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Thursday 6 March, 2008
Session #2
Gameplay:
For my second round of game playing I decided to utilize the “Career Mode” on “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater.” And after playing a little while I came to realize that finding the letters in the word “skate” is not the only way to obtain a tape (needed for level advancement). You can also earn tapes by reaching a specific point goal, which can arise from doing an array of tricks. When you do a trick (by pressing a combination of buttons on the control panel) you gain a specific amount of points depending on the difficulty of the trick, the amount of rotation involved and the rarity that the player performs the trick. When doing a trick the number of points earned and the name of the trick is displayed. Trick names include “360 Rocket Air,” “Switch Madonna” and “360 Finger Flip” and on the side of the screen tips and suggestions pop up such as “Finish tricks before landing” and “land straight to avoid bailing.”
After “Career Mode” I tried the “Single Session Mode,” which I actually like better. “Single Session Mode” is the perfect combination of the difficulty and limited atmosphere that “Career Mode” provides and the free-roaming practice that “Free Skate” provides. While I felt I had to do well and improve, I also felt that I had room to make mistakes and try new tricks without a lot of consequences. It is in “Free Skate” that I noticed that after using the same trick multiple times its point value diminished. This is a very clever and effective way to make sure the players aren’t just racking up points with a single move and actually exploring the variety the game has to offer.
Design:
The first thing that I was drawn to about the design of “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater” was the fact that I could choose the location that my skateboarder skated in. The location options included familiar places such as my home of San Francisco and many other skateboarding havens. The fact that they provide these realistic locations makes the game not only appear more life-like but it also appeals to a person’s human side. It makes me think that, “maybe I recognize this area,” or “I have been there before.” The three-dimensional look of the game, in addition to the effective camera angles, only add to the fun experience of wielding around obstacles and doing innovative tricks.
Another aspect of the game that caught my attention was the real-life skaters that where the characters involved. At the beginning of the game you are able to choose which character you want to perform as and all of the names are those of actual professional skaters. From Tony Hawk himself to lesser-known professionals, the game is filled with talent. You can look at their statistics and make a personal choice as to whom you want to play as. While I am not an expert with skateboarding and those involved I can tell that this aspect of the game could greatly appeal to actual skateboarding aficionados.
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