Even better than the original, which was nearly perfect
Wow! If you've played the original Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, no doubt you were amazed. Well this one improves on the original ten-fold.
First of all, there are three new characters, including two of the godfathers of skate; Rodney Mullen and Steve Caballero (who's base stats are amazing to start with!). Also present is Eric Koston, who was voted best all-around skater around the time of this game's release.
Secondly, you now have the ability to create your own skateparks! There are a good number of pieces to choose from and the way things can be linked together is very nice. There are also a ton of pre-made parks in the editor that will give you ideas. Many of these are excellent in their own right and they can also be manipulated.
Thirdly, there are a TON of new tricks. All of the ones from the previous game are here, but each player can have two sets of tricks, which can be accessed by double-tapping the grab and flip buttons. This adds an incredible amount of versatility to runs and can help you to have more original lines, which is really important in contest events. Also, the inclusion of manuals is very cool. This means that instead of just normally approaching an object to trick off of, you can manual to it and this gives you constant points. Imagine some of the combos that could be achieved! It takes some getting used to, especially since it means you move more slowly and you have to manually keep your boarder's balance (no pun intended).
Fourthly, the new parks are very cool. Marseilles is the one that was included in the demo for the game, so many of you know how cool that park is already. Venice beach is nice, too. It has a lot of vert areas and even some vagrants to ollie over, I kid you not! People might miss some of the original parks, but with the park editor, you might be able to make a reasonable facsimile.
Fifthly, there is a create-a-skater mode. While it doesn't add too much to the game, it is still nice to see a skater with your name.
On top of all these factors, they've changed the level objectives quite a bit. Now instead of collecting tapes to progress, you must complete certain objectives for money. The money you earn can be used towards buying new boards, buying new tricks (including grabs, flips and specials) and boosting your created-player's stats. Also, as usual, the music in the game is fresh and should appeal to fans of several different styles. The multiplayer modes are standard, but just as awesome as before.
Well, I could say more, but what is there to say that hasn't already been said? Activision and Neversoft have really outdone themselves and continue to show a great deal of respect for the consumers. This is an incredible game in every aspect and should be in the home of every video game fan on the planet! HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION POSSIBLE!Read full review
