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By Andy Matheson on September 23rd, 2001
Introduction Nope, this isnt Tony Hawk, but does that mean it cant be as good, or better? After a successful stint on PSX, Dave Mirra is back on PS2. The premise is simple: A faster, better looking better sounding deeper version of the PSX version. We have a Tony Hawk killer on our hands folks.Presentation The original Dave Mirra had some great presentation, and the sequel follows suit. The menus are easy to read, and theres cool gameplay footage in the background while you look for your mode. Control is one of the biggest tests in a game like this. Like so many other skateboard/bmx games released the last 2-3 years, DM uses the Tony Hawk control setup. So, youll like DM controls if you liked Tony Hawks Pro Skaters controls. There are other default settings you can adjust if you dont like them. Overall, like the original Dave Mirra, the presentation and feel of the menus/game is top notch. Other games in the genre(Tony Hawk games included) should take notice. Graphics & Sound One of the best parts of the original on PSX was the graphics. For a Playstation game, DM1 took full use of the systems power with huge stages and crisp fast gameplay. In Dave Mirra2, the graphics have recieved a huge facelift, and the stages are bigger to boot. Theres a skatepark stage from DM1 thats on DM2, about 5 times as big as it was on PSX. The player models are extremely detailed, and the animations are second only to Tony Hawk games. The games sound is also topnotch. The soundtrack fits the game nicely. You have a little hip hop, and some great rock. You got Ozzy and Godsmack, which is all I need. The basic sound effects are all there, along with some gruesome sounding crashes. As impressed as I was with the originals graphics and sound, the sequel blows the original out of the water. Gameplay Now, when I said Dave Mirra2 was better than Tony Hawk, this is why I said it. The gameplay is simply awesome. There are so many tricks in this game, I still havent pulled them all off. Like Tony Hawk, you have grinds, grab tricks, flip tricks and specials. Where Dave Mirra pulls ahead though, is the ’Trick Modifier’ feature. By hitting the O button during a flip trick, you can modify it into another kind of trick. Modify a backflip into an ’X Backflip’, or a ’barspin backflip’. It is awesome. And theres tons of modifiers to find. Throw in Tony Hawk style ’gaps’, stages take forever to master, which is a welcome change from Tony Hawk. Another area where the game is like TH is challenges for each stage. Most of them are pretty easy, but once you get to the hardcore challenges, get ready for some frustration. They are HARD. The challenges mostly revolve around going to a certain point and pulling off a certain trick. Others are things like ’knock down 4 ladders’ and stuff like that. The harder challenges are left blank on the screen. To find out what you have to do, youll have to hunt down other bikers on the stage(very cool) and they give you challenges. Overall I dont see how they could improve gameplay. Everything, control, stages, fun factor, is perfect. Lasting Appeal The meat of the game is Proquest, where you take a pro through stage after stage, trying to earn ’respect’(gained by achieving challenges, finding gaps), unlocking new stages, sponsors and bikes along the way. Theres a few funny hidden characters to find. and different codes each time you beat the game with a different biker. The best fun is in Multiplayer mode. There are atleast 10 games to play in this mode, from 3 minute run score attack, to wipeout mode, where you get points depending on how painful your crach was. Find the most painful place and way to wreck to win. Add the great single player modes and awesome 2 player games and you’ll play this game until part 3 is released. Conclusion All in all, dont dismiss this game as another Tony Hawk ripoff. Theres a clear advantage to using someone elses ideas mixed with your own: you can correct any mistakes another game has. Where Tony Hawk has generic sound, DM2s sound is awesome. Where TH has plain and boring stages, DM2s stages kick ass. But mostly, the trick modifier adds layers of depth to the game. No game is without problems and DM2 is no exception. Control is awesome but sometimes(rarely) its kind of glitchy. Also, sometimes you’ll land a trick thats obviously a crash. These are minor complaints compared to how great this game is, so dont let it sway you. If you enjoyed TH, youll love this game. |
