Tony Hawk's Underground (PS2)

The idea this time round is that you start off on the streets with nothing but your board to keep you company. Start skating around, pulling off tricks and sooner or later you'll be spotted; then you start to make your way up the boarding world. That's easier said than done, of course, with a bigger selection of tricks to learn and pull off. The upshot though is that the game presents a high quality, long-term challenge as you slowly make your way to the top.

Something that doesn't work quite as well is the ability to pick up your board and explore on foot. It's theoretically supposed to make things more flexible, but ultimately accounts for the game's few slower moments. However, ultimately Tony Hawk's Underground works spectacularly well. Its gameplay is sublime, the multi-player modes are dangerously addictive and it scores immensely in the value for money stakes too. Easily one of the most playable games on any console out there, it holds appeal for gamers at all levels of experience. --Simon Brew

JJ 16


The Ultimate Skating Experience   May 15, 2005
William Lawson (Near Didcot, Oxon United Kingdom)
Tony Hawks Underground is definetely the best in the series. It now has a kind of storyline instead of just completing levels. You are this unknown skater punk who you can customise at the start of the game. The game's all about taking your skater to the top. At one point in the game, when you've stepped up a level, you get offered the chance to be in one of the skateboarding teams (birdhouse, element, etc.). During the game you hang around with one of your local skater friends who is also trying to make it to the top. This game has cool graphics, a great storyline, and most importantly, has all the skateboarding realism you could want. I have also played on Tony Hawks Underground 2, but disappointingly I don't think it's as good because there isn't much realism and it goes far too far over the top with everything so I'd just stick with the prequel. Tony Hawk's Underground really is the ultimate skating experience


Buy this or have a deprived life   June 27, 2004
David Russell (Newton Mearns, Scotland)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

I bought Tony Hawks 3 at about the same time as my PS2, and then my sister bought Tony Hawks 4 (for GC). Both were fairly good, but too difficult for my liking. Underground fixes all ails. First of all, even on Sick difficulty it is not as hard as Tony Hawks 3 Easy difficulty. The single player mode is no longer a 'go around doing pointless goals that mean nothing' affair, instead you actually have a storyline (basic though it is) to work through, and the obligatory videogame Genuinely Evil Badguy makes an appearance. Put simply, this is one of the best games on PS2, or on any console for that matter. Whichever console you have, you should own a copy of this for it.


Tony Hawk's Underground - Best Skate Game In The Series   May 19, 2004
3 out of 4 found this review helpful

Tony Hawk's Underground is the best game is the 'Tony Hawk's Pro Skater' Series. With months of fun, it is one of the best games i have bought, period. The story mode offers fun and adventure with your back-stabbing friend Eric Sparrow. Although, there is ONE thing to complain about about this game. Once story mode is completed on all 4 difficulties, the game is incredicbly boring. The 1-player version is really boring because there is nothing to do. And in 2-player, your stats that you worked hard for are lowered. For example, if your grinds are near perfect in story mode, you play 2-player and fall off the grind in about 2 seconds.
That is the only complaint i have about this game. Other than that, it is an all-round entertainer. You can run, walk, drive, skitch (on the back of cars), and, of course, skate. I strongly recommened this game, even if you are not a big skating fan. The create-a-player is great fun too.