Nollie 180 Heelflip. Piece of cake. Activision continues its stellar track record with solid play control and nice graphics in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4, but this time the way of finding out about objectives has a more relaxed vibe. Pro Skaters Since its inception, the Tony Hawk series has taken a leap forward with every release. It started with a control scheme that allowed players to be creative. The introduction of Manual and Revert allowed scores to reach new heights. Pro Skater 4's new Skitch move allows you to grab moving cars. You can exit a ramp with the Spine Transfer. While none of these moves makes for a revolutionary leap, the reworked objective structure does. When you first enter a level in Career Mode, you're given the freedom to explore. It's just you on your board going wherever your fancy takes you, without a time limit or objective--yet. As you explore at your own pace you can approach pedestrians and press the X Button to receive an objective. Many of the objectives have been seen in past Tony Hawk games, such as collecting the letters S-K-A-T-E or reaching a high score within a certain time limit. There are also new tests of skill, such as nabbing the letters C-O-M-B-O in one continuous trick, or performing a specific trick in a given location. Completing these objectives will unlock new levels and earn new Stat Points that increase your skills. This new objective structure initially just feels like extra work, but in many ways it is quite liberating. Now you are free to just cruise around or try to Ollie that huge gap you've been eyeing. Of course you can attempt the objectives right away if you want, but overall Pro Skater 4 takes a more laid-back approach than its predecessors. Let the Good Times Roll The all-new levels are the most gigantic yet. Each level is carefully designed to provide the maximum amount of trick lines to score big combos. In general they are larger and more realistic looking than past games in the series. Basketball-playing students, keg-toting frat boys and friendly security guards populate the pastoral College level. San Francisco is a skater's paradise crammed with civic buildings, piers and rails. Just offshore is the gritty, expansive Alcatraz level. No level is ever quite the same after you drop in. Certain events will trigger changes in the environment, opening new areas or destroying landmarks. There's also a Park Editor feature. Cast of Characters Plenty of envelope-pushing pro skaters have been included. Each is nicely detailed with trademark attire and decks. The roster includes: * Tony Hawk * Bob Burnquist * Bam Margera * Bucky Lasek * Chad Muska * Jamie Thomas * Rodney Mullen * Eric Koston * Elissa Steamer * Geoff Rowley * Rune Glifberg * Andrew Reynolds * Steve Caballero * Kareem Campbell The Create-a-Skater feature has also been improved to allow more variations than ever. Multiplayer Modes Two-player modes returning from past games include Trick Attack, Slap!, King of the Hill, Graffiti, Free Skate and Horse. Two new two-player modes promise to raise the bar for trash-talking excitement. In Score Challenge, two players race to see who can reach a set score the fastest. In Combo Mambo (now that is a cool name) you are given a time limit to string together your best combo. The player with the highest-scoring combo wins. Graphics and Sound The improved skating surfaces are the most notable graphic upgrade to Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4. Wood planks look grainy and asphalt looks rough. Each surface has a unique sound, too. Your wheels will clack on brick and metal rails will ring when you grind them. The developers have outdone themselves with top-notch animation that never skips a beat. Some of the new Special Tricks are totally wacky. It's hard not to chuckle when Andrew Reynolds' pet ferret scurries over his back or Rodney Mullen whips out a guitar during the Faction Grind. Tons of artists from the pantheon of hip hop, punk and rap contribute tunes to the soundtrack. You will hear cuts from Run-DMC, Public Enemy, System of a Down, Sex Pistols and many more. The rockin' riffs from AC/DC's "TNT" is definitely a highlight for metal-heads. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 gives players more of what they want -- skating. At some point your fellow boarders will probably lure you into a debate over the merits of the new objective structure, but you can shut 'em up by citing the game's 190 objectives, huge levels and new tricks. This game supports progressive scan on televisions with that feature. You can save your progress to a Memory Card (not included). To save a Career you will need nine free blocks. Two blocks are required to save a created skater. Saving an edited park requires four blocks. A replay requires 35 blocks.
