| Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Remix review |
|
For a game that once exuded originality out of its every pore to be now entering its sixth-and-a-half incarnation is a worrying indictment of the games industry’s willingness to settle for evolving existing franchises and sales figures, rather than developing new properties. It is a testament to the core mechanics of the series then that Tony Hawk rarely disappoints. After some interesting portable reinterpretations which were ultimately limited by the underpowered hardware, Hawk acid drops onto Sony’s new handheld hoping for a clean landing.
THUG 2 Remix is ported from its PS2 incarnation, with necessary concessions made to squeeze it onto technically slightly inferior hardware (textures have taken a beating and a slight blurring haunts the screen when travelling at speed). It is the four new courses though, rather than these sacrifices, which defines the ‘Remix’ differentiator. Representing the pinnacle of the game engine so far, it uses the now-traditional FIFA annual update model of gameplay tweaks and graphical upgrades, encompassing the narrative thread that THUG’s slight sidestep gave to the series. There is of course, much more scope for upgrades here: different lawn patterns can only amuse for so long, whilst the bourgeoning vessel of creativity required for new skateparks can totally transform the game; perhaps why Neversoft haven't experienced the begrudging backlash of the FIFA audience (though probably simply because FIFA was never that good anyway).
The moronic Jackass humour that polluted THUG is the foundation for the career mode, spinning a weak narrative that threads the global locations together. Jackass works (or at least worked for a while) because of the viewer’s disbelief at the crew’s flagrant disregard for their health and social convention in the pursuit of those childish ‘what if’ questions. A computerised animation is a stagnant rendition that captures none of the spontaneity, realism or thrill of the show, nor the charm of a Looney Tunes cartoon. Indeed, in acknowledgment to fans who sought a purer, more traditional Tony Hawk experience, classic mode has been reinstated. These two-minute runs work well within the stop-start nature of portable play, when career mode can see you bogged down trying repeatedly to complete a single goal.
Continuing a trend formulated in THPS 4 and perpetuated in THUG, the parks are mostly urban epicentres packed full of convoluted skating fodder. The PSP-exclusive levels are pooled from the same design ethos as the original collection and develop a goal-led variety befitting of the slapstick narrative. Once segue moves are learned, amateurs will be haphazardly stringing together impressive-looking combos; though only the most expert players with a thorough knowledge of the courses will be able to seek and pull off the most creative and adventurous lines. All of the extensive create-a-modes have survived the transition, each as considerable as its console forbears. Facial mapping has been catered for by the convenient USB connection, rather than Activision’s servers; the exclusively ad-hoc multiplayer games suggest this may be as much the absence of an online PSP infrastructure, as an attempt to streamline the whole process.
Controls have been translated predictably seamlessly from its bigger brother iterations, compressing the dual shoulder functions into the PSP’s singular buttons. The major bugbear here is the actual ergonomics of the PSP; during a furious combo its flat back contorts your thumbs into performing strained acts of button-dancing acrobatics. Though your eyes may prefer the PSP, before long your thumbs will be aching for the well-worn moulded curves of your favourite DualShock controller. Some of this pain may have been averted by use of the analogue nub, which has curiously been relegated to a practically useless camera control.
Born of hardware that is aching to reach the heights of its home console inspiration, Remix scoops the cachet of instant recognition from its older sibling and it’s only after investing some time with the game that the subtle differences start to emerge. First generation PSP games seem set to define themselves in their attempt to emulate the PS2 and by this measure, the game falls only slightly short. This is by no means the definitive Tony Hawk, but if you’re yet to play THUG 2, it’s certainly a solid enough arena to start. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
System: Sony PlayStation Portable
Genre: Sport
Developer: Shaba Games
Publisher: Activision
Players: 1-4
Version: United States
Reviewed: Jul 2005
Writer: Simon Ward
|
Pros:
- Faithful conversion of console versions
- Classic and career mode make for a long game
- Four new levels
|
Cons:
- Gall-inducing plot
- Blisters practically a gameplay feature
- Little incentive for Tony Hawk veterans to buy it
|
|
|
|
|
|
