Tony Hawk's Underground 2

Ahh, Tony Hawk. The staple of skateboarding games, and the only one worth playing since every other one sucks. Here's a little bit of history. After Tony 4, a queer game called Tony Hawk's Undergound came out. This game, (known to many as THUG) was loved by some, and hated by equal amounts of people. Some loved the insane, Jackass-esque stunts you did, others just wanted to skate and tear it up. Well, Neversoft understood, and Thug 2 will please both camps. You have a Story mode that's like the next THUG game, then you have Classic mode, which brings some classic levels back, filled with classic goals. Everyone should be happy. Oh, this is on all 3 consoles, but I'm reviewing the Xbox version.

THUG 2 has many pros, including Tony Hawk himself, guys like Chad Muska, Mike Vallely, the Mutt himself: Rodney Mullen, and jackasses like Bam. You have people like Natas Kaupas, Wee Man and Phil Margera making cameos. You can also create your own in game doppelganger, and chances are, they should look quite a bit like you. Or you can male the person you wish you could be, that's your choice. All the pros are fairly representative of their real-life counterparts, and they all feature voice work by the skater himself. For example, Tony Hawk gets lots of air out of a ramp or pipe, but doesn't balance manuals super well. On the other hand, Rodney Mullen might not get much air out of the same ramp, but can manual for great lengths of time without breaking a sweat. Mike V's awesome Bonelesses also make an appearance.


The signature gameplay returns, and is tight as ever. It's difficult to explain, but it's not like you punch in: UP DOWN X Y, and your skater does (insert trick here). Tap RIGHT then X to do a kickflip. Double tap X and you do a double kickflip. If you hold right, your skater starts rotating. He will continue until you land or you stop holding the direction. When you manual (it's like a wheelie on a skateboard) you need to balance using fine motions of up and down, or else you bail (fall and look stupid). I know this sounds a little confusing, but a little playtime will clear it all up. However, the learning curve is really steep. Tony Hawk is very difficult to just begin playing. I would know, because that's just what I did. It's fun though, and addictive. Don't be intimidated.

There is tons of music, from a wide variety of bands like Johnny Cash (no relation to Johnny in our very own comic), The Casualties, 25 ta Life, Suicide Machines, The Living End, Lamb of God, Zeke, The Hiss, Jimmy Eat World, and a bunch others. You can choose to turn off annoying songs, so those of those who don't like rap (I can't blame you) can choose not to listen to it, while if punk rock isn't your thing (I can't blame you either), turn off the entire genre of music. If you hate every song in the game, create your own custom playlist (Xbox only).

The graphics are very good. Everything is a little cartoony, but that's just fine. No complaints. The graphics are good enough that I recognized Mullen's signature shoes from the game in real life. All the tricks look nearly identical to the way they are performed in real life, everything from 360 flips, to casper flips to the famous indy 900.
Pretty much every trick that people do is in this game. If you really wanted to, I don't see why you can't use this game as a guide on performing tricks in real life. The animations really are superb.

The levels are large, and are filled with good lines to skate. Once you master the wallride and wallie, there are not many places you can't go. Good levels, and there are quite a few of them. I'll give away one secret here: once you complete story mode, you unlock a great level called Pro Skater. This level is actually 3, and there is much to do, including dancing with the Devil. I'll leave it to you to figure out everything.


The Story mode is hilarious, as it has you skating in the World Destruction Tour. Invade 4 continents, cause over two million dollars worth of monetary damage, and piss off countless people. It's great. Be called to make seagulls poop on suntanning women, free a bull that chases mimes, and toss beads at horny drunk girls during Mardi Gras. Not to mention, the likes of Paulie "Wheels of Fury" Ryan and Nigel Beaverhousen really liven things up. Superb. Or as Beaverhousen says, "Mega righteous. Super tubular!" The sheer absurdity is great.

The classic mode won't make you laugh as much, but is filled with goals that must be completed in 2 minute runs. Things like High Combo force you to push yourself, while collecting the secret tape forces you to think fast and utilize your skills to get to strange places.

The multiplayer is entertaining. Lots of modes, and the ability to smack your opponent when passing by (that causes them to bail, often initiating much swearing and yelling). I've almost killed my brother while playing THUG 2 with him. Great fun.

You don't have to be a skater to enjoy THUG 2. It's fun, and entertaining. If these types of games are your thing, go buy it. If you're bored, rent it to see if this is what you like. You just might be pleasantly surprised. THUG 2 is becoming cheaper as you read this, and it should entertain for a good long while, especially if you try to land million point combos. This game is really good, but it's not quite as good as skating in real life. Don't let that stop you. I recommend THUG 2 to all of you. Give it a spin, and you just might like it. Of course, that won't help the fact that you're a stupid poser.

DROP THOSE VANS AND SKATE!

5 star(s) out of 5

Discuss More XBOX Games More Other Games