Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4

The Birdman returns to the PC in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4, the latest installment in the acclaimed series to hit the PC.  In most regards, Tony Hawk 4 is the same game that hit consoles last year, albeit with a few graphical tweaks and improved online capabilities.  However, it’s still a port of a great game and, as the saying goes, better late than never. 

Tony Hawk 4 brings the series’ total skaters to an all time high, with a whopping 14 skaters, not counting new secret characters.  The game brings back series vet Bob Burnquist, who was previously absent from Tony Hawk 3, due to an exclusive agreement for ESPN Skateboarding.  Rounding out the rest of the cast are returning vets like Hawk, Steve Caballero, Chad Muska, Eric Koston, and many more.

Tony Hawk 4 makes some nice improvements over previous installments in the series.  The once constricted level design has given way to a more non-linear design, in which the levels have no time limit and you basically have free range over them.  You complete missions by going up to certain people who will give you quests to accomplish within a set time frame.  Completing missions allows you to unlock levels, gain stat points and make some cash.  You can complete missions whenever you feel like it, or if you’d rather skate around a level and do tricks and collect money, then you can do just that.

Money is an important part of Tony Hawk 4.  You can earn cash by completing missions, or you can find it strewn throughout each level like Easter Eggs.  Cash is used to unlock various items, like cheats, decks, secret skaters, and levels.

Tony Hawk 4 also features some new moves that can become pretty integral to gameplay.  You can now do spine transfers, which can allow you to move in midair from one quarter-pipe, over the spine and onto the other quarter-pipe, and helps to link combos (and even allows you to save yourself if you miss your landing on a quarter-pipe and fall off of the edge).  You can also “skitch” cars and other vehicles by grabbing onto the back fender and going along for the ride.

The one problem with the gameplay in Tony Hawk 4 for the PC is the controls.  Tony Hawk requires some fancy fingerwork on the console systems with control pads, something that just can’t be achieved by hammering away at a keyboard.  Quickly linking together spine transfers with grab tricks and manuals is a real chore, and leads to pretty sore fingers and wrists after a while.  A good gamepad with at least one analog stick is highly recommended.

Tony Hawk 4 featured some great graphics when it hit consoles last year, and the PC version improves upon its predecessors with cleaner textures and higher resolutions.  The character models look great and move fluidly and naturally.  The levels are diverse and feature great details like animals at the zoo and spinning carnival rides in the carnival stage.  However, the default distance fog is very limiting, although turning it off leads to a pretty drastic hit to the framerates, even on high-end machines.

The Tony Hawk series has never been chintzy when it came to sound, and Tony Hawk 4 is no exception.  The game features well over thirty licensed tunes from a diverse range of artists, like System of a Down, Public Enemy and Goldfinger.  Plus, the game features voice acting from the pro skaters themselves, who will give each other missions throughout the various levels.  My one gripe with the sound is the fact that you can’t customize your soundtrack with your own MP3s like you can in the Xbox version.

Tony Hawk 4 is basically the same game console gamers have been enjoying since last fall, and depending on who you ask, can be good news or bad news.  However, if you’re a PC gamer without access to a console and missed out on its release last year, now is your chance to own the best skateboarding game out there.  Just make sure your gamepad is up to snuff.

Gameplay: 9.3
Tony Hawk 4 offers subtle improvements to the already great gameplay that has been a staple in the series since day one.  A few new moves have been introduced, the missions now have a less constrained non-linear feel to them, and the online play has been greatly improved from the PS2 version.  However, it’s recommended that you invest in a good analog gamepad before attempting to undertake Tony Hawk 4, otherwise your wrists and fingers will be quite sore from pounding away at your keyboard while trying to pull off long combos.

Graphics: 9.0
Tony Hawk 4 has some nice graphical improvements over Tony Hawk 3.  The characters look a bit more natural and are more fluidly animated and the environments are diverse and boast some nice textures. Plus, PC gamers get to benefit from higher resolutions and cleaner textures.  The distance fog can be a bit thick if kept on.  However, turning it off causes a pretty big hit to the framerates, even in higher-end machines.

 
Sound: 9.0
Tony Hawk 4 features some great sound elements, like a huge soundtrack featuring a diverse crop of artists like Zeke, System of a Down, NWA and AC/DC and voice acting provided by the real pro skaters in the game.  However, you can’t import your own MP3s to the soundtrack like you can on the Xbox version, and that hurts the score a little.

Difficulty: Medium                                                                                                                            

Concept: 9.0
Tony Hawk 4 is pretty much the same game your buddies got on their console of choice last Christmas, so it’s really nothing new at this point.  However, it’s still a fantastic game that beats just about any other skateboarding game out there.     

Multiplayer: 9.3  
The online mode has been greatly improved from the PS2 version (which was the only console version with true online support).  It’s all done through either GameSpy Arcade or GameRanger, making it as easy as pie to either get onto a game or host a game yourself.  Within the game, you can chat with and compete against up to eight other players.

Overall: 9.2
Tony Hawk 4 marks the most recent step in the long-running video game series.  While not as revolutionary as the first game was when it was released oh so many years ago (or even as revolutionary as the previous title, Tony Hawk 3), Tony Hawk 4 continues to move the series along by adding subtle improvements to the series’ already great gameplay.  PC gamers deprived of the console incarnations of Tony Hawk 4 last year would do good to pick up this version, and should invest in a good analog gamepad as well, if they haven’t already done so.