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Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 (GBA video game)

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Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
Box art featuring Tony Hawk
Developer(s)Vicarious Visions
Publisher(s)Activision
Programmer(s)Matt Conte
Alex Rybakov
Composer(s)Manfred Linzer
SeriesTony Hawk's
Platform(s)Game Boy Advance
Release
  • NA: June 11, 2001
  • EU: June 22, 2001
Genre(s)Sports
Mode(s)Single-player

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 is a 2001 extreme sports skateboarding video game developed by Vicarious Visions and published by Activision for the Game Boy Advance handheld game console. It is a portable version of the console game of the same name, starring the skateboarder Tony Hawk. While the console versions of the game have a behind-the-back camera perspective, the game instead uses an isometric perspective, featuring multiple modified levels taken from the console version. The player is tasked with getting as high a score as they can in a limited span of time by doing skateboarding tricks.

Vicarious Visions proposed the creation of a Game Boy Advance version, getting approval from Activision and Tony Hawk. To be able to include the tricks from the PlayStation, they created a 3D engine for the game, using polygonal characters, using math to design the levels. The music was composed as a pastiche of the music featured in the series, as well as songs from "skate punk-like artists." The quality assurance team criticized the level design, one member saying they did not know how to make levels and coming on board to help fix this. Development finished in less than one year, released as a launch title for the handheld in North America and Europe.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 has been generally well received, identified as one of the best Game Boy Advance games by multiple critics. Vicarious Visions received particular praise, identified as having pushed the Game Boy Advance beyond what people expected it to be capable of by presenting an authentic adaptation of the original game. The isometric perspective received some criticism due to difficulty discerning angles, and its controls were considered less preferable to the controls of the original. It has been identified as an exemplar of how to do a handheld conversion of a console game, and the 3D engine created for the game was used in future games by Vicarious Visions on the Game Boy Advance.

Gameplay

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Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 uses an isometric camera perspective

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 is a single-player extreme sports skateboarding video game.[1] While skateboarding, the player can perform multiple tricks, including ollies, grinds, aerials, kickflips, and more.[2] Other actions the player can take include jumping, crouching, and switching stances.[3] The player acquires more points through comboing multiple tricks.[4] The game features six levels, including five from the console versions of the game, as well as one from the first game, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. There is also a secret stage included.[5] Multiple levels are based on real-world locations, such as New York and Marseille.[6] The levels are viewed from an isometric perspective, largely resembling the maps found in the console versions, which are viewed from a behind-the-back camera perspective.[5][7] The game features 13 playable characters, including Tony Hawk, each of whom has their own special technique.[2] It also features built-in cheats that allow the player to unlock multiple features, including disabling blood, selecting any level to play, and Spider-Man as a playable character.[8]

The game has three different modes of play: career mode, where the player completes tasks to unlock more levels and increase stats with a time limit; single session mode, where the player can skate in any level with the same time limit; and free skate mode, where the time limit is removed.[9] Each level has certain tasks to complete in career mode, including finding money and breaking objects.[4] There are also objects to collect in each stage, including the letters S-K-A-T-E to spell skate and video tapes.[10]

Development

[edit]
Early concept art of the game

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 was developed by Vicarious Visions for the Game Boy Advance, who received an early development kit.[11] Development began in August 2000 with occasional input from Neversoft, who developed the console versions of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2. Early development was difficult due to multiple factors, including shortages of game development kits and hardware revisions.[12] After completing development of the Game Boy Color version of Spider-Man, the team desired to begin work on a Game Boy Advance game, wanting to avoid Super Nintendo ports and Mode 7 racing games. It was suggested that they work on a Tony Hawk game, believing it to be high risk due in part to being such an important brand for Activision.[12] The team intended to use the source code Neversoft used, only for it to turn out that the source code was C++, only to find that the development kit's documentation said they could only use C. Lead programmer Matt Conte created a proof of concept to show that C++ could be done on Game Boy Advance. allowing them to use a large majority of the code from the PlayStation. Conte stated that this is what allowed them to create physics and tricks accurate to the original game.[13] Mock-ups were created to demonstrate how it might look, which were presented to Tony Hawk, who was impressed by it and gave his approval alongside Activision.[12]

It began as a sprite-based game, but it was determined that this would require more than 100 megs of storage if they wanted to include every trick from the PlayStation version. Because the Game Boy Advance was a 2D console, they had to create a 3D engine for the game, utilizing an isometric perspective and a realtime-rendered polygonal character, who has more than 300 polygons.[12][1] The isometric perspective was chosen due to them believing that the level geometry found in the console versions, if viewed from above, would largely be visible.[13] Vicarious Visions aimed to create a similar design to the PlayStation and Dreamcast versions, some maps modified to compensate for the isometric angle.[12] Due to not having a level editor for the Game Boy Advance, they needed to use math to design the levels. They had to set point values for tiles to give the levels depth.[13] A Gouraud shader was used for the game's real-time renderer, which was prototyped over a month and a half by programmer Alex Rybakov.[13] They experienced struggles with depicting the character behind objects, realizing that they had to use their software to accomplish this. They chose to have the character become semi-transparent when behind objects. The team was unable to add a multiplayer mode, a feature of the console versions, due to time restrictions.[12]

Unlike the other versions of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2, this game has an original soundtrack due to the licensed music being too much for a Game Boy Advance cartridge. The soundtrack was composed by Manfred Linzer, who was who was asked to create a pastiche of songs featured in the Tony Hawk games. Linzer was given a selection of songs from the games, as well as other songs selected from "skate punk-like artists." The final soundtrack consisted of 10 songs.[13] Shin'en Multimedia was responsible for implementing the music, using their GAX sound engine.[12][14] The cartridge uses a more advanced sound chip than the Game Boy Color sound chip, as the team wanted to have audio more advanced than chiptune audio.[12]

When they sent the game to Activision's quality assurance department, it was given harsh feedback by a team devoted exclusively to the Tony Hawk series. While they felt it looked appropriate and was "technically impressive," the level design was criticized, with one QA member saying that they "don't understand how to build levels at all." Conte stated that they were brought on as consultants, going through each level to add level elements that reward skillful play.[13] Development was concluded in April 2001 when the game was approved, a large majority of the cartridge space utilized and development taking less than a year.[12][13]

Promotion and release

[edit]

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 was demonstrated at E3 2001.[15] It was also demonstrated by the group Advance Team in Minnesota, alongside other Game Boy Advance games.[16] It was one of six games scheduled to be released for the Game Boy Advance by Activision at the time.[17] It released as a launch title for the Game Boy Advance on June 11, 2001, published by Activision.[17] It was later released in Europe on June 22.[18]

Reception

[edit]

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 was the subject of positive reception from critics and gamers, particularly for Vicarious Visions defying expectations of what the Game Boy Advance could do.[13] Metacritic identified it as having universal acclaim, labeling it a "must-play."[19] It was identified as a key launch title for the system by Eurogamer writer Oli Welsh,[25] and was considered one of the best Game Boy Advance games, ranked among the top games on the platform by GameSpot, IGN, Pocket Tactics, Den of Geek, GamesRadar+, and TechRadar.[26][27][28][29][30][31] When considering which Game Boy Advance launch title to recommend, GameSpot writer Shane Satterfield stated that the game made him excited to see what the Game Boy Advance could do down the line. Despite this, he recommended Fire Pro Wrestling, stating that the console Tony Hawk games were superior.[32] It was one of the top-selling Game Boy Advance launch games in North America, placing second behind Super Mario Advance and third across all platforms for the month of June.[33][34] It ranked seventh overall in the following month and 14th in August, losing its second place Game Boy Advance ranking to Mario Kart: Super Circuit.[8][35] IGN writer Craig Harris considered it among the best games at the handheld's launch, finding the gameplay loop of the game entertaining and varied.[4] It was awarded the best mobile game of 2001 at the British Academy Film Awards,[36] and received a nomination for Hand-Held Game of the Year at the 5th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards.[37]

The levels were considered good adaptations of the console versions', with Electronic Gaming Monthly writer Crispin Boyer stating that they were "surprisingly good." He found the "smaller skate-park stages" more fun, while the more open levels were confusing due to the perspective. Boyer also found the controls limiting, attributing it to the Game Boy Advance's limited number of buttons. Fellow Electronic Gaming Monthly writer Greg Sewart also found the controls awkward, stating that the perspective made it more difficult to control. He felt that players could get past it with patience, but expected that a lot of people may become frustrated.[5] Eurogamer writer Martin Taylor was more positive towards the perspective, feeling that the camera perspective forced players to explore the levels before they focused on the tasks in each, which he believed was a core aspect of the Tony Hawk series.[23] GameSpy writer Andrew S. Bub felt that the isometric perspective was a good compromise, feeling that it allowed players to more easily play confidently. He compared this perspective to other similar skateboarding games, including Skate or Die! He also found the controls accurate, appreciating the existence of a tutorial and button mapping to make the controls easier to get used to.[21]

Gamekult writer Usul felt disappointed by the lack of a multiplayer mode, feeling that this compounded with the lack of levels and limitations compared to the console versions made it an inferior experience despite still enjoying it.[38] Nintendo World Report writer Jonathan Metts commented that players who could do without the multiplayer and level editor found in the console game could find this an adequate alternative to the console versions, but felt that someone already familiar with the console game will not find a new gameplay experience.[22] Nintendojo writer Matt Thompson considered it an adequate alternative, preferring it due to being able to play it wherever he wants, which he stated prevented it from getting old like the console versions did for him.[39]

Visuals and technology

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The game's visuals and technical aspects were the subject of praise, with Time Extension writer Jack Yarwood believing that it inspired the creation of future games with a similar approach and technology.[13] It was also called "the most amazing piece of technology we've ever seen on a handheld" by Next Generation staff.[7] Martin Taylor was initially skeptical of how good the game could perform when he heard about its reveal, being surprised by how similar it felt to its console counterparts.[23] Crispin Boyer found it visually stunning, particularly for having smooth movement and a superior framerate to the PlayStation version.[5] GamePro writer Dan Elektro felt that a person would find it difficult to not be impressed by the level of technical quality in the game, particularly it running at 60 frames per second and its use of animations from the PlayStation version. He felt that it constituted a "major leap forward" in handheld gaming.[20] Game Informer writer Andrew Reiner praised the visuals for managing to feel three-dimensional, as well as its use of transparency to see the character when they move behind objects. He stated that the visuals left him in awe over how impressive they were.[1]

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 was considered an exemplar of handheld conversions of console titles. Jonathan Metts felt that the issues of handheld conversions of console games came from a combination of hardware limitations and developers not wanting to make console-type games on handhelds. He praised Vicarious Visions for both the execution of the game on a technical level, as well as their courage for having attempted to do something like it in the first place.[22] GameSpot writer Jeff Gerstmann was similarly critical of trends regarding handheld ports, claiming that developers tended to "[duplicate] one or two key aspects of the original game and freestyle the rest" with mixed results. He felt that this game served as a benchmark for such games, as well as the best handheld skateboarding game ever made.[24] In his retrospective, Kotaku writer Luke Plunkett felt that the game had aged better visually than the console versions, remarking that games like this had to be more inventive in how it scaled down a console game compared to newer games.[40]

Legacy

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Vicarious Visions went on to work on other Tony Hawk games for the Game Boy Advance, excluding Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam, instead developing the Nintendo DS version. The 3D engine created for this game was used for future Vicarious Visions projects on the Game Boy Advance, including Crash Bandicoot: The Huge Adventure, Jet Grind Radio, and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, the latter which had an internal 3D level editor they used to make level design more intuitive.[13]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Reiner, Andrew (July 2001). "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2". Game Informer. No. 99. p. 89.
  2. ^ a b Sanches, Joao Diniz (October 22, 2005). "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2". Pocket Gamer. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  3. ^ Lindemann, Jon (May 19, 2001). "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 GBA". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d Harris, Craig (June 14, 2001). "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2". IGN. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 144. Ziff Davis. July 2001. p. 92.
  6. ^ "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 (Nintendo GameBoy)". MeriStation. March 6, 2012. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  7. ^ a b "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2". Next Generation. No. 79. Imagine Media. July 2001. p. 68. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  8. ^ a b "The Top 20 Best-Selling Games of July 2001". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 148. November 2001. p. 54. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  9. ^ Stahl, Ben (April 28, 2001). "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 Hands-On". GameSpot. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  10. ^ Berghammer, Billy (June 2, 2001). "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 GBA". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  11. ^ Plante, Chris (February 13, 2013). "From two-person team to Activision workhorse: the rise and rise of Vicarious Visions". Polygon. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Interview with the Tony Hawk 2 GBA Team". IGN. May 4, 2001. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Yarwood, Jack (January 10, 2025). "The Making Of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2's Surprisingly Stellar GBA Port". Time Extension. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  14. ^ Metts, Jonathan (June 11, 2001). "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 GBA". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  15. ^ Fielder, Joe (May 17, 2001). "E3 2001 Preshow Report: Official Game Boy Advance US game list". GameSpot. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  16. ^ "Advance Team hits Minnesota!". Nintendo World Report. July 6, 2001. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  17. ^ a b Ahmed, Shahed (May 17, 2006). "Activision announces Tony Hawk for the Game Boy Advance". GameSpot. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  18. ^ "Europe Gets a Date for GBA". IGN. March 21, 2001. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  19. ^ a b "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2". Metacritic. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  20. ^ a b "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2". GamePro. No. 154. July 2001. p. 40.
  21. ^ a b Bub, Andrew S. "GameSpy". Archived from the original on January 5, 2006. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  22. ^ a b c Metts, Jonathan (June 30, 2001). "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 GBA". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on September 1, 2023. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  23. ^ a b c Taylor, Martin (July 19, 2001). "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 review". Eurogamer. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  24. ^ a b Gerstmann, Jeff (May 17, 2006). "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 Review". GameSpot. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  25. ^ Welsh, Oli (February 24, 2017). "A complete history of Nintendo console launches". Eurogamer. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  26. ^ Bonthuys, Darryn (February 14, 2022). "Best GBA Games: Top 25 Game Boy Advance Titles". GameSpot. Archived from the original on December 25, 2022. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  27. ^ "Top 25 Game Boy Advance Games of All Time". IGN. March 16, 2023. Archived from the original on January 20, 2011. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  28. ^ Christie, Connor (2024). "The best GBA games of all time". Pocket Tactics. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  29. ^ Freiberg, Chris (March 21, 2019). "25 Best Game Boy Advance Games". Den of Geek. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  30. ^ Jones, Darran; Gould-Wilson, Jasmine; Betts, Emma-Jane; West, Josh; Bishop, Rollin (January 9, 2025). "The 25 best Game Boy Advance games of all time". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on September 1, 2021. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  31. ^ "Best GBA games: 20 classics we want to play on Nintendo Switch". TechRadar. April 12, 2020. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  32. ^ Satterfield, Shane (June 27, 2001). "QOTW: Which GBA Launch Game Do You Recommend?". GameSpot. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  33. ^ "Top 5 GBA Launch Games". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 146. Ziff Davis. September 2001. p. 38.
  34. ^ "The Top 20 Best-Selling Games of June 2001". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 147. Ziff Davis. October 2001. p. 58. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  35. ^ "The Top 20 Best-Selling Games of August 2001". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 149. Ziff Davis. December 2001. p. 75. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  36. ^ "Interactive | Games - Mobile in 2001". British Academy Film Awards. Archived from the original on March 1, 2016. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  37. ^ "Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences Announces Finalists For The 5th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on June 2, 2002. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
  38. ^ Usul (June 20, 2001). "Test : THPS2 sur GBA : comme sur des roulettes". Gamekult. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  39. ^ Thompson, Matt. "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2". Nintendojo. Archived from the original on November 17, 2006. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  40. ^ Plunkett, Luke (May 6, 2020). "I Still Can't Believe We Got Tony Hawk (And Jet Set Radio) On The Game Boy Advance, And They Ruled". Kotaku. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
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