Game Three: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2X (2001)
The gaming equivalent of a compilation CD featuring enhanced versions of songs seen in previous albums but with some new material added, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2X took the content seen in the first two Pro Skater games and then garnished it with some complementary morsels. The enhancements included improved visuals, a balance meter to assist you when grinding, and some other neat additions. This was on top of the fact that you were getting the full nineteen levels of the first two Pro Skater games plus five more all new levels. If you were a US-based Tony Hawk fan and had an original generation Xbox, this game would have been a decent purchase.
A game can look good aesthetically but if the gameplay within doesn’t deliver then the experience is inevitably compromised. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2X retains that well regarded gameplay seen in the first two Pro Skater games. In order to progress, objectives include things like successfully performing tricks, getting a certain amount of points, doing certain tricks in a certain way, and collecting letters scattered around the in-game environments. Points mean prizes, so you can spend those points on upgrading your in-game character. Unlockables include new skateboards, levels, and hidden characters, so there’s a lot to keep you immersed and engrossed.
An original launch title for the Xbox from 2001, Pro Skater 2X may have become a tad redundant in more recent months, given that you can now get two much more modern remastered versions of the first two Pro Skater games. Those remastering’s also have the benefit of nineteen years of technological advancement and refinements. Despite this, you may like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2X if you are based in the US, own an early Xbox, and the price is right.
Words by James Gillespie
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