DVD Talk Forum - OFFICIAL Tony Hawk 4 Reviews/Impressions Thread

Excellent thread guys:up: Some points I'd like to respond to:

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That and the progressive scan are the two plusses for the xbox version but in the end I decided to buy it for PS2 for the online play

My point exactly! Progressive scan and overall better sound and gfx don't come close to the satisfaction you get from playing against 8 other people on a broadband only network..a sheer blast! PS2 version all the way baby!

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I also really dislike the fact that you accomplish a goal with one character and it is cleared for all of them - to me this really cuts down on the replay value.

Are you kidding? Completing part 3 over a dozen times with a different skater just to unlock some movies, etc got very monotonous after a while. I was relieved to discover once you complete all the goals in 4, the only thing left for each character was their independant pro goals. Yeah, you don't need to replay the game a zillion times to unlock stuff, making it shorter, but the ramped up difficulty more than makes up for it. Plus, if you're really dying to start fresh with a new player, just start a new carreer.

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I also abhor the system of buying all the extras with $ you pick up in the levels. I don't like seeing exactly how many cheats, levels, and characters there are from the beginning.

This I agree with... I was dissapointed in learning what all the secrets were and that you can just mosey on up and purchase them from the beginning of the game. The thought of having to buy secrets as opposed to earning/unlocking them is a real turn off.

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BTW, I ended up needing to cheat to get through some of the goals. The Slo-Mo mode is a great way to get through tough goals.

Shame on you:D

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THPS4 = SOS

And this means?

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It isn't an exceptionally long game, but it's a helluva a lot longer than one run through was in any of the previous ones. Plus the difficulty ramps up...some of the pro challenges are crazy.

true dat true dat!

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IMO, the big thing about spind transfers isn't really that you can go from one half pipe to another, but rather that you can avoid bailing if you drift off a half pipe. I really like that convenience.

Boy, tell me about it!! I absolutely HATED falling off the wayside of ramps in 3 and couldn't do nothing about it! In 4, it's extremely cool to just hit that spine transfer button and sometimes even land in a manual and continue pulling flat land tricks. Probably the most thankful improvement in the game imho

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Yeah I just did that.. even said manual+manual+manual+manual and still no dice

This move is a little glitchy and a bad execution on Neverhard's part. Took me maybe 4 or 5 tries before I nailed it, but still, the very first one was pulled off perfectly and they still didn't give it to me!

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Son of a bitch, the Pro goal for Tony Hawk on the college level is a pain in the ass.

Not nearly as hard as some others. Keep reading...

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One pet peeve I have is that they pulled the camera back a little bit, making your skater smaller in relation to the environment.

I don't like this either. I think the closer view in 3 is much better than in 4. For some reason I feel more comfortable pulling off tricks in 3 simply because the closer to the skater perspective makes you feel more "one with the character".

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FWIW, Bob Burnquist's pro challenge is kinda fun. It's a full loop with the top section of the loop removed. You do 3 tricks, and it stretches out. Do 3 more, and it stretches out some more. Then do 3 specials and you're set.

Ahhhh here we go!:D The one that had me pulling my hair out and my nuts off! Bob's pro challenge is indeed fun, and the first two loop goals are pretty easy to nail. Come to that third loop, however and you're in for a ridiculous excersise in tedium! The method across the gap...easy. The sit down air across the gap...not that difficult. The Samba Flip across the gap...nearly IMPOSSIBLE!! I swear. I was on that son of a bitch for like 3 hours straight! I literally thought it was a glitch and couldn't be done. I was just about to ask one of those knuckleheads on gamefaqs if and how they were able to pull it off. Then at the last second, just before getting off from work, I nailed it! Incredibly frustrating!

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I am stuck here too. I have finished all the goals on this level but, I can't seem to find the entrance to the shark tank. Maybe you somehow piss off the elephant and he tramples through the door. I have skated around the elephants head but he doesn't do anything.

Heh, it's funny you mentioned this, because I *also* did the same thing...skating around his head, ollie by his head, etc. The I said to myself, "hey...lemme try jumping off that building!" Walah!! Welcome to the aquarium!

Speaking of the zoo, what's the deal with that one guy in a booth next to the aquarium that says, "Move along! There's nothing to see here!"? Is he part of a mini game or something? I tried ollieing and grinding by his booth and nothing happened. WTF?

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I just got all the cash in Alcatraz. You probably do too by now, but if not, did you get:

the one inside the watertower in the middle of the bowl? Also, I think there are at least 2 in trees. There's also one that's kinda tucked away across from the ferry. It's to your right above the "up" teleportal as you come down toward the ferry (when the ferry is a little to your left). I assume you know there are several of them way up in the air above the various buildings. One of those requires (at least for me it did) grinding along a pipe that sticks out from the second floor of the cellblock and jump from the end of it. The last one I got was a simple one: it was up in the air in front of the little tower with the benches in front of the cellblock.

Wow, it appears you got the cash in the same order I did! I was also looking around for a while for just that one last icon, and discovered it was that same one up in the air in front of the little tower with the benches in front of the cellblock. A sneaky little one that's pretty hard to discover.

Other notable difficult challenges:

1)King of Kona...damm Tony! You really made Rodney go through some **** with this one! I was one it for hours! Getting a million points in Kona isn't anything particularly difficult to do. But when you're confined to certain small areas(that little ass pool anyone?) and within two minutes it's makes for some serious skill needed to accomplish such a feat

2)The Slalom run...the first two runs are easy...but the third one is a bitch

3)Bucky Lasek's pro challenge. Nailing an increasing point combo on that busted ass ramp and having to avoid falling into the water on the fourth run had me screaming at the screen!

4)Collecting "C-O-M-B-O" in the shipyard...nuff said!

5)Here's a real killer! Manualing the switchbacks in Alcatraz all the way down! OMFG!!! The patience and concentration you need to keep your balance while turning *and* avoiding bumping into the walls and having to start over felt like something out of a Rubik's Cube tournament! Unfreakingbuleevably difficult!! But hey...I nailed it!:D:D

Online play on the PS2 is just fantastic. But could've been much better on Xbox Live. Too bad Sony strongarmed Neversoft into making the online function exclusive to PS2. Leaving xboxers in the cold. I would've loved to talk trash to people over the voice communicator!

Anyway, I'm about 80% done with the game it's r0XXors your b0XX0rs!! I still think 3 does some things better than 4, but because of it's diffuclty and better gfx and set up, I enjoy 4 better. Actually I take that back! I think they're about a tie...Private Carrera owns you!!:D