Gaming Target - Xbox: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2x

Written by Patrick Geurs on February 01, 2002

Full Review: Not 2. Not 3. It's 2X, damn it!

Lately, there has been a rising appeal for УextremeФ sports, sports that take the skill and abilities of the participants to the limit of possibilities. One of these sports is skateboarding. Many games have attempted to capture the thrill of grabbing a board and skating like the pros, however, few have pulled it off, and even fewer, if not any, better than the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series has. Premiering first on the PlayStation, and later finding its way onto just about every console, and even handheld, at one point or another, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater quickly became more than just a mere skateboarding title.

Now, years later, we have seen two Tony Hawk sequels, and an entire race of УproФ titles like BMX and Surfboarder. However, I am here to talk about one entry in particular, one in the form of Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2X. Not quite a port of Tony Hawk 2, but not quite a sequel. THPS2X is something else. Let's take a look.

First off, let me get something out of the way. Why this game was released after THPS3, for the PS2, is beyond me. Hell, it's almost a slap in the face to all of us eagerly awaiting an УupgradedФ Tony Hawk game. Nevertheless, THPS2X is not only a port done right, but it is done so well that even if you have played the previous 2 games, THPS2X is worth the purchase.

Gameplay wise, there isn't a whole lot to talk about. As with most ports, especially ports of sequels, all that is really different is the controller used. I am pleased to report that the Xbox controller handles like a dream in THPS2X. The use of either the left analog stick or the D-pad is possible, as well; the buttons for linking tricks together are perfectly set up. By now, those of us that had an Xbox since day one should have gotten used to the Xbox controller pretty well, and performing tricks on the board is pretty much second nature.

This game actually is a compilation of both the first two games in the series. Every single level from THPS1 and 2 are in here, as well as 5 additional areas exclusive to the Xbox. Since this is essentially a port of the 2nd game with some extras, the trick system is exactly like THPS2. However, this also means that you can use your new found tricking abilities to go back to the levels of the original game and do things that you normally wouldn't be able to do. Not only are the old levels in here, but also they have been modified in more ways than one.

First of all, the first thing you see is the visuals, which, for lack of a better phrase -- are just friggin' awesome. Clothes flow, the grass actually stands up on end and blades go flying as you tear through it, and the levels have received a facelift. Not only have the textures and УsmoothnessФ been increased, but also the levels have been expanded upon. Basically there is a lot more places to trick on, and off of. Some levels have just had a few trick able areas added, but others have been expanded and broadened. This isn't all that important to the overall gameplay, but it does give vets of the game something new to explore, and that adds replay value.

Game modes are aplenty in THPS2X. You have your single player career, where you start from basically nothing, and build up money to buy decks, stats, and upgrade your tricks. There is also a free skate, where you can just skate around the park freely. The real fun, however, is in the multiplayer. THPS2X supports up to 8-players, via the link-cable, but only on certain game modes. Speaking of, some of the multi-player modes: you have tag mode, where you have to trick to cripple your opponents within the time limit. Graffiti, where performing a trick УtagsФ an object, and the person with the most УtagsФ at the end of the time limit wins. Trick Attack is just that. Get as many trick points as possible. Free Skate simulates being at a skate park with your buddies. And lastly, Horse. That's right -- HORSE. In this one, you take turns doing a trick. If you fail to score higher than the person in front of you, you get a letter. Spell Horse (you can change the word spelled as well) and umm, hasta. The system link feature works with Free Skate, Trick Attack, or Graffiti though. On a side note, there is also an in-depth create-a-skater mode, in which you assign attributes to your created skater, and try to take him/her to the pros.

The sound, as always, is very well done. Skateboard wheels on sidewalk or wood sound as they should. Bail, and you will cringe at how painfully real the landing sounds. The music is also a fine accompaniment. Licensed tracks from Rage Against the Machine, or Papa Roach, even a little hip hop is in there. There isn't an overwhelming variety in the game, but your runs are only 2 minutes for the most part anyway, so it's not all that unbearable. I have read and heard that custom soundtracks are possible to use, however, either I am just stupid or something, but I haven't been able to figure out how. That is until I paused the game once, and saw the sound options. As silly as this sounds, I didn't think that it was possible to do at first, since the music mode isn't selectable in the main menu. The option is there though; you just have to poke around.