steakphish's Full Review: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 for Game Boy Advance (GBA...
Almost everyone agrees that Tony Hawk's Pro Skater redifined skating games. Tony Hawk 2 made the game one hell of a lot better, bring in one of the most addicting games ever. When I got the game for Dreamcast, it became my favorite game for a long time. Several months later, I get this little hogiadillabob called a Gameboy Advance. Then I get Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 for it just because, hey, it's handheld.
What amazed me from the start was that it was totally 3D, and it felt completely identical to PS and DC versions. It was time to finish Tony Hawk all over again.
THPS2 for the GBA does have a few understandable changes when being converted to the GBA. First, it had to be a top-down view because having all the movement PLUS having the camera turn whenever your character did was probably going to be a little much for the not-quite-a-mini-Playstation. Also, The controls had to be reworked to allow for the button shortage. I forget what the
default setup is, but I recommend that you use B for ollie, A for grab, L for grind, and R for flip trick. It feels a lot more natural if you've played the PS or DC version of the game. You will probably have to learn how to play from scratch again, but you'll be busting out mad combos in no time. The game also includes a tutorial, "Kid Mode", which makes skating all that much easier by making it near impossible to wipe out, and "trickzoom", which zooms in to show your pixelated self whenever you bust out a special trick.
The method of advancement for the game is exactly like it has always been. You do specific goals in a level, like earning enough points, doing a certain trick over a gap, or collecting items, and you get paid to do so. You can then use that money to upgrade your stats, buy new regular and special tricks, or buy better skateboards. Sometimes, these goals can get a bit frusturating, but you won't have to be flinging that GBA across the room (or car) anytime soon.
Stuff like the Create-A-Skater and Custom Park Editor have been taken out too, unfortunately. Replays are still intact though. Most tricks from the console version of the game are still here, but some were taken out for God knows what reason. There is a huge list of flip tricks, grinds, stalls, flips, and manuals.
The levels in THPS2 for the GBA have been for the most part been faithfully carried over from the console version. However, many of the levels have had some some minor or major changes to them to either improve them or to free up space. The Hangar has been untouched, but the school got a whole section whopped off, as did New York. The secret areas from Skatestreet aren't there either. Venice Beach, the Pensylvania level, Helicopter Drop, the Bull Ring, and Skater Heaven have been deleted altogether. That's a sacrafice the developers assumed people were willing to take, but it's a pretty big cut. There is one new level, though, that has you skating on rooftops, which is really cool. The Warehouse level from THPS1 has made a return too, so you can show your mad Tony Hawk 2 skillz in an old school level.
The graphics are hardly worth gushing over, but they are very impressive for a handheld system. The player models have been toned down considerably (they don't have faces), but the levels look really nice. The top down view can be a pain for some people, but once you start memorizing the levels you'll grow used to it.
Not suprisingly, you won't find any actual radio music in this port. There are still 10 tracks of music, and while they aren't very catchy, you won't need to mute it either. The sounds have been ported with unbelievable precision, such as that triumphant blast whenever you complete a special move.
Overall, THPS2 is as fun on the GBA as it is on the TV screen. If you don't have the luxury of a quality console, or you're on the move, then this game will nicely fill the skating fix that you so desperately need. The GBA screen is even tolerable for this game so you won't get blinded. Nice.
Roll with The Hawk.Tony Hawk s Pro Skater 2 for the Game Boy Advance recreates the thrill of the Tony Hawk Pro Skater franchise with new level designs...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
For Play on Your Game Boy Advance Perform hundreds of complicated tricks for points Game Genre: Sports, Game Sub-Genre: Skateboarding, Platforms: Game...More at Amazon Marketplace
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