No matter what new system comes out, there is bound to be a Tony Hawk's Pro Skater title to be released on it. The PSP is no exception. The series has released its first Tony Hawk title upon the PSP's launch. Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Remix is the first skateboarder for the PSP, but is it as good as the other Tony Hawk titles?
As the title says, it's THUG 2, but remixed. Basically, Neversoft and Shabba (both developed THUG 2 Remix) ported Tony Hawk's Underground 2, but added tons of new characters and a few new levels. The new exclusive levels include "Las Vegas," "Atlanta," "Kyoto," and "Santa Cruz." As for the new characters...well, there are just too many to name.
Tony Hawk and Bam Margera have split into two teams (Team Hawk and Team Bam) to wreck havoc on the world. It's your turn to cause complete mayhem. Choose your character's appearance and then get ready to cause pranks and impossible stunts on the cities you travel to around the world. It's Team Hawk vs. Team Bam on the World Destruction Tour!
Gameplay in Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Remix has gotten a bit stale. The first installment was a great step up for the franchise, but Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Remix doesn't really introduce anything to make the game more entertaining. Sure you can spray graffiti on walls and sticker slap things, but do you really need to do all this when you skateboard?
Though the ported levels from the original THUG 2 may seem a little boring and small, the new levels are actually pretty fun and unique looking. There are also events that happen in certain levels that change the look of the environment. For example, "Kyoto" is a massive level where you can summon a great monster (like Godzilla) to stomp out a part of the level. After the monster's footprint is in the ground, you can now skate inside of the footprint as if it were a bowl. Some levels are also pretty detailed and fun to play in.
Each level has certain objectives each skater on a team must complete. When you complete these tasks, you earn team points. The missions usually consist of throwing objects at people, going for a big combo, grinding off of something, or performing a certain trick. Though the missions get more fun throughout the game, they can become repetitive. Goals include doing certain tricks or hitting certain gaps, landing tricks to a beat of a stereo, wrecking some part of the city, or throwing objects at random people. After a certain amount of points, you can advance to the next level after a short cutscene. When the story takes a small turn however, you are faced to complete an 'equalizer.' The equalizer is a massive stunt you must pull off to advance to the next level. Hanging on to a helicopter and dropping in to a quarter pipe is one example.
Article comments
1 - Ken Edwards
Oddly enough, they decided to skip THAW on the PSP. The software support for this platform is really starting to irritate me.
They have THA Sk8land for the DS and GBA. It is cell shaded, I have the DS version. It is basically the same story of THAW. It also has WiFi on the Nintendo WiFi Connection. It is worth it for TH fans.
But I do not get why THAW did not make it to the PSP. And I do not see that it is in development with extra content a la THUG 2 Remix.
Great review! Nice start for you here at Blogcritics.
2 - KingKRool
Thanks!
I was more angry about no voice overs. That was where most of the game's humor came from. That, and angry pedestrians...which they took out in THPS 4.
3 - Temple Stark
KKR, The section editor chose this as a pick of the week. Go HERE to find out why.
Also, as a part of being a pick you get to make a pick of your own for anytime from Dec. 3 on. Click the same HERE link to find out how.
Thank you.
Temple