At one time, the first part of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater helped skateboarding get out of the shadow of the underground, turning it into a fashionable youth movement. She also saved the F95zone studio from bankruptcy, from the bottom of her heart she promoted many rock bands and contributed to the emergence of a new genre in games. In general, she became a real revolutionary of her era, which is why the countercultural anthem of Guerilla Radio looked more than appropriate in the intro to the second part. And what is this remake capable of?
Introduction:
Interestingly, for all its originality, the game actually relied on game design techniques typical of the era of 8 and 16-bit consoles. Each location, like a level from some Battletoads or Contra , required a thorough study of all the nuances through multiple replayings. It was then that you understood in what sequence it is better to combine tricks in order to quickly collect the required amount of points. And how to get to the damn letter A hanging in the air.
If real skateboarding is ripped off knees and broken ribs, then its virtual counterpart is about rubbing calluses and killing gamepads. In a matter of seconds, it was necessary to build such chains of commands, at the sight of which another fan of 2D fighting games would certainly have cheekbones. It was required not only to keep in mind a bunch of combinations, but also to try to link them into a single whole. Jump on the curb or jump from a height at the moment when Tony Hawk is about to fall on his side? Or try to even out the balance? A single mistake could send tens of thousands of points to the trash, promising a prize or the successful completion of the next task at the level.
And although Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater came out at a time when the audience enthusiastically accepted almost any new idea, she also had enough ill-wishers. And I perfectly understand the indignation of those to whom the game seemed only monotonous swotting on the buttons. As I already understood then that such a sample of gameplay is doomed to be forgotten soon. Therefore, the developers went out of their way to somehow refresh the gradually boring mechanics. Open world, crossover with bikes (hello American Wasteland ) and even trying to turn the series into a skate race. It turned out in different ways, but at some point the creators still ran into a concrete wall. The apotheosis was Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 released five years ago , almost burying all the legacy.
Fortunately, Activision managed to hit the brakes in time and draw the right conclusions. Similar to the previously released Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy and Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled , Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 is primarily aimed at the dedicated fans who have caught the original games at the time of their release. That is why it does not offer radical changes minus the redesigned graphics. The state of affairs in the gaming industry has changed long ago – three-dimensional platformers and extreme sports simulators were swept away by a wave of loot boxes, “kints” and other trends. Therefore, it would be more logical to please the old guard than to fail in an attempt to attract a new audience.
Interestingly, a remake of the first two parts has already taken place eight years ago. But then the players were mostly upset by the changes in the physical model and the lack of many modes. The new Tony Hawk is no match for its unfortunate predecessor. It has everything you need and more. The ability to create your own skater and location for pokatushki, local and online multiplayer with many modes and even seven hundred challenges that can stretch the passage for a month or two. The most dedicated fans can kill a few more weeks to unlock all the “cosmetics” – I would not be surprised if, over time, the publisher adds the ability to exchange real funds for in-game currency. As a result, it turns out that the remake not only transfers all the content of the first two parts to 2020, but also multiplies it several times.
Physics was also treated with care: according to subjective feelings, it is closer to the one that was in the third and fourth parts, but this is even for the best. In any case, it became more pleasant to drive skaters than in the originals, where from time to time there was a feeling of a “Huniepop 2“. Although, it would seem, with such a puny physique. For those who have lost their former grip over the years, there are a number of assistants activated in the options. But be prepared for the fact that this will disable the ability to enter your name in the leaderboard. By the way, there is one more room for replayability, because the desire to improve the result and move to a more honorable place in the ranking will become an additional motivation for many.
As for my personal opinion – I confess that Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 could not captivate me for more than five hours. Blame the lengthy single player campaigns in modern games, which have completely evaporated the interest in old-school gameplay that requires repeated execution of the same actions. But this does not mean at all that I regret the time spent. Here is a slightly different case.
Conclusion:
Reflecting on how to finish the material more beautifully, I suddenly found a suitable allegory for the game – this is a meeting of graduates whom you have not seen since graduating from high school or university. Skip a couple of whiskey glasses, have a bite of rolls and laugh together at the funny incidents of the serene youth – in a word, it was cool. But the hour had struck, and it was time to return home to my normal daily life.