Customer Reviews

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2

5 star:		(123)
4 star:		(33)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I wasn't aware of how powerful the GBA was until THPS2. Let me just say, "Wow". This seems to have put all what is great about the PS and DC versions into the handheld version. Now, don't go running to the store thinking you are going to pick up the same game, not by anywhere far. The basic elements and game interaction were put into the game, most things are different in this game from PS and DC versions. First, let's not kid ourselves, it seems people compare this version to heavily with its PS and DC conterparts. You can't do that. The GBA is the most Advanced "Handheld" system, no company has been able to put the power of a PS, DC or PS2 into handheld...not yet anyway. The games works more like the original GB version, but pupped up. A couple of things that had to compinciate for was the small screen, so the characters look sort of like faceless people with obivious poligon edges. If you have the previous GB versions (and you liked them), then you are in for a treat. You play an angled overhead view, the framerate is smooth, and the sound is great. My breakdown:

Graphics: I was amazed at this one. This is only my 3rd GBA game, so I haven't compared too much. The framerate is very smooth, no slow downs or fades out of the action.

Sound: Superb, the one trully advanced feature of the GBA is the sound. Comparing GB to GBA, the sound is ten times better. And comparing the THPS2 sound from the DC and PS version, I say wow again. It takes all the little sound effects from the console games and condense them into the handheld without any obvious flaws that I can detect. And of course you are going to loose the great soundtrack from the PS and DC version only because those songs were running off the CD, does this look like a CD to you, I didn't think so....

Control: The only thing hard to get used to is the control. But it didn't take me long to figure the controls on the game. they are actually easier to master than the DC or PS versions.

Playability: This is the first time I actually got ingrossed in a handheld game for longer than an hour. I haven't put this much attention in a handheld since I was 13 (when I first got the orginal GB). It took 10 years later to finally get me back into the handheld world.

Things you may have to get used to 1)Small screen- of course the small screen will throw you off, but it is bigger from the GB version. It makes it hard to see what type of move you are pulling off at times (without knowing in advanced what you are going to do, if you just push buttons, then of course you may not know what you are doing)....

Get THPS2

It's wicked amazing that a little game boy can turn out 3-D graphics, and keep a frame rate running high. THPS2GBA has 5 levels from THPS2 and the Warehouse level from THPS, plus some GBA specific secret levels! Plus you can still change your tricks with all of the ones from THPS2(wow!) and buy new decks for better play. This is a must have for a GBA owner, even if it doesn't have multiplayer, create a skater, or create a skate park, this will be what gets you through 10 hour car trips, with its high replay value. A MUST BUY!

This was one of my first GBA games, and let me tell ya, this is among the best so far. It's fun, fast, and good looking. The graphics are really good for a handheld, the sound is fair, and most of all it's fun. I'd never expected a skateboarding game to be this good (for handheld that is). THPS2 is perfect for trips too, and for the people who get carsick (like myself) don't worry, the music is not as annoing as the GB's and GBC's. So you'll be assured not to regurgitate for at least an hour.

The game itself is awsome, you have plenty of skaters to pick from, with a large number of levels, goals, and so on. Although not as good as the Playstation version, ofcourse, it is worth the money especially if you like the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater games.

Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 is the best launch game it is almost exactly like the console versions, the camera is in an isometric view so they had to change the levels a bit but you still do the same stuff you have to get the high scores, collect skate etc.... There includes six levels from the original plus new parks just for GBA! They had to unfurtunitly taske out create a skater and create a park. So keep this game in mind when buying GBA.

Activision finally got it right this time around...after the 2 previous Tony Hawk handheld titles I guess they had no choice. Tony Hawk 2 for the Advance makes good use of the system's impressive abilities. The graphics and speed of the game are similar to the bigger consoles, as is the detail. All the skaters and moves are here including bluntslides and tail/noseslides, as well as those innovative special moves. I believe there are 7 levels in all, including a Boston rooftops bonus board which is extremley difficult to skate for very long without falling off.

On the downside, the sound suffers somewhat---you'll find no licensed music from real artists on this version, only your typical gameboy stuff. I just turned the music off, no big deal. Also, in certain areas on almost every board you will probably find it difficult to determine where your skater is in relation to his/her surroundings i.e. ramps, decks, corners, etc. For example you think you are in line to ollie onto a ledge from a certain ramp and in realiy you miss it entirely and slam. This type of thing you will get used to, so don't let it deter you from buying this game. Just look for shadows to help you out.

One other thing, despite what you may hear, there is NOT a create-a-skater feature.

It takes some pretty sweet graphics for me to be "amazed" by a game and this game did just that. I watched the video at ign.com and i couldn't believe it. I could honestly tell you that if someone showed me the video and didn't tell me what console it was for i would guess Dreamcast or PS2. I don't know how they did it but they did. .... ....

The Game Boy Advance lineup just keeps getting better. If ever you need a reason to buy a GBA, this game is it. I'm not sure how Vicarious Visions did it, but somehow they managed to squeeze a game meant for a CD-ROM into the tiny GBA cartidge without sacrificing any of the fun whatsoever. The learning curve for this game is initially a little steep, but within an hour of purchase I was able to rack up a 300,000 point score on the first level. The game plays exactly like it's console bretheren, so anyone familiar with the original controls should feel right at home after about 5 minutes of playing. The levels aren't 3D, so sometimes it's hard to judge just where something is floating in space, but after a while you get used to the angles and the annoyance of the perspective (which was minor to begin with) goes away completely. The graphics best most things you'd see on a Sega Genesis, to give you an idea. It's not the PS2 graphics engine, but hey, for a Gameboy it's nothing short of a miracle! The music is also nicely done. Again, it's not the streamlined CD quality of the consoles, but the new background music fits the game perfectly. All the sound effects of the PS/DC version are present and accounted for, and have some amazing clarity. The controls are tight, the load times are nonexistant (it's a cartidge) and the only gripe I can possibly find is the total lack of multiplayer. This is dissapointing, since it was so fun on the consoles, but it doesn't detract from the game itself. I highly reccomend this game. It should be among the first you buy for your shiny new GBA, and it's most certaintly a must-have!

O.K this is a really good game. I'm addicted. But on toysrus.com they give the wrong information. You can NOT create a park or player. Now I don't know why they did this but it is a downfall. The upside is that you can do career mode, free skate, single session, and there is a options mode. I am not positive about linking up with other players and doing all those competitions and everything, because none of my friends have it yet. But what I want to get across is that no matter if you are a skateboarding fan or not you will LOVE this game. It has sweet graphics, awsome gameplay, and really good sound. I give it 5 stars. So what I say is definitly get it. I would even make it your first game.

In the June 2001 Electronic Gmaing Mounthly it clearly states that the little brother of the PSone Tony Hawk 2 (this game) plays just like it and is internally 3-D. To add to that Tony Hawk himself played the game calling it "flawless. completely identical gameplay to the PSone information." EGM played it a day later and were impressed with the control sceme and were getting 400,000 point combos and over 1,000,000 points after the 2-minute run!

I am not a real big fan of extreme sports or extreme sports games, but I have enjoyed Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2. This is one of the best games graphic-wise right now for the Game Boy Advance. The graphics look very close to the original Tony Hawk game for Playstation. It is also very fun to play. The game has many modes, including career (where you pick any one of 15 skaters and do many tasks and enter competitions, which earn you money so that you can buy new skating areas, boards, skill points, and tricks, Free skate (the mode without a time limit, just go out and practice your moves), and the single session mode (the mode where you see how many points you can rack up in 2 minutes). Every game has its downsides, and this game is no exception. Because of the 3/4 camera angle it is sometimes hard to judge where to jump in order to get onto a pole to grind it, or grab an item you need to get in order to pass a task. Some of the tasks you have to preform can also be quite hard. This can lead to frustration when you have to attempt to pass a task for the 20th time. The game takes awhile to get the hang of, but if you've played a Tony Hawk game for any other game system you should have no problem getting the hang of it. I would not recommend it for any younger kids, as they might have a harder time figuring out the game. One example of this is, since I don't follow skateboarding, some of the tasks I had to complete were confusing to me, such as the task that told me I had to 5-0 the big rail in one of the levels I was skating in. I had to research what a 5-0 was and how to do it, before I was able to complete the task. Any kids 12 or over should have no problem with it though, especially those who follow skateboarding. This game is perfect for anyone who enjoys extreme sports games. Its by far the best skateboarding game on the market right now for the Game Boy Advance.