Official Website

Platform: Playstation 2, Playstation, Xbox, GameCube

Genre: Extreme Sports

Number of Players: 1 - 2 + Online

Peripherals: Network Adaptor

I may not have been into the Tony Hawk series when it first appeared in the home circuit, but I have been very loyal since I first picked up a controller and had my first taste. This is one in the list of titles that I used to keep away from, not because I believed they were bad, but simply because sports have never really been my thing. These days, while I may not be interested in playing baseball or football games, if you give me an extreme sports title, I'm all for it. Tony Hawk's Underground, which will be referred to as THUG from this point on, is the latest in the growing list of skateboarding titles that have been coming out, and Neversoft has decided to try something a little different with this one.

The past games had you choosing your favorite skateboarding pro and going from location to location to score points, accomplish goals, and open new areas in the games. THUG however stars . . . you! That's right. You will take on the role of an unknown skate punk slumming it in a bad part of New Jersey. You have a dream though, and that's to get sponsored and start getting the recognition that you think you deserve. It's not going to be easy though. You might very well have the skills, but you're going to have to prove yourself to the locals in your area, the sponsors that you're trying to get to back you, and the skateboarding fans around the world.

When I first heard that THUG was going to have a storyline in it, I wasn't really bothered by it. I actually seemed like quite a good idea. Skating around from area to area isn't bad, but the game always seemed to have something a little lacking, and it seemed that perhaps this might just be the thing to cure that. I didn't think I'd be saying this however, but I really do miss the good old days.

The story mode in THUG isn't nearly as interesting as what it might sound. When you first start out, you'll be given the option to go in and customize your skater in any way that you see if. Tony Hawk veterans are used to this by now. You can select the hairstyle, color, clothing, and so forth. It's more or less like the same feature that THQ has included in their WWE titles, although the one in THUG isn't quite as detailed. Once you've got your skateboarder ready, you are set to go. However, the story itself is very lacking. You will begin with your friend Eric, who is more or less a burden and seems to get you into more trouble than he is worth. You'll meet several people on the streets that will request various things of you, just like with the other games. That might include scoring points, collecting items, or any number of things. But, that's where it starts to go wrong.

THUG features some off-board antics. You'll find yourself climbing buildings or even driving cars, something that hasn't been included in the other games but really doesn't seem to fit in very well here. Although you will have the option to pick and choose your goals, they are still very limited and quite linear. Finishing one opens another and so on. There are even a few that you will have to complete in order to progress farther in the game, no questions asked. However, on the plus side, a few things have been added and some minor changes implemented that make things a bit more interesting. Instead of having to access a stats screen, you will gain them automatically depending on the tricks you perform. You can now also get off your board and get a running start, or even climb up on higher objects (or anything else) or even jump off during a combo, and then jump back on to get even more points. It's a nice touch, and something that in all honesty, the game really has been lacking for quite a while. I've never been happy that I can get off my board. I can fall off it no problem, but I can't simply walk around if I want to.

Really though, the story is a bit bland, and the voice acting is very uninspired. I am a bit surprised that I started missing the random goals with no real theory behind them, and being as how I am very much into storylines in game (I blame that all on Square and their role-playing games) so my assumption that was adding a storyline into a title like this would add a great deal to the game play. Instead, I found myself uninterested rather quickly. For the most part, it seems that sports games really don't need a story added into them, and if you want a soap opera style, stick to professional wrestling. I appreciate the attempt, but it just doesn't work nearly as well as what it could have.

THUG does feature other modes of play as well. Free play will allow you to simply skate around in the different areas and check things out. The problem here though is that really, it's not too much different from story mode, and the only real difference is the absence of goals. High Score mode on the other hand is going to give you two minutes to bust out your best tricks. It's fun, but it gets old rather quickly. There are also quite a few creation modes. I think anyone who has played the games in the past expects the create-a-park mode to be included, and you won't be disappointed. It's still here and just as easy to use as before. But, here's the difference. You can create goals now, and that brings a whole new element into this mode. You can create a skater, something that isn't so new, but THUG does allow you to download your face to place on your skater. To do this, you will first have to have a digital camera so that you can snap a picture and then save it on your computer. Once that's taken care of, you will need to e-mail it to the THUG online group in order to be able to download it. Really though, it's a lot of work and effort to through just to play as yourself.

There are some other new creation modes however. You can create a deck, but that really isn't too much different that what has been allowed in the past, or even in the main game itself. Create-a-trick mode however is a nice touch and allows you to think up for own special moves. At first, the mechanics seem a little difficult to grasp, but once you start to understand just what the designers had in mind, it's fairly simple. The game also features an online mode, but once again, I'm not impressed in the least with it, with the slight expectation that you can download content.

I'm really not happy with the controls in the game either. They feel very loose in every phase but the skateboarding modes. They are almost too responsive, resulting in rapid movements that become very difficult to control or grasp at times.

Usually, Tony Hawk boasts a fairly impressive soundtrack, but unfortunately, that wasn't my impression with this one. There seems to be a great deal of punk, and while I'm not someone who dislikes it in any way, most of the bands I didn't feel were that fantastic. And, why is Entombed on here? Maybe if it was a track from Left Hand Path that would be fine, but their new material just isn't that good at all. The in-game sounds though tend to be very good, and in fact, have much more of a realistic effect than in the past, such as the metallic sounds when you grind across various objects or the sound of electricity while skating across power lines.

Now, I'm not sure if developers actually read reviews, though I'm sure they do from some of the bigger websites and magazines, but I'd like to throw out a few suggestions.

1) Drop the story mode. Seriously, this just doesn't work for the game and the old school style is the best.

2) Allow players to bring in their own music. Sony has been saying there will be a jukebox with the HDD, and many of us don't care for the music that has been selected. Maybe I'd like to listen to a little Hoccico when I skate around, maybe I'm in the mood for The Dead Kennedy's, or maybe I'd even like some Johnny Cash, but there has to be some way to allow gamers to have their own music.

3) If you can download new content for online play, why not for in game play? That's what the HDD was designed for, and obviously Zipper Interactive had this in mind when they were working on SOCOM II.

I really had high hopes for this title, but sadly, they feel flat on their face after about an hour of gameplay. There is a great deal of material to be opened, and you will have to play through all of the skill levels to gain them, but I can't really see that as much of a reason to continue to replay the game. And, in case you were wondering about the famous names that are usually associated with Tony Hawk, they are there, but as cameos. Hopefully, the next game will prove to be a bit more improved, and while I do like some of the new ideas that have been included, they still need a bit more time to be perfected before I'd say they are an excellent addition to the game.

 -mike-