This is an ongoing list where I attempt to do the following: Play, Complete, and Rank every video game in the known universe in order to finally answer the age old question "What is the greatest game of all time?" For previous entries find the links on the attached spreadsheet.

How did I do?

Growing up, I was a big fan of Tony Hawk's video games. I remember having the demo of the first game and playing it ad nauseum trying over and over to beat my previous score. When the game finally came out, I played it over and over again, making sure I leveled up every character to its max, learning their moves and then feebly attempting to take up skateboarding in real life.

Skip forward to Tony Hawk 2 and I found my obsession just as strong, I bought it on both the Dreamcast and the N64, played through it multiple times and created parks with the thoughts that some day my friends would come over and marvel at what I made (they didn't care).

After Tony Hawk 2, I fell off hard. I occasionally checked in on the series, but I didn't buy another Tony Hawk game. I realized I could rent them and it was enough for me to get everything out of them. So, when the re-master came out for the first two games I was psyched to play through games I remember so well. Enough time had passed and these were the two games I actually had nostalgia for.

I watched Jeff play it on day 1, I talked to my brother who pre-ordered the game as well and got his input. It took every fiber in my body to not buy this game that weekend, but I was in the middle of playing other games I was enjoying and was confident that I could pick it up when I was done with those games. Well, a weekend turned into a year later when I finally got the game, but now I could get addicted all over again.

For those unaware, this is a skateboarding game, but not a simulation but rather an arcadey skateboarding game. You pick your skater, go from level to level accomplishing goals in short 2 minute runs. Some goals are simply hitting certain score thresholds, while others might be more targeted, like doing certain tricks, or collecting items. In addition to goal levels are levels where you are actually in a more traditional skate contest. You have 3 heats where you do your best to skate, land tricks, and avoid falling down in an effort to beat other skaters you don't see.

Each skater has a slew of attributes that you can point points into to improve your skater, and they all start off at slightly different levels. Want your skater to be better at spinning, or jumping higher you can focus your points into those categories. Should you get every stat point across both games, you can max your skater out and feel like a skate god. Some goals require you to be able to jump higher, or hit longer gaps, which means you might need to skip them and double back when you have more attributes to either clear a goal or get another pick-up.

I actually think this point goes into my biggest critique of the game. Before I get into that, I do know that these are faithful recreations of games 20 years old at this point, but it won't change my critique. My biggest issue with the game is how all of the characters end up not only feeling the same but get upgraded in the same way every-time you play the game. The game has a large stable of skaters, who all skate slightly different styles in real life. Some are better at street, some are vert, some are great at grinding rails, and some are great at getting big air, but when all is said and done they all play the same. Tony Hawk plays exactly the same as Rodney Mullen, who plays the same as your created skater. You might notice a difference in the first level you play as them, but ultimately they all round into the same character, which makes them less unique and just boring. In addition to this, if you want to avoid going back for missing goals, you will need to always upgrade your characters in the order of air, speed, and hangtime, before any other attribute. The reason for that is that when you play the downtown level in TH 1, you need to be able to hit the three rooftop gaps, collect the popcorn tubs, and get the hidden tape, all require big jumps that you wont make with lower stats.

Now technically you can redistribute stats between runs or even levels, but I don't know who would want that level of micromanagement, between runs or levels. Nearly all of the goals also focus on those stats, you never need to upgrade lip trick balance, because no goal needs it. You really don't need spin, manual balance, or switch either. Yes, those all help keep combos going, getting better scores, but realistically the goals are all big jump focused, so if your true aim is just to beat the game, you can easily prioritize each stat in order of importance which means every character gets upgraded in the same order.

I love RPGs and games where I get to distribute stats, or skill trees. In every one of those games, the dream is eventually to max out, or get all the skills, but the good games know that preventing a full max is better for the game. It makes the player make choices and feel connected to their character, it gives the game replay value, as you can spec in different directions. I would have loved if THPS would have just stopped 3-4 stat points from full, just so you can create some difference between characters. But that underlines a different design decision, and that would be to have multiple paths to getting the goals. If we could truly have a character that doesn't have max air, how can they get the gaps in the example above?

I'm arguing about a 20 year old design at this point, but playing the remake made me realize how far we came in some game development. The remake is a really solid game. It has all the great music you remember from the originals, it has a nice big cast of characters from both old skaters and new skaters. It has a robust checklist for doing more than just what the stated goals are for each level. There are character specific goals to shoot for, or level goals and gap goals. The remake gives you a reason to play through levels more than just what is told to you. I might argue to what end, outside of a new decal or equipment for your custom skater, but for people wanting to perfect runs or master a level these things exist for them.

While the games are very different, I think back to the game I completed before this one. Griftlands had 3 playable characters and I felt the need to really dive into each character and play through their stories and see how each character differed and how my strategy would change when approached with new cards or abilities. In THPS when given the option to play as 1 of 15 different characters I was ok, walking away with beating the game twice. There is no difference in how the characters play, my strategy will never change whether I am Kareem Campbell or Chad Muska. To some that might be a benefit rather than a burden, knowing you can play as anyone and compete the same, but for me it means I don't need to complete the game with other characters because I have already done so, and they will bring nothing new to the table.

I think back to my time with the original games, and how I could sit down in a long afternoon and beat an entire character and still want to play more the next day. Now, I think I might re-visit the game a year or more and play through as a different character and then put the game down again, but knowing I will never max all characters, and part of it bums me out. Unlike everyone else that I have heard talk, I don't want anyone to remake more THPS games, not as DLC or separate games. They remade the best two games, and put a ton or work into it to make the game really fun, but if we are just doing super faithful remasters without re-examining what we can improve upon in 20 years, then I think there are going to be some diminishing returns.

Is this the greatest game of all time?: No

Where does it rank: I know my writing sounded negative as a whole, but I did enjoy the game, just not nearly as much as I was expecting given everyone's glowing reviews and my fondness for the originals. It ranks as #21 out of 67 games. It sits above WCW/NWO Revenge, and below "That's You!" which I am sure will be blasphemous.

Up Next: Two indie games: Tiny Lands and Journey of the Broken Circle

Anyone looking for it: here is the link to the list and more if you are interested in following along with me (this is not a self promotion). Here. I added links on the spreadsheet for quick navigation. Now if you missed a blog of a game you want to read about, you can get to it quickly, rather than having to scroll through my previous blogs wondering when it came up.

Thanks for Listening.