Tony Hawk's Pro Skater

Overall: B-
Violence: C+
Sexual Content: A
Language: B+
Drugs/Alcohol: A

Platform reviewed: Playstation
Publisher: Activision
ESRB rating: T

Like many parents, I don't know the first thing about skateboarding. I have observed however, that skateboarding is as much a culture as it is a sport. For some reason, this simple (and old) idea of riding on a board with four wheels attached has spawned an entire society that is often viewed with trepidation by "older" generations.

Many municipalities have taken a "can't beat ‘em, join ‘em" attitude and have constructed skate parks. Unfortunately this is akin to asking a seasoned fisherman to get his catch at the local kiddy pond, because most Skaters want more than a variety of inclines, steps, and pedestals. It appears that part of the challenge of ‘boarding' is going places where this activity is banned.

Tony Hawk Pro Skater offers skating enthusiasts nine locations, all within the confines of a computer environment that captures the fluid motions of the skaters. Only the warehouse venue is unlocked at the beginning. Winning competitions opens more worlds to grind and ollie through, including a mall, a school and a downtown area, with graphics detailed enough to read the "no skateboarding" signs placed frequently along the path. For those law-abiding players, there is also a skate park.

Players have a choice of boards and one of ten professional skater personalities. These include: Tony Hawk himself, known for his recent accomplishment of landing a 900 degree spin; Elissa Steamer, the sole female choice; or the reckless Andrew Reynolds who, according to Activision's website, "holds superhero status for his willingness to toss himself off and over gigantic gaps, big sets of stairs, and airplane hangars." (I'd like to see his medical insurance rates.)

While accompanied by hard rock music from bands with names like ‘Suicidal Tendencies', ‘Suicide Machines', and ‘Even rude', players earn points when they "trick off" any object or surface they can get their wheels on. The bigger the tricks, the more they advance their skating career. A failed trick plants their face into the concrete with a spurt of blood and a cry of pain, but they're on the board again in seconds. In the two-player mode, they can knock their buddy of his board with the same results.

While the violence, compared to a shooter game, is minimal, the rebellious nature of the sport is prominent, with skating in illegal locations, opportunities to bust through panes of glass, and doing tricks off police cars. While some may argue this game should keep skaters indoors (and out of the emergency ward), the real skill utilized here is pressing the right buttons in the right sequence at the right time (like any other video game), hardly a substitute for the real thing. I can't help wondering if it won't promote law breaking to an audience that is attracted to this venue even though they have never had a board in their hands.

Note: According to the Activision website, the game is rated "T"(teen) because the blood can't be turned off. The N64 and GameBoy releases of this game are rated "E" (everyone), although no explanation for this change is given on the website.

Rod Gustafson

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