Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater

(Activision for PlayStation)
by Shane Yeager

Neversoft Hits One Out of the Skate Park.

So, if you’ve been named Skater of the Decade, formed your own skateboard equipment and apparel company, and appeared in commercials for everyone from AT&AMPT to the GAP, what’s your next move? Looks like it’s throw your name on a video game and team up with Activision, Neversoft Entertainment, and nine more skateboard all-stars to produce the most realistic, true-to-life, and entertaining skateboarding game out for the PlayStation. Players can control one of the ten biggest names in skateboarding today, including Bob Burnquist and Elissa Steamer; each has their own style, signature moves, and vital statistics. There are ten different courses to run on, ranging from downtown streets and skate parks, to schools and the local mall. All venues are fully skateable, where grinding off of any edge is possible, and bails look really painful, the most excessive violations of the laws of physics causing blood to spill from your skater’s head. Trick combos are almost unlimited, with about eight different types of grinds alone; everything’s there from kick-flips to grabs to handplants. If you’ve seen it done on the X-Games or anywhere else, odds are you can do it here.

For one player, the game proceeds in a career mode, building your skater’s skills and abilities through competitions and training. Your skater has to prove himself on the pro circuit, and each success gets you closer to the next level, unlocking new venues and better equipment. The game really shines when you get to the head-to-head two-player games. Three separate two-player options let you choose between overall score and a variety of trick locations to determine the winner, or a no holds barred, “anything you can do I can do better” game of H-O-R-S-E. The split-screen view does not detract from the ability to pull off your combos, and players can interact with each other, sometimes “stealing” locations from each other with bigger tricks or better combos.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater is visually solid, with relatively intuitive game play and a soundtrack with something on it for just about everyone. The Dead Kennedys, Suicidal Tendencies, and Primus are all on the soundtrack, with about a dozen total tracks available. Both the one and two player versions get the blood running, and I’m not just talking about when you bail. The only detractions might be the short length of the actual runs (limited to two minutes) and the minimal flexibility of the instant replay option. This is a must-have for anyone with a PlayStation and a thrill for catching air in a half-pipe.