The Evolution of the Franchise

Every now and then, a new franchise arrives. It starts out as a one-shot success and follows with a sequel better than the original. Then, there’s a third that is even better than the first two and a fourth that makes the previous versions look like kindergarten artwork. I just love it when a franchise like that comes around. With that in mind, I thought I’d take a little look into the history of one of my favorites: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away … er, wrong story. But, it sure feels like the right one, sometimes. Anyway, once upon a time there was a selection of consoles available that did not include the mystic Xbox. (Oh no!) In this land, there existed what was called the Sony PlayStation®, Nintendo™ 64, and Nintendo Game Boy Color™. These consoles were gifted with a joyous new creation known as Tony Hawk Pro Skater™. This new arrival featured nine pro skaters, seven levels, a soundtrack that included music from the day’s more popular bands, and enough skating goodness to give the console world many hours of fun. There was much rejoicing, and all was good and happy in console land.

Time passed, and the world changed. Evolution occurred, and the residents of console land found themselves among new more powerful brethren. The SEGA Dreamcast™ joined their ranks, as did the Sony PlayStation®2, Nintendo GameCube™, and Nintendo Game Boy Advance™. Into this new world was born the second generation of our erstwhile hero, Tony Hawk Pro Skater™ 2. It arrived and, once again, excitement bubbled forth. This new generation included significant changes and improvements that made for much joy. One must believe that it made its predecessor proud by including more good music, an even larger selection of tricks, 13 pros, a new skatepark building tool, multiplayer play, and the ability to create a skater. And, so, the celebrations began again.

In the midst of all this celebrating, a new creature arrived in console land. A genetically engineered powerhouse capable of destroying all newcomers through raw power and performance, it was known as the Xbox. Naturally, this new arrival needed its own version of what was soon to be a staple of the console world, and so, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater™ 2x was born. This latest addition to the Tony Hawk Pro Skater family tree included all of the things that so many had come to know and love, but it went further still. It added a new level, more multiplayer levels, dramatically improved graphics and sound, and even better gameplay. While still the same game in a lot of ways, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2x was significantly improved over its sibling. The celebrations grew in fervor and pitch.

Now, the third generation begins its ascent to greatness. Built and designed entirely to run on the new and more powerful residents of console land, with DVD capability and online gameplay, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater™ 3 was dramatically improved over the previous generations. Expanded living levels, real-world environments, improved Career building mode, and rewards helped contribute to the standard host graphic and audio improvements. This third generation spread across all the residents of console land with equal affection and goodness. But, for those viewing the Xbox version, they found it markedly better than the others, with superior graphics and faster gameplay.

However, progress can’t be stopped, and eventually all things must change. So, now comes the latest generation, and while distinctly related to all of the previous versions, it’s much changed.Tony Hawk's Pro Skater™ 4has altered the nature of its family in ways no one could have foreseen. The Career mode is vastly different from anything before. Once more, the residents of console land are blessed with a library of great games within one tried-and-true franchise.

Ah, evolution … isn’t it grand?

By Carlson