Zach_Archer
2 reviews liked by Zach_Archer
Effectively unplayable on GameCube controls (the weather balloon mission in Skatopia feels impossible with them), but otherwise this perfectly balances the crisp THPS skateboarding formula and the 2000s obsession with the most raw, foul, despicable sense of stupidity. A vast improvement on its predecessor in arguably every way. If I have any complaint it's that while I do love the rapid-fire, go-at-your-own-pace mission structure here - it also lends itself to being able to crank out this entire game on multiple difficulties in just a few hours. That's barely even a gripe though, considering that I've put countless hours into this over two decades' time and would gladly replay it again in its entirety at a moment's notice. Some of the tightest levels in the whole series, God-tier soundtrack, murders row of secret skaters (including you know who), and an excellent amount of Bam Margera. Classic mode essentially doubles the size of the game, with equally ripper levels to boot. I'm also a massive Jackass fan, so I have zero complaints about this story feeling like a thinly-veiled extension of it. The carefree atmosphere this thing spins is one hell of a tonic, and I doubt it will ever, ever get old.
Top 50 Favorites: #48
The perfect Tony Hawk experience, one last beautiful swan song to a revolutionary video game series before immediately crippling in quality for over 15 years. Takes a snapshot of the mid-00s carefree punk surface without wallowing in the actual ugly filth of it - providing some of the most evocative, sumptuous levels in the entire franchise (nothing beats busting tricks on the Santa Monica pier by the seaside Ferris wheel while "What's Up Fatlip?" plays real chill in the background). Texturally almost dreamlike, wrapped up in an enchanting haze and sure the 'open world' is connected by loosely-disguised loading areas but the combos you can crank out between each of them are unreal and feel great to pull off. The progression system feels nuanced by the series' standards, the customization is rock-solid, I still think the story rules way more than it has any right to - with no shortage of lovable characters, endless quotables, and engaging narrative beats. Then it just goes and has one of the most fucking elite, top five in ALL of gaming soundtracks ever conceived - partially comprised of covers of classic punk songs by then-current bands specifically for this game, which all surpass the originals imo; along with top-tier bangers like "Unconditional", "Like Eating Glass", "Holiday"... oh man, it snaps right to the game's world like a fucking magnet - creating this unstoppable energy that's impossible to defeat. I don't care how many dozens of times I replay this, it just never ages on me - one of the best games of the 2000s. Period.
The perfect Tony Hawk experience, one last beautiful swan song to a revolutionary video game series before immediately crippling in quality for over 15 years. Takes a snapshot of the mid-00s carefree punk surface without wallowing in the actual ugly filth of it - providing some of the most evocative, sumptuous levels in the entire franchise (nothing beats busting tricks on the Santa Monica pier by the seaside Ferris wheel while "What's Up Fatlip?" plays real chill in the background). Texturally almost dreamlike, wrapped up in an enchanting haze and sure the 'open world' is connected by loosely-disguised loading areas but the combos you can crank out between each of them are unreal and feel great to pull off. The progression system feels nuanced by the series' standards, the customization is rock-solid, I still think the story rules way more than it has any right to - with no shortage of lovable characters, endless quotables, and engaging narrative beats. Then it just goes and has one of the most fucking elite, top five in ALL of gaming soundtracks ever conceived - partially comprised of covers of classic punk songs by then-current bands specifically for this game, which all surpass the originals imo; along with top-tier bangers like "Unconditional", "Like Eating Glass", "Holiday"... oh man, it snaps right to the game's world like a fucking magnet - creating this unstoppable energy that's impossible to defeat. I don't care how many dozens of times I replay this, it just never ages on me - one of the best games of the 2000s. Period.