Gaming Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4

[Charles]

There is no doubt that the Playstation 2 hosts tons of quality software. I could literally compose a shopping list of great games and chances are, they've been discussed in good ole' gaming Otaku. Yet there's one franchise that doesn't doesn't quite receive the same attention on these collective forums that the other big titles do. Sure, it's been discussed now and then, but not to the depth that other games have been. People, I'm preaching about the definitive action/sports franchise known as Tony Hawk's Pro Skater (lol, just in case you didn't read the thread title).

The formula that Neversoft has developed has proven addictive, delivering an experience that many people can't put down. The Tony Hawk series does something that most games of today don't--reward gamers with a score that actually means something. Now, Neversoft is intent on reworking the entire engine from the ground up.

This year's Tony Hawk 4 is going to have an entirely revamped career mode. In short, there will be a lot more to do than before. According to the developers, it'll feel more like a real skateboarding game than merely completing a checklist.

Furthermore, the levels in the upcoming fourth installment of the series are fashioned on individual worlds. According to the previews I've read, the worlds resemble that of Grand Theft Auto 3, in that they seem endless. Obviously, this means that the game will be fashioned more towards realism.

One of the biggest changes, is the removal of the timer. Not only does this make each run seem like free skate, but also lends to the "real world" effect. Now, as tasks are completed more ramps and level geometry will be added to the level.

One of the coolest aspects is the level of interaction with the characters populating the worlds. Now, instead of just plowing them down, you can initiate a conversation and participate in contests or task challenges. The professional skaters themselves feature authentic spoken dialogue. So, if you want to chat it up with Bob Burnquist (yep, he's back) you're free to do so.

As any Tony Hawk fan knows, each installment brings a revolutionary trick to the table. Tony Hawk 2 gave us the manual. In Tony Hawk 3, combos were extended through the implementation of the Revert. Now, Tony Hawk 4 introduces the Spine Transfer maneuver. Like the revert, it's quite easy to do. Just press the R2 button when you reach the top of a ramp and your skater will trick off the top either to connect to an adjoining ramp, or launch to whatever may reside behind the ramp. Plus, there's the recovery move that allows you to straighten your character out if he/she's landing sideways. Cool indeed.

Lastly, a plethora of minigames have been added. One strange game has you dodging monkey poop while another has you using your skateboard as a tennis racket. Heck, you can even play a little B-Ball.

Just in case anyone's interested, I'll put a couple shots up. Only because I'm nice and I want to show off this killer game though. :toothy:

[Img]http://www.white-umbrella.com/ib_html/uploads/post-98167-tonyhawkpic1.jpg[/Img]

[IMG]http://www.white-umbrella.com/ib_html/uploads/post-98239-tonyhawk4_copy.jpg[/Img]
Yeah, and you thought the car wash was crazy.

So, is anyone else actually looking forward to the next Hawk? I rank it right up there with the rest of the top tier games.

[The Vampire: Ed]

This Tony Hawk looks amazing, and I'm willing to bet it'll put all the others to shame. The mini-games, and the improved career mode will indeed increase the games life span. As it will offer more to gamers rather then just trying to get big scores once everything else is complete. The graphics look nice, and are the best a skateboarding game has seen. This will definitely be a great game, and I am looking forward to it as well.

[Guest Solid Snake]

[color=teal]Before now, I had believed that Neversoft would have merely taken the concept of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, and expanded it using better graphics, bigger levels, and different objectives. Now, although my hypothesis was correct, I can see that they have done a lot more than that. Just the thought of a Grand Theft Auto 3 environment sounds intriguing beyond my wildest imagination. Even the mimi games sound nice, creating a new atmosphere to the game that has never been done before with this series.

Indeed your information helped us all greatly, but I would also like to add that, like the 3rd version, internet access with be included, letting you compare your talents to the best worldwide. The idea is good, but I'm not much of an online gamer.

I will most likely be purchasing this game based on the information I have heard today. But again, it MUST be better than all of the others, because expanding isn't going to work for me since I already own all the previous installments. I thank you greatly for this information, Crazy White Boy, it has aroused my interests and I do hope that you add more screen shots. That is, if you have any more.[/color]

:blah:

[Charles]

Hey, thanks Solid Snake and Vampire Ed; it's good to see that there are a couple more Hawk fans on the boards.

Perhaps, I should point out, by the way, like other installments of the series, there will be [B]eight[/B] environments. Just imagine the replay value here. If each of those environments is as huge and interactive as Neversoft claims they will be, we could be looking at a bonafide classic. We all know that when it comes to level design, Neversoft never disappoints. Size is nothing, but when an environment is large scale [I]and[/I] designed well, there's magic.

Some interesting things that I've also heard, is how worlds are exited. On the college level, you'll need to pay a cab driver to drive you to the next world, which happens to be a zoo. Reportedly, every animal is interactive in this particular world. The best part is, that they're actually [I]useful[/I]. For instance, if you launch off a dird cage onto an elephant's back, the beast will rampage, smashing picnic tables in its wake (which turn into ramps), then barge through the sealed doors on the aquarium--opening a new area for you to skate in.

Anyway, I'll be happy to post some more pictures. I wasn't sure that anyone would be interested in the thread to begin with, so I was wary of putting too many shots up.

[IMG]http://www.white-umbrella.com/ib_html/uploads/post-79725-tonyhawkotherguy.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://www.white-umbrella.com/ib_html/uploads/post-79819-tonyhawkpic1.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://www.white-umbrella.com/ib_html/uploads/post-79942-tonyhawktennis.jpg[/IMG]

If you're wondering why the character models look slightly better, you can credit an increase in polygons that is made possible by the new engine. All of the character models have been completely redesigned (from 3,000 polys to 4,000). We may even see flowing garments and bruises and scrapes.

Pretty impressive work for a project limited to under a year's time, eh guys?