Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam

Tony Hawk Downhill Jam was, at one time, a Wii launch exclusive. But what happens when you have a game that is a ton of fun to play but not everyone owns that particular platform but clamor to play it? Well, it gets a few changes and then shows up on a different platform.

Changes? What changes?? What did they do to the game??

Whoa, calm down. SuperVillain Studios (published by Activision) has done a remarkable job of taking the essence of the Wii title and moving it over to the PlayStation 2 console. And because the Wii offered up motion-control for steering purposes – something the PS2 obviously does not have – then something else must be offered. So how about three new multiplayer modes. The original game had four modes for multiplayer – race, trick, attack and slalom. The PS2 version adds in Airtime, Mayhem and Yard Sale. And yep, there are some new single player events that are exclusive to the PS2 – like Cash Grab, Hot Lava, Boost Jam and Bully Board.

Ok, here’s the short list of the new PS2-only content: three new characters with more customization options, and 10 PS2-only events.

A breakdown of the new multiplayer races is as follows:

• Airtime: skaters compete to see who can grab the most airtime before the race ends.

• Mayhem: Ok, racing clean and not trashing the environment would be contrary to what this race suggests

• Yard Sale: grab as much cash as possible before crossing the finish line

For those who have not seen this game before, if you remember Arctic Thunder (the snowmobile racing game) for the Xbox, you have a fairly good idea about what this game offers.

There are eight environments and you can do a host of things as you power your board down the hills toward the finish line. Boarding tricks will rack up some points, and you can collect items on the way down, as well as create a little havoc by knocking other boarders off their skateboards, or knock over pedestrians (Hooligan!!!) There are also several ways to get down a hill or run. You can follow the roads, or find the shortcuts. The latter can take significant time off your run.

When it comes to the game’s pre-built characters – personality is just dripping from the game. Take Jynx, for example. She takes nothing from nobody. She used to work in a store that sold cookie dough, “but as I told Mr. Mooney, the manager, that cookie dough had already exploded by the time I got there. And as for his grandmother … (she clenches her fist – well, she shouldn’t have mouthed off to me like that.” Each character is presented in an interview format, with Tony doing the interviews.

There is a progressive system to unlocking the environments and there are challenges set up in terms of time. As you complete certain tasks, you can unlock a variety of items – like locations and boards. The boards all have attributes that may prove valuable in the downhill events.

There are boards that you can unlock, each rated on a 10-point scale in five categories: speed, turning, balance, jump and combat. Unlock a board and you are treated to a short video. Of course, it also means you get a boost in different attributes that can result in better times down the course.

The audio portion of the game is entertaining, and you can unlock videos for the accompanying soundtrack. While the cartoonish graphics are lush and bright. Perhaps the graphics are not as strong as they could have been, but this is a departure for the Tony Hawk franchise and the graphics fit the feel of the game.

Sure the fun of the motion-sensor in the controller is gone with this title, but more content means more challenges and more reason to play. While the game follows the same track as before, Tony Hawk Downhill Jam on the PS2 has a nice feel and is fun – moreso on the multiplayer side than as a solo single-player experience.

Gameplay: 8.3
The control scheme follows a familiar pattern, and the learning curve is very short. The game does have a tutorial that is easily accomplished.

Graphics: 8.7
Slightly cartoonish and a little dark in places, but they fit the game’s style very well.

Sound: 8.5
The music is good and while the luster is off the interviews (having heard them before), they still should delight those who haven’t heard them previously.

Difficulty: Easy/Medium
Easy to jump in and play, but tough to emerge as the top dog. You will have to work hard to find every shortcut and the pure line through the courses to finish with not only the first-place award but also the top time.

Concept: 7.7
A simple design and some sense of having been there and done that, but still for what this game does, it does well.

Multiplayer: 8.7
Stronger and more enjoyable than the single-player game. The new modes only add to the entertainment value.

Overall: 8.3
Take away the motion controls and you have a game that feels somewhat ordinary. Add new modes of play and you elevate the replay value. Downhill Jam may lack the luster and polish of the Wii launch title, but this is a game that does a good job fitting the graphics and sound to play style and provides a nice range of game modes.