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Why try to fix something that isn't broken?

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 5 / 8
Date: November 17, 2002
Author: Amazon User

THPS 1-3 are awesome. All 5 star games. Why in the world did they go and change the gameplay for 4? Each of the previous titles got better and better until this one.

The missions are lame. In the previous versions I actually felt like I accomplished something when I finished a level goal. The missions in 4 are not interesting and some are just downright stupid. Each mission takes about two minutes to complete and is more annoying to perform than fun. At least running through the Mall in THPS 1 (or any level in the previous versions) trying to complete all level goals in one shot was exciting. THPS 4 offers none of this.

And the levels have boundaries that aren't clearly marked. Like San Francisico - you just skate toward open road and suddenly you're out of the level. That's just ridiculous.

Personally, I like rap so the music for me is awesome, but that's not a reason to buy or keep the game.

I played for about 3 hours, now I'm selling it. What a waste of time. Fortunately, I didn't really waste any money (thanks eBay).

Go back to the old format already...

Tony Hawk 4

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 1 / 10
Date: March 02, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I never received the game. It was supposed to be shipped by 02/17/03. I am extremely disatisfied with this site. I will never order from it again.

Just awful.

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: April 19, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This game was quite the disappointment.

The same problems that plagued the earlier Tony Hawk games were still there, but the developers seem to have forgotten the limitations of their medium - making everything needlessly more difficult at times simply for some shadow of authenticity to the game.

The first time I opened up the game, I played it for about five minutes before Alt-F4ing out of it in disgust. The jokes are absolutely terrible and juvenile, to the point where it's just annoying - perhaps this is appropriate for a 10 year old, but the humor lacks the subtlety it had in the earlier games. This was the first problem. The objectives that you have to complete have become much more frustrating over the point of the last few games - one comes to mind where you have to skate through a coliseum and knock down five "jocks" in one combo, and another where a stereotypical Frenchman obnoxiously declares, "you stupid skater-person ha-ha-ha-ha" repeatedly until you beat him in an incredibly nonintuitive tennis game. After this, a bum instructs you to kill a series of imaginary pink elephants. Now, I realize Tony Hawk himself is probably nearing 50 years old now, but this is no excuse for such stupid objectives. I've been skating since I was in fifth grade, and it seems like these games are distancing themselves further and further from the reality of skating and its associated culture. It was extremely hard to get into repeatedly knocking down a bunch of football players running in circles, and my disgust at the task got worse each time.

If you're going to keep iterating versions of what's basically the same game, Neversoft, you need to work on actually improving the game instead of adding a whole bunch of irrelevant crap. For your own sake, whoever's reading this review, don't buy this game, it's terrible.

Burned once again, and for the last time, by Activision

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 14 / 30
Date: November 23, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Activision has once again shown that it is far more concerned with its bottom line than with its customers.

I have purchased every version of this series, and up until now have been a great enthusiast - Tony Hawk 1,2,3 being some of my favorite games for the playstation.

With this version, however, they decided to remove all but one of the 2-Player modes, for all those who do not have a network connection. Thus, my favorite play mode, HORSE (a 2 player mode of play, in which each player has a chance to one up the other until one player fouls up enough to spell the word "horse"), has been functionally stripped from the game.

Of course they did this so that these alternate game modes require multiple copies of the game rather than just the one. More money for them, at the expense of their customers. I for one absolutely hate it when companies use such shady practices to boost sales. Aren't you supposed to gain features when you buy a SEQUEL.

SPEND YOUR MONEY ON A BETTER GAME, and in the process punish Activision for their unsavory business practices.

Change is not always a good thing.......

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 3 / 8
Date: March 07, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Let me start off by saying that I love tony hawk video games. Ever since the first came out i had practiced at it and got really good. I had tony hawk 2 and 3 on reserve and got them the day they came out. It got better and better. Then came 4.... Well the graphics are good, but that is NOT everyting. I hate the fact that there is no two minute runs. I like that because i would love to try getting as many objectives done in the time given and even if i did no objectives, i would love getting a high score. But in this one u can do all the tricks u want and it will not matter. And u have to find people to do your objectives. And i heard it was rediculously hard at some points. A challenge is good, but a game like this is about having fun getting high scores and opening cheats and hidden characters, not getting pissed off at a dumb objective. My advice, if u have a ps2,gc,or xbox buy tony hawk 3, u will love it. And if u have an older system, then buy tony hawk 2. Don't waste time buying tony hawk 4, its not worth it.

Harsh expectations ruin this one for me

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 21 / 26
Date: February 07, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I'll admit it right here and now; throughout my college career, and on into my first several years in the workplace, I was a Tony Hawk NUT. In my mind, Neversoft could do no wrong as long as they kept pumping out new stages, new challenges and new hidden characters. The series never grew old for me, so the thought of revamping it never really entered my head. If it ain't broke, don't spend the time and energy fixing it, right?

Well, Neversoft gave it a try anyway. And, in the process of reinventing the wheel, they've managed to lose a little bit of the magic that so captivated me during the first three games in the series. It's not a bad game, but it's not really up to the level I've come to expect from a game bearing Tony Hawk's name.

The heart and soul of Tony Hawk IV is now found in its "free skate" career mode. Where previous incarnations would allow skaters to choose between free skate (in which you weren't given the opportunity to complete any goals) or the timed challenge mode, here they're merged into a single system. It's only when you initiate a conversation with one of the game's many non-playable characters that you're granted your goals, one piece at a time. Say goodbye to those days of nailing a high score, pro score and sick score all in one run.. in THPS4, you've got to hit them each with a completely separate run and launch point. Where the series once thrived on its cool, inventive and excitingly fresh goals, the objectives in the newest update often leave a player scratching his or her head. Because I'm not 100% fluent in skate-lingo, I often found myself relying on online guides, just to figure out what the game was asking me to do. In Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4, goals are no longer a pleasant surprise. They're a chore.

Veterans will be pleased to note the magnificent control system has remained intact through yet another game. There isn't a more efficient way to control a virtual skateboard than this. Grinding, ollying, lipping, grabbing, kicking.. it's all become almost a second language to me by now. And, with the seamless integration of several new abilities, the system just keeps growing. Players can now transfer from one side of a lip to the other by pressing the "R2" button, an addition which aids midair maneuvering immeasurably. It's also now possible to continue a combo out of a big grab trick, which is a big help in obtaining those sick scores. There's a reason the controls THPS1 established have been imitated with such regularity by the competition; they're impossible to top.

The music for this collection is one of the greatest in the series. You'll hear cuts from GoldFinger, Biz Markie, Avail, AC/DC, The Cult, Run DMC, The Bouncing Souls, Flogging Molly, Less Than Jake and more, all in crystal clear cd-quality. They even continued the old school trend established with the Ramones in THPS3, including "Anarchy in the UK" by the Sex Pistols. A couple of the hardcore rap tracks really aren't my cup of tea, but thanks some expert coding in the options screen, I'm given the opportunity to remove any track I desire from the active rotation. I don't think words can describe the amount of agony that option has saved me.

Ever since the third game of their run proved it was possible, gamers had been chomping at the bit to get Tony Hawk 4 onto the internet for competitive online play. And, while it's not the online-friendly kind of game that Unreal Tournament or NBA 2k3 is, Tony Hawk still holds his own as a multiplayer entity in design. In function, unfortunately... well, let's just say a few rotten apples ruined the bunch. I picked up my copy of Tony Hawk 4 a few weeks after its release, plugged in and went immediately to the online option. It took me about fifteen minutes to run into my first opponent using a GameShark or other unspecified hack to beat the system. Put simply, the spirit of online competition has been rendered almost null and void. If you're no good, there's no fun in playing online, as even the "newbie" rooms are filled with players using the 'perfect balance' or 'perfect manual' hack. If you're honestly good, there's no fun in playing online, as you'll be constantly accused of being a cheat. It's a stupid way to watch the community swirl around the toilet bowl, but it's happening all the same.

Possibly the most notable new feature in the series is the addition of a unique "pro challenge" for each non-hidden character. What really makes this section stand out, in my opinion, is the fact that these wildly imaginative challenges all relate directly to the real skater behind the pixelized representation. For instance, Bam Margera's pro challenge involves reliving a few moments from his work on the MTV program "Jackass." Eric Koston asks you to grind a ridiculous distance. It's a really cool idea, and helps each skater to emerge as an individual, complete with unique strengths and weaknesses. Even cooler, once you've actually completed the challenge, you unlock a video extra of your skater actually landing the trick you just performed. All in all, it's a great way to wrap up the game.

What it all boils down to is this; when I reached 100% completion in Tony Hawk 4, I put the game in its case and filed it away into my library of games. Chances are, I won't touch it again for years. I'd much rather throw in any of the first three games, despite the improvements made in many areas of THPS4, just because the goals are so unfulfilling. Neversoft tried to give us something revolutionary, and in so doing left their classic formula partially behind. In the end it's undeserving of the legendary name which adorns its case.

HUGE LEVELS, SPINE TRANSFERS, SAME GAME

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 8 / 12
Date: October 28, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I've been a fan of the series since the psx version made it our way, but I must admit I kinda expected more on this release. I heard from many previews that the engine had been completely rebuilt and that we could expect massive levels, with flawless graphics. However upon the first day of play all I found was pretty much the same game as Tony Hawk 3. Not saying that's a bad thing, just more of the same. I think the spine transfers are cool, and I like the addition of skitching cars, but these weren't totally unique additions. I saw the same elements in Aggressive Inline, which I hate to say, is actually a better game overall. But don't let this deter you from the purchase. It's still a really good game, and worth the cash. Having the chance to explore the levels without a time limit almost makes this a must-have. . . Just don't expect something completely different. If you're waiting for something to really spend those last video game dimes on, go with Vice City. . .

Tony Hawk 4

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 2
Date: November 26, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Well, I can't say I didn't like it, and I can't say I'm too crazy about it. Some of the goals are a too hard.Sometimes finding S-K-A-T-E is pretty hard in these huge levels.Sometimes getting C-O-M-B-O is hard.Skitching gives you a ton of speed, so in levels with cars, you really don't have to worry about speed if you're racing a friend. Unless he can skitch.

Been there, done that

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: November 29, 2002
Author: Amazon User

THPS 1 was awesome and brought something new to the table. THPS2 made one three times better. THPS3 was a huge turnaround for the series, for the worse in my opinion, with extremely unrealistic gameplay and levels. And now we have THPS4 which is better then 3, but it's still basically the same game with a new carreer mode and differen't levels. I mean seriously, this is the same game we played last year. The tricks are still the same, and the gameplay is still the same. Throwing in a new carreer mode and some new levels just isn't enough for me. The game feels more like an expansion pack to the dissapointing THPS3.

If you've somehow never played any of these games before, then go ahead and buy this one. If you have, then I suggest renting this first unless your a hardcore fan of part 3.

Entertainment for Everyone

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: April 22, 2007
Author: Amazon User

It's true that this game can't last very long after you beat it in the first two weeks; however, it's fun to come back to once in awhile. This game is different than the first three Tony Hawk games. You start off in the level free-skating and can approach people who will give you goals to accomplish. There are about sixteen goals per level and around ten or thirteen levels. I would recommend this game to anyone, even those who don't like skating, like myself. I would advise you to buy this game used for an incredible price. I personally would not pay more than fifteen dollars for it, yet it will definitely provide you and your friends with some entertainment.

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