If I had to list my all time favorite Playstation games, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 would rank high on the list… perhaps even claiming the number one spot. This is a game that has it all – a long, involved single player game with loads of hidden areas, secrets to unlock and new tricks to buy… great multiplayer games… graphics that set new standards for the PS hardware… and outstanding controls that made good use of every button on the PS controller.

So, when I heard that Neversoft’s magnum opus was being ported to the GBA, and not by the Neversoft wizards themselves, I had some concerns. After spending enough time with the game to clear all 10 level goals in the first stage of the game, I no longer have any doubts – THPS2 is the real deal.

Let’s talk about the controls first. Since the PS version used all of the system’s 8 buttons, each mapped to a crucial action, how can the 4 button GBA hope to accurately maintain the same level of technique and gameplay? Here’s the layout: B ollies, A is used for grinds, R performs kick tricks and L is for grab tricks. With all of the buttons accounted for, we’re left without any buttons for spinning during tricks. Developer Vicarious Visions figured out a way around this problem – tapping twice in a direction (left or right) performs a quick 180º spin, while holding a direction will make minor adjustments to your spin. Although at first awkward (especially using the shoulder buttons), after just a few minutes with the game I was almost up to my usual performance in the game, pulling all of the tricks, combos and lines I’m accustomed to in the Playstation version. Of course, newbies to the series will undoubtedly have more trouble picking up on the controls than those of us who have been playing the PS game since the day it came out.

Moving on the graphics, Vicarious Visions has once again found an ingenious method for fitting the PS game’s big levels into the GBA. They took them and locked in a 3/4 isometric perspective, while drawing the skaters in 3D polygons so that all of the trick animations could be translated smoothly. There’s even a nifty (optional) setting that zooms in when you perform special tricks. Once again, at first, this adjustment to a fixed perspective is awkward, especially since you still have to control your skater as if you’re playing from an over the shoulder perspective. Again, though, after just a bit of practice, I was able to compensate for this new way of playing and do well. The level detail is absolutely amazing. I’m told that at the recent GBA Camp held by Nintendo, some of Nintendo’s people were overheard making comments to the effect of, "we didn’t know that this was possible on the system." Indeed. Despite some minor simplifications, the levels for the most part look as if they were lifted, textures and all, straight from the Playstation and plunked into the GBA.

Let’s talk a little about the actual translation of the game. You get all of the skaters, their moves, and five levels from the PS game. Also, judging from my hands on with the game at E3, I’m pretty sure that the warehouse level from the first PS Hawk game is hidden in there as well. So, the game is short a few levels, but that’s understandable. The levels are slightly compromised – some more difficult objects have been removed (an example is the pole that hung from the ceiling over the half-pipe in the hangar level), and there have been adjustments to some areas that would have been impossible to recreate on the GBA. However, these changes are minor – fans of the PS version will recognize and feel at home here. I was able to collect all of the first level goals in about an hour of play, during which I also had to adjust to the new controls and perspective. Just like the PS game, you’ll earn money for completing goals in the levels, and you can spend money to raise your skater’s stats, buy new special tricks, or upgrade your board.

"Dang it, Pat, you’re not glossing over any flaws just because you’re a Hawk fanatic, are you?" Well, I do have one complaint about the game – unlike the Playstation version, you can’t re-assign special tricks to different directional combinations. I generally assign all three default specials for my skaters to up, down and a button, because it’s easier to remember that way, but you’re stuck with the motion the game gives you here.

So, if you own or plan on owning a GBA, and are a fan of the series, this is a no-brainer. Go buy it.