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THUG 2, Mr. Tony Hawk’s fifth Gameboy Advance title is a pleaser. Vicarious Visions’ Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 was a GBA launch title and it showed gamers everywhere what Nintendo’s new handheld could do. The game was so visually impressive, that despite tweaks here and there, the visuals have remained largely the same since the series’ GBA inception. The GBA games of the series always mirror the console versions and THUG 2 is no exception.
Like THUG before it, THUG 2 tries to make a story out of its skating gameplay. In the Story Mode, you’ll once again create a character and have to accomplish an assortment of goals, usually not related to pulling off a certain number of points in a combo, but rather pulling off a special move while being helped by very random characters like Steve-O but also more typical characters like Eric Koston and Chad Muska. Meeting up with these characters will give you additional goals for whatever level you are in.
You’ll need to accomplish a certain amount of goals to the get the required amount of points needed to move on. As you progress, your character will gain stats and be more adept at pulling off the more difficult moves. Story mode mixes things up by including a few minigames which can be played by themselves once unlocked. You’ll find a tagging event, a freestyle rhythm-like minigame where you’ll need to pull off tricks as they appear onscreen and tennis shooter: where you shoot tennis balls at pedestrians.
One of the big “additions” in THUG 2 was the addition of Arcade Mode, but I’ve read that this feature was available to handheld gamers since last year. In Arcade Mode, you’ll once again have the two-minute timer and will have to complete certain objectives in that time period. These objectives are much more old-school and are usually get x number of tricks, do a trick on a certain area and collect SKATE and what not.
THUG 2 doesn’t feature any revolutionary change from previous games but the GBA version still features enough of the new stuff from the console version of the game. In the GBA version, you’ll find the nata spin (which allows you to spin on top of objects like trash cans), the tantrum (which allows you to begin a new combo after you bail with some points), the focus mode (a slow-motion mode that is helpful when pulling off the more difficult moves) and the tagging / sticker slapping.
THUG 2 for GBA allows you to create skaters (which is actually a predicate for story mode) and even includes a rudimentary special creating tool which lets you easily link up moves into more difficult combos. Additionally, the game lets you customize your deck although that is more “for show” as you can’t really tell in-game.
If you find a friend with a copy of THUG 2, you can link up for multiplayer. The regular multiplayer modes can be found here like HORSE, King of the Hill, Trick Attack, and Tag. THUG 2 for GBA also includes a mode in which players attempt to perform a goal quicker than the other (Scavenger) and Cart Racing. Yes, cart racing.
The game’s visuals remain very impressive for GBA. The game takes you across the globe from Australia to Berlin but also local places like New Orleans and Boston. You’ll also find Barcelona and others like Suburbia and Skatopia. Each of the game’s levels are wonderfully designed and take advantage of the visual engine to its highest potential. You’ll find a lot of places to grind and pull off moves and the levels are populated with people who will give you goals.
The game’s audio is good but nothing particularly great. The sounds of skating are accurately presented but again, nothing that will awe you. The background music is solid, and seemingly made up of licensed songs by Metallica (Whiplash), The Doors (Break on Through) and others. The GBA’s sound limitations are readily apparant as the quality on these songs isn’t remarkable.
All in all, Tony Hawk’s Underground 2 offers enough new gameplay to please fans of the series. The GBA version of the game is very similar to the console versions and the major changes are certainly represented in this iteration. -- Jose Liz, PGNx Media
---- Oct 12, 2004
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