (a "tag" game where the players must perform tricks on the environment which change to the color of the player - red or blue - and to steal an opponents tagged spot, the other player must perform a bigger trick on that area. The player with the most tagged areas at the end of this two minute session win), and Time Attack (another 2 minute session where points are what determines the winner). A Horse mode is available as well, but only as a one-on-one best trick contest where one player performs a trick then the second player is given the opportunity to either perform the same trick or one even better (and this mode is not split-screen)! Tony Hawk is not the only name that will (or should) be familiar, as the likes of Bob Burquist, Kareem Campbell, Rune Glifburg, Bucky Lasek, Chad Muska, Andrew Reynolds, Geoff Rowley, Ellisa Steamer, and Jamie Thomas are properly represented as well!
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Graphics- 9.5/10
The environments in this game are generally spacious and allow the player to freely explore them with the intent of shredding on unexplored territory (or gain extra points... maybe even a combination of the two)! Every pool, ramp, and skatable stationary object is rendered to near perfection as pools are well rounded (not blocky or cubic) and appears silky smooth and wooded areas possess somewhat of a finish to help create a visual masterpiece of a skating location! These environments are littered with small details such as railings, graffiti, and many other bonuses for skaters to marvel at. Within the various levels dwell billboards which display the video to whichever song is being played for the moment! This feature appeared successfully only in one other game to date (that I am familiar with anyway)... Apocalypse (which was also constructed by Neversoft). Every skater has his/her own clothing and set of boards (decks), but only the latter can be altered; and though the alteration is merely cosmetic (mostly), the decks which must be earned improves a few of the players attributes (however, not by much)! Some of the icons illustrated on the boards are influenced by popular skating brands such as Birdhouse (Tony Hawks own brand) and Monster. Three different kinds of trucks can be selected which affects the handling of the skaters decks and are indicated by terms of Loose, Tight, and Medium. The color of wheels can be manipulated as well, but again... it really does not affect the gameplay at all - for the colors merely exist for personal preference. The skateboarders themselves are rendered well; complimenting their realistic counterparts with excellent facial detail and skateware. For instance, Jamie has on a hoody, Chad sports a backpack and Rune wears lengthy (and baggy) short pants, while Kareem is noticable with his baggy denim jeans. After completing the Career Mode with a character, that skaters video (of their great skating moments) becomes available for the players veiwing pleasure... as does footage of bails or accidents (which are hilarious, except for the unfortunate victims)! When a player bails, blood can be seen, however, it is not of the Mortal Kombat type... so do not expect vats of mahogony after every spill (or bail). Windows on houses, skatable rooftops, crashable items, and even puddles of water are rendered with the skater in mind for authenticity... and it works since these details have shading (and lighting) to amplify the visual experience!
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Control- 9.2/10
One of the reasons that both skaters and non-skaters alike can get into this game is because of the simple controls! Although Tony Hawks Pro Skater (THPS) is easy to become accustomed to, mastering these controls require a certain degree of patience and creativity! By holding the "X" button, the players character will crouch and will move much faster, and releasing "X" (after holding it) will allow the skater to Ollie (or jump). When the "triangle" button is held (while a skater is near an edge, lip, or a rail), the skater will attempt a Grind, and the buttons square and circle are used (in conjuction with the directional pad) to perform numerous air tricks. Both R1 and L1 are designated for spinning while airborne in the appropriate direction. Some of the standard maneuvers are KickFlips, Impossibles, Sex Changes, Wallrides, Japans, Methods, Nosegrinds, and 5-0 Grinds (to name a few). Air tricks require the player be... well, in the air, while vert tricks rarely require plenty of air (though the more air the player gets, the more moves can be pulled-off). Each skateboarder has his/her own special moves (at least 3) that can only be performed by that particular skater. For instance, one of Tony Hawks special moves is the "360 Flip to Mute" and one of Ellisa Steamers specials is her "Judo Madonna!" These moves earn the player big points and a few of them can even be comboed with the traditional maneuvers for extra points! A meter appears after the player successfully performs numerous maneuvers without bailing. This is the special move meter that slowly recedes once it is obtained, so the player must continue to fill it by repeating the previously mentioned strategy. While is still visible, the player can perform as many of the special moves as he/she wants! By spinning when performing tricks, multipliers can be earned (which increases the value of the players points) - so if a player obtains a 2X multiplier and recieves a score of 1000 for a trick, it will be doubled for a total of 2000 points! Very enjoyable to play; epecially for gameplayers who are also at least remotely into the idea of freestyling. Only in the San Francisco level is there noticable pop-up, but then again... this particular location is very large!
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Sound- 9.5/10
Ambience in this game constist of several grind noises, various surfaces being skated upon, as well as bailing sounds which in all of the mentioned categories... this game really excells! Grinding on different surfaces produce the appropriate sound, so when a metallic object is grinded upon then a wooden bench, one can differentiate in accordance to the samples provided without the aid the optical precision (in other words, both sounds can easily be determined without looking). While skating, the authentic skating noise (produced by the wheels of the skateboard rolling on the given surface) really helps the player feel as if actual skating is being heard! Also, riding on the many types of surfaces result in the correct audio representative (the right sound)! In the later levels of THPS, cabs can be heard driving through the streets (yes, streets), and if the cabbie "accidentally" hits a character, a verbal remark is made (which is oftentimes obscene). Police sirens are used in the San Francisco level, as they race along the streets, though no arrests are made.
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Music- 7.5/10
Usually, music and sound are combined, but in this case, I make an exception... read on to discover why. While the musical compositions of THPS are not REALLY that bad, they are somewhat of a collection of yesteryears approach to skating. Going back some 5 years ago (more or less), the skating world was dominated by metal and hard rock... but recently, more hip-hop/metal inspired tunes rule such locales. The sounds of the featured groups include: Dead Kennedys, the Ernies, Even Rude, Goldfinger, Primus, Speedealer, Suicidal Tendencies, Unsane, the Suicidal Machines, and the Vandals. These tunes are not bad, however, I personally found it difficult to get into the majority of them. Many of them have, as Spock (from Star Trek) described, "colorful metaphors" (or profanities), so the music level may have to be decreased if one who abhors such "swearing" just happens to be in the same room. However, if this poses not a problem for the player and these groups are interesting (to the player), then add 1.0 to the score (which makes the total 8.5 as opposed to the my original score).
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Overall- 9.5/10
In spite of the music (my opinion), this game WILL appeal to people other than skaters and freestylers due to its simple game-play and addicting performance of tricks! Initially, only a single track can be accessed for the Free Skate mode (and Multi-player mode), however after unlocking the others, this game only gets better! With the various methods of enjoyment in the form of different game-play modes, THPS will not get too old too soon... unless you REALLY, REALLY hate skateboarding with a passion (but does anyone really fit that description with great honesty)?
Note: this score reflects THPS in comparison with other skatebaoarding games available for the PSX (though there was only one other).
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Bottom line-
*fans: buy it
*non-fans: rent it
*haters: avoid it
//Soloist
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