A port of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater
This is the first handheld version of Tony Hawk's popular skateboarding game. It bears little resemblance to the original Playstation version. It is composed of two events: a half pipe and a race mode. Half pipe mode is viewed from a side perspective, similar to the classic Skate or Die game. You perform tricks to achieve a high score. Race mode is viewed from a top-down perspective, where you aim to perform tricks and get to the end quickly.
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Tony Hawk's Pro Skater on the Game Boy Color is a valiant attempt at translating the console hit to a handheld format. While the graphics are surprisingly decent and the soundtrack holds up, the simplified controls and smaller levels limit the experience. It offers a burst of nostalgic fun for old-school fans, but ultimately falls short of capturing the full essence of the series' iconic gameplay.
Turns out, this is secretly a Downhill Jam prequel.
It shouldn't surprise anyone that THPS on Game Boy would be a completely different experience, but I was still taken aback at just how different it is. The core gameplay of completing objectives across sprawling maps is nowhere to be found; instead you've got a Half-Pipe mode and races. The controls are extremely limited, so don't expect to be pulling off massive combos here. In the races (playable as player vs. a single cpu or in "Tournament Mode"), you'll tap up on the D-Pad to accelerate, trying to reach the end first while collecting Skate points and Tapes for bonuses. If you do a trick after going off a ramp, there's no animation. Instead, the game pauses and cuts to a little splash image of the trick you performed.
Radical.
Half-Pipe Mode looks a little better in terms of animations, but it's still awfully basic. Going back and forth while limited to one trick per jump won't scratch the THPS itch for anyone. The game as a whole feels awfully light on content for a Tony Hawk title, but it honestly makes sense as a basic Game Boy skating game.
It shouldn't surprise anyone that THPS on Game Boy would be a completely different experience, but I was still taken aback at just how different it is. The core gameplay of completing objectives across sprawling maps is nowhere to be found; instead you've got a Half-Pipe mode and races. The controls are extremely limited, so don't expect to be pulling off massive combos here. In the races (playable as player vs. a single cpu or in "Tournament Mode"), you'll tap up on the D-Pad to accelerate, trying to reach the end first while collecting Skate points and Tapes for bonuses. If you do a trick after going off a ramp, there's no animation. Instead, the game pauses and cuts to a little splash image of the trick you performed.
Radical.
Half-Pipe Mode looks a little better in terms of animations, but it's still awfully basic. Going back and forth while limited to one trick per jump won't scratch the THPS itch for anyone. The game as a whole feels awfully light on content for a Tony Hawk title, but it honestly makes sense as a basic Game Boy skating game.