Previewed: September 20, 2004
Previewed by: Cliff O’Neill

Publisher
Activision

Developer
Neversoft (PS2, Xbox, GC)
Vicarious Visions (GBA)
Beenox Studios (PC)

Release Date: Fall, 2004
Genre: Action
Players: TBA
ESRB: Pending

View Screenshots (4 Images)

KEY FEATURES

• World Destruction Tour – Take off on an all-out skating blitzkrieg where two teams lead by Tony Hawk and Bam Margera conquer sick terrain, pull off mischievous pranks, and make six international cities their personal stomping ground.

• All New Team Play – Team Hawk versus Team Bam. Play as yourself or switch to play as a pro teammate or special guest skater, such as Ben Franklin – over 20 unique skaters in all.

• Unparalleled customization – Create your own logo for use in graffiti tags and skate stickers with the all new Create-a-Graphic feature in addition to creating your own skaters, skate parks, decks, tricks, goals and levels of difficulty

• New player controls – Get huge air by performing a sticker slap off any wall or surface, go into slow-motion focus control and watch and learn how to perfect a certain trick or throw a hilarious tantrum mid-combo and get massive points.

• Go beyond the board – Maneuver a variety of ridable objects such as Segway scooters, hot dog stands and hospital gurneys, pelt bystanders with tomatoes and other objects and tag the turf with signature graffiti.

• Two games in one – Wreak havoc in Story Mode or switch to play all the new THUG 2 levels and a bunch of THPS levels in Classic Mode and go up against a two-minute timer to complete all-time favorite goals like S-K-A-T-E, “secret tape,” and “high score.”

Tony Hawk's Underground 2: World Destruction Tour will be grinding onto store shelves very soon, bringing with it an all-new Story mode and a host of new features and characters. This time, the story centers around two rival skate factions – Team Hawk and Team Bam – and lets you wreak havoc on and off your skateboard in large, highly interactive environments. In addition, a Classic mode will infuse the game with Pro Skater nostalgia, with familiar goals and levels to satisfy longtime fans of the Tony Hawk series.

Ultimately, though, the Tony Hawk games are all about the tricks. While THUG 2 doesn't feature any dramatic new moves, it introduces several small gameplay additions to make for an even tighter and more enjoyable skating experience. Here's a rundown on the new elements.

Graffiti

Taking a page from Jet Grind Radio, THUG 2 lets you paint the town red – or with whatever color or logo that strikes your fancy (a tag editor is included). Unlike in Jet Grind Radio, tagging is a rather simple affair, though it must be done while off your board. By building your Special meter, you can increase the size of your tag. In other words, how well you skate determines the presentation of your graffiti.

Sticker Slap

Sticking with the vandalism theme, the sticker slap gives you the chance to leave your mark by applying a decal to an object. The sticker slap is executed in the same manner as the wallplant in the original THUG, only now instead of merely kicking off an object, you also decorate it with a stylish sticker. You can rest assured that the sticker slap will play a greater role in THUG 2 than the wallplant played in the last game.

Projectiles

The "World Destruction Tour" subtitle was applied to THUG 2 for a good reason: It perfectly describes the game’s chaotic, off-the-wall skating. The inclusion of projectiles, such as apples, drives home the game’s destructive nature. Apart from playing a role in some of the game's goals, projectiles are also used to torment the inhabitants in the levels. Like tagging, throwing projectiles is nearly effortless, as equipping your skater with projectiles and dishing out the hurt involves simple button presses and lock-on targeting.

Natas Spin

The Natas Spin is named after Natas Kaupas, a professional skater whose most infamous stunt had him spinning atop a fire hydrant (as seen in the '80s skate video Streets on Fire). With this awesome maneuver in your arsenal, not even fire hydrants are safe from the wrath of your board. The great thing about the Natas Spin is it enables you to trick on objects and surfaces that would otherwise be unskateable. Of course, this means you have even more opportunities to build and prolong huge combos throughout the levels.

Focus Mode

Have you ever wanted to enter bullet time while riding a skateboard? Well, now you can, because that's what Focus mode is essentially all about. The action slows down in Focus mode, allowing you to concentrate on your tricks and land them more cleanly – the only catch being you must build up your Special meter before entering Focus mode. Tony Hawk aficionados may recall previous Hawk games featured a cheat that enabled slow motion during special tricks. Focus mode, however, has been fully incorporated into THUG 2's gameplay, and it serves as more than just eye candy.

Tantrums

As any Tony Hawk fan will attest, nothing is more infuriating than building a massive combo only to lose its point value after bailing at the last possible moment. Fortunately, THUG 2 lets you throw a tantrum in the game during such instances and retain some of the combo's worth in the process. If you bail during a combo and have built up your Special meter, you simply mash the buttons displayed on the screen to vent your frustration and regain some points. Unique animations accompany the different types of tantrums, each funnier than the next.

This concludes our look at the new gameplay features in THUG 2. Expect all this craziness and more when the game releases in early October, and be on the lookout for our full review. While we wait for more details on this awesome new title, check out our collection of great screenshots in our Preview Gallery.