Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2

Developer: Neversoft (Original Version), Edge of Reality (N64 Port) Publisher: Activision

Released: August 21, 2001 Rated: T 9/10

With the Pro Skater series now a firmly established reference point of what an extreme sports game can be, rather than merely a new and exciting foray into the counterculture, evaluating Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 on the N64 comes down to two key angles by which to view it. First, there is the matter of where the series is with the arrival of THPS2 – what it introduces, what it refines, and what it leaves well enough alone – and second, there is the acknowledgement of what the N64 version is not, compared to the “true” versions already released a year prior for the PlayStation, PC, and Dreamcast.

Given that there not only have an entire decade of yearly releases succeeding Pro Skater 2 that a lot of players will be aware of, but that this is no longer the “first crack at it” that we’re looking at, it’s easy to judge Pro Skater 2 a little more harshly for what it doesn’t do compared to future installments. Even more difficult is the fact that, upon its initial release, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 garnered borderline perfect reviews from most critics. That is, of course, in its disc-based formats that maintain greater integrity for features like the soundtrack and graphics. But while Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 on the N64 is certainly not the picture of perfection that reviewers saw in Fall 2000, what was packed onto a bright yellow cartridge nearly a year later still maintains a lot of what made this a very special and utterly brilliant sequel.

Regardless of what console it’s being played on, there are things that Pro Skater 2 brings to the table that make for some serious advancements to the formula of the original. Most notably, perhaps is the introduction of manuals. It’s this singular feature that really places THPS2 on the same side of the fence as everything that came after it, while only the first game lacks this key mechanic that made the series an all-time franchise of fantastic and over-the-top arcade fun, rather than just an extremely competent simulation of a sport most had never dared try before. Even if later sequels would, for better or worse, drive the concept of chaining tricks and racking up immense combos just about into the ground with ridiculousness, the ability to chain tricks together with a simple manual or nose manual upon returning to the earth is arguably the single most important development in the series’ history. The addition of the creation modes, though simplistic at this point in the series, is also a huge development for the series. Putting your own skater in the game to pull off tricks, earn cash, and, most importantly, upgrade their stats to get better air, pull off better tricks, and hold grinds and manuals all the better is nearly as important for the Tony Hawk series as it is in a wrestling game. At the same time, creating your own skate park adds even more freedom and replayability to a game that is inherently rife with it, even in its traditional pre-built level offerings.

More Pilotwings in one level here than across Nintendo’s entire history, unfortunately

The level design is another important area where Pro Skater 2 can and should be compared against its predecessor. And while there are certainly some undeniably iconic locales in the first game that can’t be beat, such as the original warehouse, Minneapolis Downtown, and the mall, THPS2 hits back hard with New York City and its central fountain area, another solidly-built school level to match the first, and the almost-as-classic opening hangar level with its eye-popping destructible environments. The hangar really is a perfect example of the strides the series was taking forward, as what initially appears as nearly a carbon-copy basic tutorial area is outfitted with player-triggered setpieces that beautifully signal how much more each area is hiding beneath its surface. Add in double the missions in each stage and the growth of the series is undeniable by comparison, making for an overall truly exciting experience to see what else is already in store for a franchise with such a tight and addicting gameplay experience that only needs to find more and more room to roam.

But yes, this is only the cartridge version of the game, and as such, there are some concessions. Far and away, the most prevalent of the downgrades needed to fit on a cartridge is, once again, the soundtrack. It may seem redundant to bring it up again, knowing full well it would always be an issue, but in the case of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater as a franchise, this is a crucial detail that lowers the ceiling as much as any other game of its time. A few key tracks from the original version are here, yes, including Anthrax and Public Enemy’s “Bring Tha Noize,” Rage Against The Machine’s “Guerrilla Radio,” and Powerman 5000’s “When Worlds Collide,” but in short, hacked up snippets that often don’t even last the full two minutes of your session. In some ways, it’s good that this identifying music hasn’t been cut entirely, but at the same time, rearranging it in any way seems almost sacrilegious.

It’s difficult to really get the importance of the music across if you haven’t played the series at all, but it’s surprisingly definitive in determining which version of Pro Skater 2 (or 1 or 3) you should go with. Comparatively, the graphics also do take a hit, mainly with a weaker draw distance and poorer textures also common for the N64, though in the case of the former, Pro Skater 2 is not a game that’s hurt by shallow draw distance as a in, say, a shooter, like Army Men or Quake.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 is, on any console, a masterpiece in terms of gameplay, visual design, accessibility, you name it. It’s merely the small issues inherent to the console it’s on, and the continuing development of the franchise that makes this particular release something that’s just not as good as something you can get somewhere else. If you’re hell bent on playing this entry, it’s done better on any disc-based format, in its remake, or even with the game on mute and a radio playing your own music. There are also subsequent releases that continue to improve the formula and sometimes include some of the more beloved levels from this entry, such as Tony Hawk’s Underground. Still, Edge of Reality put forth a brilliant effort to preserve Neversoft’s vision once again, and even under the worst of circumstances, Pro Skater 2 on the N64 is a fantastic time.