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Click Here For More Game Reviews“Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 for kids (and adults too!).”
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 is one of the best games on the Xbox to date, however with mature themes involved with the game, the demographic is fifteen years and over for that franchise. Activision together with Toys for Bob have concocted together a new skating game aimed at the lower age demographic, but that doesn’t mean Tony Hawk fans won’t enjoy this game because they will, if they give it a chance.
Disney Extreme Skate Adventure is very much like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 and this is of no coincidence considering the game uses a modified version of the THPS4 engine. Two main modes exist in the game, adventure and free skate. Adventure mode takes you through each of the levels with various Disney characters trying to complete various goals specific to each level. You start off with access to six Disney characters and before completing the game another six more will be unlocked.
Three Disney movies are covered in the various levels; Toy Story, Tarzan and The Lion King. Many may query why Activision didn’t go with more traditional characters such as Minnie and Mickey mouse but truth be told I doubt I would have enjoyed this game had I been forced to use these characters. The films by Pixar can be enjoyed by both adults and children and this is a definite factor when considering that adults may also like the game. Each of the characters can only skate in their specific movie scenes. For instance it is not possible to take Buzz Lightyear and skate in the Tarzan levels.
The crux of the game comes from the adventure mode. At first you can choose to start in any of the three films, but to progress goals must be completed. The levels and goals very loosely follow the plots of the three films. For instance one of the final Toy Story goals is to defeat Zurg by removing his forcefields. Other goals include the standard “skate”, point and grind goals which have become a staple with THPS.
Like THPS4, the environments will change over time as goals are completed and some goals will be locked until others are completed. One difference between THPS4 and Disney Extreme Skate Adventure is the character specific goals. Some goals (such as destroying human belongings in the Tarzan scene) can only be performed by a certain character. This adds a new element to the series and challenges players to unlock all the characters rather then just rush through each level.
The characters should be well known by both adults and children. Woody and Buzz Lightyear make up Toy Story; Tarzan and Tantor for Tarzan and Simba and Timon and Pumba for The Lion King. Each of the Disney Characters feature non-conventional skateboards. Eg. Simba uses a leaf and Buzz Lightyear uses a hover board. There are other characters but they have to be unlocked. As well as the Disney characters, players can create a skater or choose from the extreme skate team who are real life kids casted by Activision to be in the game. When using a non-Disney character, a level called Olliewood is opened up and features goals such as gaining mobile ringtones, or delivering fast food.
The controls can be configured in one of two ways; Pro and Normal. Normal controls are meant for a younger age group. Only one button needs to be pressed and depending on whether the character is an action will be performed. For instance if a character is in the air then a grab or flip will be performed. Pro controls are very much like THPS4, with different buttons for flip, grind, jump etc.
One of the best features of the Tony Hawk franchise has been the vast amount of unlockables and Disney Extreme Skate Adventure doesn’t disappoint. As well as being able to unlock new Disney characters to skate with, players can unlock new clothing for the create a skater and movies taken from the feature films. Whilst it is not on the level of that seen in THPS4, the replay is extended significantly.
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