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aurahack

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30 Days of Gaming : Day 13

By aurahack 11 Comments

Apologies for the day-late update. D: Turns out that going to pick up my lady companion from work, go to the grocery store, come back, watch a documentary and then play GTA with my friend online takes up far more time than I thought it would because before I knew it, it was like, 2 AM.  
 
But with that said, we march on with today's update! :D 
 

No Caption Provided

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2

Dude, back then, these graphics were the shit. 
Dude, back then, these graphics were the shit. 
If you've ever visited the wiki page for THPS 2, you'd probably have guessed that this might of been a contender for the category. ... Granted, you wouldn't really need to guess all that much considering I put the cover art right there in the banner-- but that's besides the point. The point I'm trying to make is that I might of played Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2, as well as the first and other subsequent sequels, a lot. And by a lot, I mean to exhaustion.  
 
The Tony Hawk series is probably the biggest landmark of my childhood. It got me into playing videogames to completion, into getting a lot better at games (say what you will, but some of the challenges in that series are fucked) and into a lot of music that I normally wouldn't of been exposed to. It also got me into skateboarding, which had a pretty serious influence on me and more-than-helped craft the person I am today. The way I dress, the way I act, the way I don't do sports other than skateboarding and snowboarding... It sounds silly but... I owe a lot to the sport and even more-so to the game. 
 
I could of picked either 1, 3 or THUG since I've played all of those to death as well, but I picked 2 because that... that was it, man. Everything I wrote above, this is the game that made it all click. I don't remember when I got the game or how I got it-- it's like a dream, where all I can remember is being into it far after it began. Sitting in front of that shitty Mitsubishi TV we had the PS1 hooked up to and beating the living shit out the game. Goals, cash, stats... everything. It was like a mission to me and I loved every god-damned second of it. 
 
I also, unfortunately, own a copy of it on GBC. It is not good. At all.
I also, unfortunately, own a copy of it on GBC. It is not good. At all.
And the bummer in all this? THPS2 has some terrific outtakes and behind-the-scenes videos that you unlock by finding all the gaps and ... well, beating the game to absolute completion. There's some seriously funny stuff in there (like seeing the Neversoft dudes bail on skateboards) but the most heart-wrenching ones to watch are those with scenes of them making the game. It's them just having a fucking blast with making it. You can tell that those dudes had a love for the sport that was unmatched by anyone else on the face of the earth and it's that energy that made the series so fucking incredible. From the first one all the way to Underground, Neversoft embodied the sport in digital form in every possible facet, from the dangers and risks to the spirit and attitude. Watching that footage makes you realize that type of development is a relic of a time gone by but, man, I guarantee you that if you get a couple of those guys together again and have them work on an indie-sized project, you'd get the same amount of creativity and expression that the series has when it started. 
 
... ugh. Seriously harshing my groove over here. If you've never played the THPS series, find a copy of 1 or 2 on the PS1 and see what a game with heart and enthusiasm for it's subject is. You owe it to yourself if you like games. 
 

Days of Gaming Recap!

Feb 13th, 2011 - Day 1: Your Very First Videogame
Feb 14th, 2011 - Day 2: Your Favorite Character 
Feb 15th, 2011 - Day 3: A Game That Is Underrated   
Feb 16th, 2011 - Day 4: Your Guilty-Pleasure Game     
Feb 17th, 2011 - Day 5: Game Character You Wish You Were  
Feb 18th, 2011 - Day 6: Most Annoying Character
Feb 19th, 2011 - Day 7: Favorite Game Couple    
Feb 20th, 2011 - Day 8: Best Soundtrack  
Feb 23rd, 2011 - Day 9: Saddest Game Scene  
Feb 26th, 2011 - Day 10: Best Gameplay (Part 1)  
March 11th, 2011 - Day 10: Best Gameplay (Part 2)    
March 12th, 2011 - Day 11: Gaming System of Choice    
March 13th, 2011 - Day 12: Game Everyone Should Play
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