First Encounter

Activision, Inc. takes the phenomenal Tony Hawk series to the next level in Tony Hawk’s Underground 2 (THUG™ 2). With the same brand of extreme tricks and sick combos that made the franchise famous, more free-roaming challenges than the original Tony Hawk’s Underground, and a story mode packed with humor, this is the best Tony Hawk game yet!

Roll all over the world.

The “World Destruction Tour” is the central story mode of the game. In the opening cut-scene, you're kidnapped and thrown in the back of a van along with several other up-and-coming skaters. It turns out your captors are none other than Tony Hawk himself and fellow skate legend Bam Margera, and they’ve collected you and the others for a little impromptu skating challenge. After choosing sides, they set out to skate the world—literally. During the story mode, you’ll travel to exotic locales in the U.S., Spain, and other far-flung corners of the globe as you and your teammates take on skate challenges that cover everything from grinding, skitching, and tricking to knocking the heads off statues and taking emergency room patients for joy rides (without ever leaving their gurneys).

Once the contest begins, you’ll be delivered to a huge, vastly detailed skate area. You'll have to pick a pro skater to play and then find that skater somewhere in the level. Once you do, you can switch from your primary character to the pre-chosen pro with the press of a button. In each level there are also “Secret” and “Hidden” skaters for you to find. (In Boston, for example, you can unlock Ben Franklin and Jesse James.) Each skater comes with his or her own set of skill stats and preferred tricks, so switching to the right team member can make the difference between beating the level and landing flat on your face. There are more than 200 goals in the game, which you can play as part of the Story mode or in Classic mode, which puts you on a timer as you do tricks, a la theTony Hawk’s Pro Skater games.

Skateboard versus sculpture.

But, the story mode isn’t the only new thing—not by a long shot. You can still get off your board and run. (Keep it quick, though, or you’ll lose your combo bonus.) But, now, you can also collect projectiles and huck ‘em at other skaters, pedestrians, and environmental objects! Few things are as satisfying as knocking a fellow skater off his board with a well-aimed apple … You can also tag environmental objects with pre-designed graffiti or create your own from scratch. Temper tantrums are now an important skill because, if you miss a trick, you’ll have a brief window of time in which to freak out. Rapidly tap the controller button to fill the freak out meter; the fuller it gets, the more extreme your freak-out animation will be. You won’t set any scoring records by freaking out, but kicking your board across the park, stomping it into pieces, and head-butting it in half are all great ways to save face and score few consolation points after you’ve left part of your face on the pavement.

Another innovation is the new slow-motion focus control, which gives you a detailed look at your trick and gives you time to pull off truly extreme combos. Imagine your high score when you have an extra three or four seconds between the moment you launch off the lip and the moment you come back down. Plus, while in slow-motion, you can appreciate all of the mid-air animated details that the developers included.

Who needs an ambulance?

THUG 2 expands the Tony Hawk videogame universe in all kinds of dynamic ways. The title offers more locations; bigger and more interactive levels; user-definable graffiti, goals, and tricks; an expanded and hilarious Story mode (the trash-talking kid in the body cast alone makes this game worth buying); and exciting gameplay improvements. If you’re ready to take over the world via skateboard, this is the game you’ve been waiting for!

By Wendell Scott