Developer(s) Treyarch
Neversoft Series Tony Hawk's Release NA: November 15, 2001 | Publisher(s) Activision O2 Platform(s) Xbox Genre(s) Sports | |
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2x is a skateboarding video game in the Tony Hawk's series of skateboarding games. The game, developed by Treyarch and Neversoft, and published by Activision, is a high-definition re-release featuring the 19 levels from Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and Pro Skater 2, as well as five levels exclusive to the game. Some elements from then-recently released Pro Skater 3 were included, along with other new features. It was released for Xbox on November 15, 2001 as a launch title for the system.
Contents
Gameplay
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2x is a skateboarding video game, with an arcade-style emphasis with regard to realism. The objective is to score points by successfully completing various skateboarding tricks such as grinds, flip tricks, and aerials. Performing several moves in succession without any pause results in a combo. The player's score is multiplied by the number of tricks in the combo. If the player successfully lands the final trick the score is then banked, otherwise all points in that combo are lost.
Three "Career" modes are included in the game: both full career modes from Pro Skater and Pro Skater 2, and a shorter career mode exclusive to Pro Skater 2x. Players are tasked with completing objectives in each level within the given time limit. These include achieving a set high score, collecting the letters S-K-A-T-E, performing a certain trick on or over a certain object, and on certain levels, earning a top-three finish in a competition. Completion of these objectives is necessary to unlock new levels, skateboards, hidden characters, and stat points that can be spent to upgrade a character's attributes.
Along with graphical improvements to the game's remade levels and character models, some minor cosmetic changes were made to the environments (such as the addition of an air traffic control tower in the level, "The Hanger"). Some features introduced in Pro Skater 3 were included: female characters could be created in Create-a-skater mode, and a visible balance meter was implemented for grinding. A "motion-blur" camera effect was included in the game, a feature which would later return to the series with Tony Hawk's Underground 2. Though the game featured no online play, up to eight players could compete via Xbox system link. Point bonuses, which were scattered around the original levels featured in Pro Skater, were removed for this game; unlike in the original game, however, players can utilize the manual on these levels.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack included in the game was previously featured in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2. The player can also use custom soundtracks saved on their console's hardrive. When in the "Club, London" level, a sixteenth track becomes available (and plays by default) which features looped music playing from the nightclub.
Reception
The game received generally positive reviews upon release. Jeff Gerstmann of GameSpot called the game "the equivalent of a "director's cut" edition, containing the original product and some nominal enhancements." He went on to say "While the game is technically the best version of Tony Hawk 2 to date, and while the addition of the Tony Hawk 1 levels is a nice touch, the game feels a little dated, whether you compare it to the rest of the Xbox lineup or the recently released Tony Hawk 3..." Vincent Lopez of IGN stated "Tony Hawk 2x is exactly what you expect—an amazing translation of Tony Hawk 1 and 2 with extra touches such as more detailed characters, and crisper textures and details on the environments. Unfortunately, because it's exactly what you expect, this isn't a game that can be recommended to everyone.