The long awaited sequel to the best skateboarding game is finally here. Will it disappoint? Will it raise the standard for sports games? Unlike its predecessor, Tony Hawks Pro Skater II will not have the surprise that the first one did. After a successful release of Pro Skater I many people demanded a sequel. Activision did not disappoint. The second release of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater improves greatly where the first one left off.

Making a sequel to a game is a lot harder than it sounds. Many other companies have failed when it has come to creating a great sequel to an already great game. Luckily, though, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater II does not follow in the other video games’ footsteps. Instead the makers of this game, Activision, improved on the strengths of the first game. Instead of starting over from scratch on the sequel, Activision decided it would be better to improve where the game had left off. This was a brilliant move and certainly is the reason for Pro Skater II’s success.

One of the big questions about this game deals with the other versions on Playstation and the computer. Is it worth buying two copies of the same game on different systems? Are there any major improvements in the Dreamcast game to warrant a purchase? While, after playing both the Playstation and the Dreamcast versions of this game, I can honestly say that the Dreamcast version is far improved over the Playstation’s version. If you have the extra money, I would recommend buying the Dreamcast version.

One of the major improvements deals with the overall look of the characters in the Dreamcast game. Unlike the Playstation’s characters, the Dreamcast’s version’s are far more vibrant and bright. Also, unlike the choppy player models in the PS version, the characters in the Dreamcast’s game are far more “crisp.” Both of these graphical enhancements add to the value of the game. The improved graphics are not the only enhancement, though.

The game’s animations have also been tweaked greatly in the Dreamcast version. You will now see many different animations for the skaters. Some of the most notable, and easier to recognize, include the player’s shirt moving in the wind. It doesn’t sound like much, but when you see it done against the brilliant backgrounds of the Dreamcast version, you will truly be amazed.

Of course, as is with anything I say here, these changes from the Playstation version of TH Pro Skater II may not be enough to make you want to buy this game for your Dreamcast. For me, they were though. I am one of those people who has to have nearly every game for every system. Tony Hawk Pro Skater II was just another one of those games. I can honestly say, though, that after playing my Dreamcast version of the game I no longer go back to my Playstation copy. The changes are far too great for me to use an “inferior” copy of the game.

About the Game
I cannot believe that there is anyone out there who has never played Pro Skater I. If you are one of those people, though, who have been denied the privilege I will briefly explain the concept behind the game.

The main idea behind Pro Skater II is to skate. You can choose one of many different Pro Skaters ( I will talk more about this later on) and then head out and skate. Their is nothing fancy to this game. The basic purpose is to skate, earn points, and upgrade your player. Along with the many different modes that this game offers this can really become quite fun.

Different Modes of Play
There are a number of different modes in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater II. Each one of them is unique and worth your time. If you have played the first version of THPS then you will have a good idea of what to expect. For those who have not though, I will run through the different modes featured in THPS II as well as provide a detailed description.

Career Mode
The career mode is probably the most used, one player mode in the game. If you have played the first version of Pro Skater, you know what to expect. Even though the premise is the same, though, their are many improvements.
For those of you who have never played the first version of this game, the career mode is the main mode in the game. You guide a skater through many different levels until you have ultimately beaten them all. Each level has certain things that must be accomplished to move onto the next level. In each level, in Pro Skater II there is roughly ten things that need to be accomplished. These things range in skill level and variety. In each level, though, you need to collect various objects and perform certain tricks. Every once in a while, you will be given the opportunity to skate in a competition. These competitions pin you up against different skaters and you have to beat them to advance in the game. In all, there are three competitions.

Upon completion of the different levels in the competition mode you will earn different amounts of money. This is a new feature in Pro Skater II. You can use the money to upgrade your character, his boards, moves, and many other things. This adds to the replay value of the game tremendously.

Create-A.... Modes
In Pro Skater II you are given the options of creating different characters and parks to skate in. The create-a-character option is a nice edition to the game. If you ever wanted to be a pro skater you can create yourself and add then add yourself into the game. As you go through the career mode you will then be able to upgrade your created players to make them even better.

Another nice edition to this game is the Create-A-Park option. In this option you are allowed to create your own skate park. You are given a blank arena and you have to add different things into it by yourself. The game gives you a wide variety of things to include in your park. Basically everything that is in the regular game can be incorporated into your own park. You can choose between different ramps, rails, and boxes, along with anything else you can think of. Once you have created your masterpiece you can then use it in both the multiplayer and single versions of the game.

Multiplayer Modes
Any great sports game includes a multiplayer section. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater II is no different. THPS II offers many different modes of play for multiple players. One is graffiti mode. In this mode you and your friend try to gain control of one of many different shaded areas. Whoever does a better trick on that area will gain control of the area and have his color placed on it. The person with the most shaded objects at the end of the time limit wins that round.

Another one of the options for multiple players is trick attack. In this mode you and your friend try to get the most points that you possibly can in a certain amount of time. Whoever has the most points at the end of the time limit wins. It is pretty self-explanatory but it is still a lot of fun to play. Yet another multiplayer mode in this game is tag. Tag is pretty basic. The person who is it when time runs out is the loser.

One major drawback to the multiplayer mode involves the courses that you race on. Although there are numerous courses to choose from, each one is a shorter version from the original. A lot of the tracks do not include the full version as found in the career mode. This is only a small nuisance, though, as there are still plenty of tracks for you to enjoy.

Other modes
There are still even more modes in this game than the ones I listed above. They include: Free Skating, and Single Session. The free skating mode is just as it sounds. You go to a park, and you skate freely. You can do whatever you want without any time restrictions. This is a great way to learn the course better. The Single Session mode allows you to skate for up to two minutes. In this session your points are added together and computed into statistics.

Graphics (9/10) & Sound (8/10)
The graphics in this game, as I already talked about, are excellent. The courses and players are some of the smoothest, crispest ever seen. Unlike last years version of THPS for the Dreamcast, this years version removes the fog surrounding the parks and players. This greatly improves the crispness of the game, thus providing better graphics.

You cannot talk about the graphics in this game without talking about the amazing lighting effects. It appears that the creators of this game did not leave anything to the imagination. In the career mode, you will be taken through many different levels and play at many different times of day. There are night levels, day levels, dusk levels, and of course levels with a sunset. The lighting effects are not better seen than at dusk with a falling sunset. You will be amazed at the attention to detail that went into this game.

The sound in THPS2 is also improved on last year’s version. The artists have changed over last year’s version. This year Activision opted to go with a wide array of musical talent. Some of the groups included are: Naughty By Nature, Papa Roach, Powerman 5000, Bad Religion, Dub Pistols, and Rage against the Machine. If you are a fan of any of these groups you will certainly enjoy the music in this game.

The overall rating of sound is not just comprised of the music, though. To have great sound a game must have great “overall” sound. In THPS2 the sound is crisp and clear. Also, each level has its own type of sound. What I mean by this is that in places like the competitions, you will actually hear the crowd in the background. This greatly improves the sound quality in this game.

Characters
The characters in this game are basically the same as last year’s version. With the exception of three new characters (as far as I can tell), all of the old favorites have returned. Of course Tony Hawk is in this game, along with many other skating legends. The new characters that I have noticed are: Rodney Mullen, Eric Koston, and Steve Caballero. To those of you who follow skating on television, I am sure that these are welcome additions. As for me, they are just another player that I can beat the game with. Along with the create a character option, there should be no worries when it comes to the number of different characteres in this game.

Final Thoughts
If you have played Tony Hawk Pro Skater I, then you can expect what a great game this one is. If you even remotely liked the first version I would pick up this one as well. Even if you already have THPS2 for the Playstation or computer I would recommend picking this one up if you have some extra money. The graphical improvements should be worth the investment. As far as this game goes, you would be hard pressed to find a better skateboarding game out there - on any system. This is certainly the king of skateboarders out there and should attract even non skateboarding fans. Overall Rating: 98%

Recommended: Yes