Tony Hawk's Underground 2

Last updated
Tony Hawk's Underground 2
Tony Hawks Underground 2 PS2.jpg
Developer(s) Neversoft [lower-alpha 1]
Publisher(s) Activision
Producer(s) Dee Brown & Nabil Yared (PC)
Designer(s) Leonel Zuniga (GBA)
Programmer(s) Sylvain Morel (PC)
Writer(s) Rob Hammersley (PS2/Xbox/GC/PC)
Series Tony Hawk's
Platform(s)
ReleaseGameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox
  • NA: October 4, 2004
  • PAL: October 8, 2004
Game Boy Advance, Microsoft Windows
  • NA: October 4, 2004
  • AU: October 8, 2004 (PC) [1]
  • EU: October 15, 2004
  • AU: October 22, 2004 (GBA) [2]
Mobile
  • NA: November 10, 2004 [3]
Genre(s) Sports
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Tony Hawk's Underground 2 is a 2004 skateboarding video game from Activision, the sixth entry in the Tony Hawk's series after Tony Hawk's Underground (2003). It was developed by Neversoft released on October 4, 2004 in the U.S. for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Microsoft Windows, and Game Boy Advance platforms. Mobile phone versions for BREW and J2ME devices was also released, [4] as well as a PlayStation Portable version the following year subtitled Remix , which includes extra levels and characters.

Contents

Tony Hawk's Underground 2 received generally positive reviews, with praise for its gameplay, aesthetics and classic mode, but criticism for its story and lack of innovation.

Gameplay

The gameplay in Underground 2 is similar to that of previous Tony Hawk games: the player skates around in a 3D environment modeled after various cities and attempts to complete various goals. Most goals involve skating on or over various objects or performing combos. Scores are calculated by adding the sum of the point value of each trick strung together in a combo and then multiplying by the number of tricks in the combo. New gameplay features include the Focus ability, which the player may trigger with a full Special gauge to cause time to slow down in order to help keep up their combo (by allowing greater control of their grind balance, for example); the Natas Spin, which can be performed on small surfaces like pillars or fire hydrants; and the Freak Out, which serves as another combo starter by having the player fill a gauge after certain bails, which will result in them angrily disposing of their board before continuing their session. In addition, the Wallplant maneuver was repurposed as the Sticker Slap.

Many levels return from previous games, including an expanded Warehouse (which also serves as the Story Mode's training area), School and Downhill Jam from Tony Hawk's Pro Skater , Canada, Los Angeles and Airport from Pro Skater 3 , and Philadelphia from Pro Skater 2 .

A classic mode was added to Underground 2, which allows players to skate through both new and remade classic levels in the traditional 10-goal, two-minute time limit mode that was present in Pro Skater, Pro Skater 2 and Pro Skater 3, complete with the stat points scattered all around the levels. In classic mode, the player chooses from one or two levels in which to attempt to complete enough goals to advance. All of the "remade" levels are accessible only through "Classic Mode" although once unlocked, it is possible to play them in any mode except Story.

Plot

The protagonist of the first Underground is skating in their neighborhood hometown of New Jersey when Tony Hawk and Bam Margera kidnap them and take them to a dark room with pro skaters Bob Burnquist, Eric Koston, Rodney Mullen, Mike Vallely, Chad Muska, Wee-Man, Paulie "Wheels of Fury" Ryan (a foul-mouthed kid who wears a body cast and drives a high-powered wheelchair) and Eric Sparrow (the protagonist's former friend-turned-rival). Tony and Bam explain their plans for their debut "World Destruction Tour", a worldwide, publicity-free skateboarding tour where two teams (Team Hawk and Team Bam) compete for points; the losing team has to pay for all the expenses. The player joins Team Hawk—Tony, Burnquist, Mullen, Vallely, and Muska—against Team Bam—Bam, Koston, Wee-Man, Ryan, Sparrow, and Phil Margera (team captain and Bam's father).

In Boston, the first leg of the tour, Team Bam manages to win at the last minute, thanks to one of Paulie's stunts. As a result, Burnquist is eliminated via having a tennis ball shot at his genitals. Later on, in Barcelona, Team Hawk manages to take the lead again, but the punishment for Team Bam is to have the player swap teams (in this case, Sparrow moves from Team Bam to Team Hawk and the player doing the opposite), much to Bam's relief and Tony's annoyance. At that time though, word has spread out about the World Destruction Tour, which was supposed to be a low-profile event but now is appearing on TV news because of a video of Bam and Koston letting a bull trash Phil's room.

The player and Sparrow swap back after Berlin. At that moment, an underground film "writer, producer, director" by the name of Nigel Beaverhausen wishes to bring the tour to the public but instead winds up being humiliated by Tony and Bam. After causing chaos in Bangkok (the skaters were en route to Australia, though Muska suggested stopping in Thailand), the tour lands in Australia. At the end of the leg, the player is supposed to be eliminated by being stripped down to their underwear and hit by mousetraps launched at them, but due to Mullen spotting a mathematical error in Team Hawk's points, the player has to compete with Sparrow—the loser will be eliminated from the tour.

The group ponders what to do when a skater kid arrives and shows them a video of the tour, created by Beaverhausen. Tony decides that whoever humiliates Beaverhausen will stay on the tour. Sparrow manages to steal his clothes but the player, with Nigel's clothes, goes off causing a rampage on Australian citizens, framing Beaverhausen; Sparrow is eliminated as a result.

At the end of the New Orleans leg, Nigel reveals that he filmed the whole tour, even before he met Tony and Bam in Berlin. Nigel proposes that if he is allowed to film the whole tour, he will pay for all the damages of the tour, which Tony and Bam accept after seeing the long damage bill (which stands at $21,117,551.84). Team Hawk performs a death-defying stunt called the "Equalizer" to tie up with Team Bam and is successful, but team members Vallely, Muska, and Mullen are arrested by the cops for stealing the helicopter used for the stunt, leaving the player and Tony for the final leg of the Tour: Skatopia, defined by Tony as "the skateboarding Mecca".

Team Hawk, though reduced to two members, performs well enough to win. Confident on his victory, Bam decides to blow up Skatopia. In order to save people from the imminent damage, Tony evacuates the skaters and animals. Bam dares the player, who is still stuck in the back end of Skatopia, to exit the flaming park in a combo, which he considers impossible. The player takes the dare and secures the World Destruction Tour win for Team Hawk. Nigel wants Bam to give him the tape of the tour, which shows Phil in the toilet, shouting to his wife for more toilet paper. The tour ends with Bam and Tony humiliating Nigel once more, as Bam pulls down his pants on international TV.

During the credits, it is revealed that Tony and Bam have been officially banned from returning to all locations on the tour (even Thailand). Upon hearing the news, they reply, "Hey, good call".

Development

A sequel to Underground was announced in January 2004. [5] During development, developer Neversoft sent its members to locations featured in-game in order to get more acquainted with the areas. [6]

Reception

The game received generally positive reviews from critics, with GameRankings scores ranging from 70% to 86% and Metacritic scores from 70% to 85%. It was nominated to be part of the Smithsonian's "The Art of Video Games" display for the PlayStation 2 section under the Action genre, but lost to Shadow of the Colossus . [25] It received runner-up positions in GameSpot's 2004 "Best Alternative Sports Game" and "Best Licensed Music" award categories across all platforms. [26]

The plot received mixed comments. Douglass C. Perry of IGN found the plot to be less "endearing" than Underground's, and while he enjoyed the story mode's gameplay, other staff at IGN did not, opting instead for the Classic mode. [24] A reviewer from GameSpot enjoyed the story mode, but felt it was too short. [23] In contrast, Tom Bramwell from Eurogamer felt there were plenty of levels, and saw the plot as enjoyable and unintrusive, if unintelligent. [21] Ben Silverman of Game Revolution also thought the campaign was noticeably short, but also that "that's actually a blessing, though, because the plot and cut-scenes are pretty lame". [22] Perry enjoyed the level design, but noted some slowdown in the levels due to their size. [24]

Some critics noted that the gameplay had not been significantly upgraded from Underground. Silverman and Perry were unimpressed with the short selection of moves introduced in Underground 2. [22] [24] GameSpot agreed, but concluded that "while not all of these changes are all that great, the core gameplay in THUG2 is still very strong". [23] In contrast, Bramwell felt that the Sticker Slap and additional flip and grab tricks were meaningful, enjoyable additions. [21] The addition of Classic mode was praised by 1UP.com, who considered it superior to the story mode in terms of levels, while adding "the gamers weaned on PS1 Hawks will shed a tear, while newer fans will get a lesson on how things started". [18]

The aesthetics were generally well-received. Perry praised the aesthetics, which he described as more cartoony, especially in the pro skater models, than those of previous Tony Hawk's games. Regarding the sound, he praised both the sound effects and the music. [24] Silverman particularly commended the soundtrack's variety for including songs outside the traditional skating genres of punk, rock, and hip hop (namely Frank Sinatra's "That's Life" and Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire"). [22] Conversely, Bramwell greatly disliked the soundtrack, although he admitted it suited its purpose of accompanying skateboarding and also found the graphical upgrades to be minor and noted frequent issues with slowdown. [21]

During the 8th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences awarded Tony Hawk's Underground 2 with "Console Action Sports Game of the Year", along with a nomination for "Outstanding Achievement in Soundtrack". [27]

THUG Pro

THUG Pro (Tony Hawk's Underground: Pro) is a community-made mod of Underground 2. The mod's concept is to use Underground 2's game mechanics in every level from every Neversoft game in the Tony Hawk's series for use in single-player and online multiplayer gameplay. The mod is in beta status, under current development, and has been continuously updated since its initial beta release in 2013. [28]

Notes

  1. ↑ Ported to Microsoft Windows by Beenox and ported to Game Boy Advance by Vicarious Visions.

Related Research Articles

<i>Tony Hawks Pro Skater</i> 1999 video game

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, released as Tony Hawk's Skateboarding in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and parts of Europe, is a 1999 skateboarding video game developed by Neversoft and published by Activision. It is the first installment in the Tony Hawk's series. It was released for the PlayStation on September 29, 1999 and was later ported to the Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color, Dreamcast, and N-Gage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neversoft</span> American video game developer

Neversoft Entertainment, Inc. was an American video game developer based in Woodland Hills, California. The studio was founded by Joel Jewett, Mick West and Chris Ward in July 1994 and was acquired by Activision in October 1999. Initially, the studio worked with Playmates Toys, where they worked on the game Skeleton Warriors, which was based on a animated television series of the same name. Throughout 1996, the studio grew, and worked on projects with Crystal Dynamics and Sony Computer Entertainment, but due to internal conflicts, they were cancelled.

<i>Tony Hawks Underground</i> 2003 video game

Tony Hawk's Underground is a 2003 skateboarding video game and the fifth entry in the Tony Hawk's series, following Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4. It was developed by Neversoft and published by Activision for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Game Boy Advance. In 2004, it was published for Windows in Australia and New Zealand as a budget release.

<i>Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2</i> 2000 video game

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 is a 2000 skateboarding video game developed by Neversoft for PlayStation, Vicarious Visions for Game Boy Advance, and Natsume for Game Boy Color. Published by Activision, it is the second installment in the Tony Hawk's series of sports games, and was released for the PlayStation in 2000, with subsequent ports to Windows and Dreamcast alongside a distinct version for Game Boy Color the same year. In 2001, the game was ported to Mac OS, Mac OS X, Nintendo 64, and Xbox, alongside a separate version for Game Boy Advance. The game was later ported to Windows Mobile and Windows Phone devices in 2006 and to iPhone OS devices in 2010.

<i>Tony Hawks Pro Skater 4</i> 2002 video game

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 is a 2002 skateboarding game developed by Neversoft and published by Activision under their Activision O2 label. The game was ported by different developers to various systems. It is the fourth installment in the Tony Hawk's series. The game was released in 2002 for the GameCube, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Game Boy Advance. In 2003, it was released for Windows and Mac OS X by developer Beenox and publisher Aspyr. In 2004, a Tapwave Zodiac version was released.

<i>Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3</i> 2001 video game

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 is a 2001 skateboarding video game and the third installment in the Tony Hawk's series. It was published by Activision under the Activision O2 label in 2001 for the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Color and GameCube. In 2002, it was published for the Xbox, Game Boy Advance, Windows, Mac OS, and the Nintendo 64. It was the final official release for the Nintendo 64, the first game released for the PlayStation 2 supporting online play and was a launch title for the GameCube in North America and PAL regions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skatopia</span> Skatepark in Meigs County, Ohio, U.S.

Skatopia is an 88-acre (36 ha) skatepark near Rutland, Ohio, United States, owned and operated by pro skater Brewce Martin. Skatopia is known for its anarchist atmosphere and annual music festivals Bowl Bash and Backwoods Blowout. It was described by one writer as "a demented mess that meets halfway between an anarchistic Mad Maxian Thunderdome and a utopian skateboard society."

<i>Tony Hawks American Wasteland</i> 2005 video game

Tony Hawk's American Wasteland is a 2005 skateboarding video game developed by Neversoft and published by Activision. It is the seventh entry in the Tony Hawk's series and was released initially for the GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox in 2005 in North America on October 18 and October 28 in Europe, with several ports for other systems released later.

<i>Aggressive Inline</i> (video game) 2002 video game

Aggressive Inline is a 2002 sports video game developed by Z-Axis and published by AKA Acclaim. The game simulates aggressive inline skating, with players completing tricks and objectives in open-ended levels. The game was released in North America for the PlayStation 2 on May 29, 2002, followed by GameCube and Xbox versions in August. A Game Boy Advance version was released by Full Fat in August 2002. The developers of Aggressive Inline aimed to innovate upon the formula of the Tony Hawk's series of extreme sports games, building on the engine and tools of the developer's previous title, Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2. The developers experimented with gameplay features, including the inclusion of open-ended level design and greater environmental interaction, an organic skill progression system, and the removal of fixed time limits, many of which had not been implemented in an extreme sports game before.

<i>Tony Hawks Downhill Jam</i> 2006 video game

Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam is a skateboarding video game in the Tony Hawk's series. The game, named after the level "Downhill Jam" from Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, was published by Activision in 2006 as a timed Nintendo exclusive for the Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance, and Wii. In 2007, it was published for the PlayStation 2. It is a spin-off in which accompanies the release of Tony Hawk's Project 8, which is conversely available on non-Nintendo systems.

<i>Tony Hawks Project 8</i> 2006 video game

Tony Hawk's Project 8 is a 2006 skateboarding video game and the eighth installment in the Tony Hawk's series. It was developed by Neversoft and published by Activision in November 2006 for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Portable. The game complements the release of Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam, which was conversely available on Nintendo systems along with the PlayStation 2 respectively. It received mostly positive reviews. With praise towards the "Nail the Trick" feature and graphics, while the removal of several key features and the absence of online functionality across all three PlayStation versions were criticized.

<i>Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2x</i> 2001 video game

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2x is a 2001 skateboarding video game in the Tony Hawk's series. Developed in a collaboration between Neversoft and Treyarch, and published by Activision under the Activision O2 label, Pro Skater 2x is a re-release featuring the 19 levels from Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and Pro Skater 2, as well as five original levels. Some elements from the then-recently released Pro Skater 3 were included, along with other new features. It was released in North America for Xbox on November 15, 2001 as a launch title for the system.

Tony Hawk's is a series of skateboarding video games published by Activision and endorsed by the American professional skateboarder Tony Hawk. From 1999 to 2007, the series was primarily developed for home consoles by Neversoft with generally annual releases. In 2008, Activision transferred the franchise to Robomodo, which released several additions before Activision and Hawk's license expired in 2015, leaving the future of the series uncertain. In 2020, the series returned under Activision with a remake of the original two games in the series developed by Vicarious Visions.

<i>Tony Hawks Pro Skater 5</i> 2015 video game

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 is a 2015 skateboarding video game developed in a collaboration between Robomodo and Disruptive Games, and published by Activision. The tenth main installment in the Tony Hawk's series, the game is the first new title in the main series since 2007's Proving Ground and the first Pro Skater since 2002's Pro Skater 4, as the series had been put on hold following a lack of critical and commercial success with later games.

<i>Tony Hawks Proving Ground</i> 2007 video game

Tony Hawk's Proving Ground is a 2007 skateboarding video game developed by Neversoft for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, Vicarious Visions for the Nintendo DS, and by Page 44 Studios for the PlayStation 2 and Wii. Proving Ground is the ninth installment in the Tony Hawk's series, and the last to be developed by Neversoft as the franchise was then transferred to Robomodo, and Neversoft was later shutdown after being merged into Infinity Ward in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Koston</span> American professional skateboarder

Eric Koston is an American professional skateboarder and company owner. He has been featured in the Tony Hawk's video game series and the Electronic Arts (EA) video games Skate 2 and Skate 3.

<i>Tony Hawks Underground 2: Remix</i> 2005 video game

Tony Hawk's Underground 2: Remix is a skateboarding video game in the Tony Hawk's series. The game, developed by Neversoft and Shaba Games and published by Activision, was released on March 24, 2005, as a launch title for the PlayStation Portable. Primarily a port of its console counterpart, the game featured a different progression, with four exclusive levels, exclusive characters, and new cutscenes. "Create-a-Park" was notably absent in the game, with some graphics and other aspects toned-down from the console version.

<i>Tony Hawks Pro Skater HD</i> 2012 video game

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD is a 2012 skateboarding video game in the Tony Hawk's series. Developed by Robomodo and published by Activision, Pro Skater HD is a high-definition remake of classic levels from Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, Pro Skater 2, and, via download, Pro Skater 3. It was released in 2012 for Xbox 360 through Xbox Live Arcade on July 18, for PlayStation 3 through PlayStation Network on August 28 and Steam on September 18. The game was delisted from Steam and all other digital marketplaces on July 17, 2017.

THUG Pro is a total conversion mod of the 2004 video game Tony Hawk's Underground 2. It uses its gameplay as the basis for an all-encompassing collection of levels from every original Neversoft game in the series, for use in single-player and online multiplayer gameplay.

<i>Tony Hawks Pro Skater 1 + 2</i> 2020 video game

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 is a 2020 skateboarding video game developed by Vicarious Visions and published by Activision. It was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on September 4, 2020, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on March 26, 2021, and Nintendo Switch on June 25 of the same year. It is a remake of the first two games in the Tony Hawk's series: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater (1999) and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 (2000), which were originally developed by Neversoft. It is the first major console game in the series since Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 (2015) and is Vicarious Visions' final work as a subsidiary of Activision before it was merged into Blizzard Entertainment on January 22, 2021.

References

  1. ↑ "Tony Hawk's Underground 2: World Destruction Tour PC". Games Market. Archived from the original on October 19, 2004. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  2. ↑ van Leuveren, Luke (October 17, 2004). "Updated Australian Release List - 17/10/04". PALGN. PAL Gaming Network. Archived from the original on September 10, 2006. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Q&A for Mobile". GameFAQs .
  4. ↑ "2004 - Tony Hawk's Underground 2 - Planet Tony Hawk". GameSpy . Retrieved 2024-10-08.
  5. ↑ Perry, Douglass C. (2004-01-30). "Activision Reveals THUG 2, 34% Revenue Increase". IGN. Retrieved 2020-12-31.
  6. ↑ Perry, Douglass C. (2004-09-10). "Neversoft Interview". IGN. Retrieved 2014-12-29.
  7. ↑ "Tony Hawk's Underground 2 for PS2". GameRankings . Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  8. ↑ "Tony Hawk's Underground 2 for GC". GameRankings . Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  9. ↑ "Tony Hawk's Underground 2 for Xbox". GameRankings . Retrieved 2012-12-10.
  10. ↑ "Tony Hawk's Underground 2 for GBA". GameRankings . Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  11. ↑ "Tony Hawk's Underground 2 for PC". GameRankings . Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  12. ↑ "Tony Hawk's Underground 2 for PS2". Metacritic . Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  13. ↑ "Tony Hawk's Underground 2 for Xbox". Metacritic . Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  14. ↑ "Tony Hawk's Underground 2 for the Game Boy Advance". Metacritic . Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Tony Hawk's Underground 2 for the GameCube". Metacritic . Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Tony Hawk's Underground 2 for PC". Metacritic . Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  17. ↑ "Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Review for PC". 1UP.com . January 15, 2005. Archived from the original on March 18, 2015. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  18. 1 2 "Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Review for Xbox". 1UP.com . October 29, 2004. Archived from the original on March 18, 2015. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  19. ↑ Smith, David (October 3, 2004). "Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Review for PS2". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on March 18, 2015. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  20. ↑ "Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Review for GC". 1UP.com . November 1, 2004. Archived from the original on March 1, 2013. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  21. 1 2 3 4 Bramwell, Tom (August 10, 2004). "Tony Hawk's Underground 2". Eurogamer . Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  22. 1 2 3 4 Silverman, Ben (October 21, 2014). "Tony Hawk's Underground 2". Game Revolution . Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  23. 1 2 3 Gerstmann, Jeff (October 4, 2004). "Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Review". GameSpot . Archived from the original on March 4, 2009. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 Perry, Douglass C. (October 8, 2004). "Tony Hawk's Underground 2". IGN . Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  25. ↑ "The Art of Video Games Exhibition Checklist" (PDF). The Art of Video Games. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 12, 2012. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  26. ↑ "Best and Worst of 2004". GameSpot . January 5, 2005. Archived from the original on March 7, 2005.
  27. ↑ "D.I.C.E. Awards By Video Game Details Tony Hawk's Underground 2". interactive.org. Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences . Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  28. ↑ Hester, Blake (Jan 25, 2018). "Tony Hawk Pro Skater Fans Are Keeping the Series Alive with Mods". Vice. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.