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I played the series through American Wasteland, and I always thought THUG 1 was the best of the entire series. THUG 2 has a little bit better controls, but oof, that story, and so many dumb challenges. This one actually has a relatively GOOD story to it, which helps it move along. Plus, my character of a punk rock skeleton in 3D specs always made me happy.
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Mar 29, 2018 02:14
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| # ¿ May 10, 2024 00:32 |
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Eh, I think a lot of the humor and stuff is intentional. Heck, Eric kinda implies there that Muska didn't really do squat and he's getting paid the mad money for it. If you watch the plot for THUG 2, you'd find yourself dying for the parts that take itself seriously in this game. As Jackass was at its peak at the time, it basically becomes entirely Bam Margera and his crew doing wacky things around the world while laughing at the camera as much as it's about, you know, skateboarding.
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Mar 29, 2018 16:49
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Ugh, everything about Moscow is awful in my memory of this game. Not just the gaps but the challenges too.
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Mar 29, 2018 22:18
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I have never heard the phrase "Flipping a bitch" outside of this game.
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Apr 1, 2018 19:36
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You actually could do it to a more limited level all the way back in THPS 3 actually. Also Deez Nuts goes back to at least the mid 90s fyi.
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Apr 1, 2018 21:32
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Making me feel old. I was nearly out of college when this came out.
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Apr 2, 2018 14:32
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I kinda like the New York level. I once made a custom trick line that made you have to do a series of grinds that went from that blue building with the high ledge, all the way around the level and back again, doing the anchor launch, because the layout is just right where if you know what you're doing you can hit it all. Also, the Downhill Jam level you showed last from THPS1 is probably my all time LEAST favorite Tony Hawk level. The gaps are weirdly spaced, and the one way track really bothers me. There are extremely few spots where you can turn around like you did at the end with any efficacy.
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Apr 6, 2018 01:57
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Jamesman posted:Yeah, that and the Mall level were kinda holdovers from when the game was initially a racing-style game. Almost everyone agrees they're not great because they don't mesh with what the games ended up being, yet they kept finding themselves brought back. The Mall isn't as bad because there's a lot of optional stuff to do like skate up in the lights or the little side alcoves that are semi half pipes. The Downhill Jam has some areas with two spots tops, but it's a pain to do both in the same run, and the track railroads you hard.
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Apr 6, 2018 10:29
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Glazius posted:The thing that surprised me the most about that level was that they actually put in climbable ladders. I did not expect this much off-board platforming. Oh yeah, and for at least the next two sequels they really lean into it hard. Like there's all kinds of weird spots to skate that you can't actually get to on your board.
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Apr 7, 2018 19:14
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Haha, Roswell. Such an a-hole move to make the level you probably want to explore the most in the game instead be a tourney stage. I and some friends used a gameshark back in the day to create low gravity super jumps, and discovered there were spots beyond the fence where you could land without counting as an out of bounds bail, but they were all tiny patches of flat ground you couldn't actually even move in.
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Apr 10, 2018 23:45
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I don't remember, do any of the goals show off the secret of the strip club? That the roof is break able and the inside is a big bowl with strippers dancing in it Also isn't the alley you briefly showed behind the club where the Goat Fucker shown in the intro video is? For those that don't know, at least from THPS4 through THAW, there's a Goat Fucker hidden somewhere in each game...that being a guy standing directly behind a goat, practically against it, being super excited. I never played past THAW so I don't know if he's still around after, but I wouldn't be shocked if he were.
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Apr 15, 2018 20:56
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Jamesman posted:You open up the gym by grinding the Opunsezmee rail (the one with the A letter above it) about 20 seconds after starting the level, when the bell's ringing. Such an obscure way to unlock a hidden area. You only NEED to do this if you're completing the gap list though. Isn't opening the pool one of the goals when the level is brought back for classic mode in THAW? Also, I want to say that every level in THPS2 has a secret area, doesn't it?
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Apr 16, 2018 02:40
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I have no idea where I got the Classic Mode idea from. Looking it up I see that you can unlock the level for free mode in this very game, along with the Hanger and Venice Beach, and iirc they all count if you want to get 100% gaps. That said, the pool is unlocked by default.
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Apr 16, 2018 07:00
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I hope you left the sound effects ON for the final level (and turned off music, natch)--that's the best part. Also there's the audio easter egg if you break all the glass in the atrium windows/roof
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Apr 17, 2018 08:25
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That's fair. I'd say it takes quite a while to get that thing I spoiler text mentioned. But on the bright side, its effects are permanent on the save file.
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Apr 17, 2018 08:42
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For the record, I always go with Zero, just because I'm a sucker for skulls. Also, you forgot to mention that when you pick a team, you unlock their layout for the pause and title menus, as well as all their gear. Just a small little detail, but it's fun.
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Apr 19, 2018 02:56
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I believe Venice Beach in THPS2 is the first time Ollie the Magic Bum appears, he's a series regular, we saw him in New Jersey, chasing down his "house" at the train tracks. Also I think this is the first time in the LP (but not in the series) Officer Dick has appeared. As far as I know, he's a fictional character, but I always thought he was inspired by the police officer that's a skating fan in the classic "In Search of Animal Chin" tape. (A video by Powell-Perralta made in the 80s of a bunch of skaters, including many in this game, skating all over the world, and is regarded as the best skating video ever)
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Apr 23, 2018 15:10
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Not going to show off the Secret level that unlocks upon completion of THPS2? Also, Private Carrera is another character like Officer Dick that has been around as a secret since part 1 and is in fact, not a real person. I'm pretty sure they just wanted a "sexy girl" skater included. Also I'm eager for Hawaii, I always liked that level, it has some interesting things to do in it if you explore.
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Apr 26, 2018 21:05
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NHO posted:Why you took Eric, Tony? He didn't do anything! Do you want sudden and inexplicable fire to happen to all the team's boards? We went with Jamie Thomas' team, Zero, not Hawk, Tony's not our founder  Speaking of pros, it's a nice touch in the video that we keep interacting with the same generic guy that's supposedly a pro. Also, him showing us the deck designs on the plane is a subtle lampshading that we can design our own board logo once WE hit pro level.
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Apr 26, 2018 21:32
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I had a friend that had the first two games and we'd fart around from time to time on them among other games, but once I was in college, 3 came out on PS2, and playing with friends convinced me it was a good purchase for me, and I stuck with the series through THAW.
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Apr 27, 2018 14:31
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A little disappointed that the Foundry recap didn't show off the unlocked room with all the free time you had left, but it's no big deal, there's nothing special in there, just a few ramps and stuff. Will you be showing off the pointless but cool secret in Hawaii?
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May 2, 2018 15:19
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Sheesh, I forgot how exaggerated Wolverine's mask was in THPS3. Also, there's a secret little easter egg in Suburbia much like the one we saw in Hawaii, only with no rewards. If you stop and look at the front door to the "Thin Man's" house, it'll occasionally open and shut just a small amount on its own. It's all dark inside with some glowing eyes. You can jump into the opening for a creepy little bail. Also, iirc, isn't there some fun spooky background details in the little passage up top that led to the secret tape? I'm almost positive there's at least spooky sound effects if you can manage to stop up there (something not easy with the inertia of getting there)
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May 7, 2018 19:04
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Vancouver is such a pain for finding gaps. Like, it's an okay level to explore, but there's a lot of pain stuff in it. That third thief for example can totally skate out of bounds which is bs. In THPS3, remember that suburbia door thing I mentioned? If you do it with Demoness, the bail message changes to "Welcome Home". Also before you get his ax, the Thin Man reacts to her the way male NPCs react to Carrera, which is to say they get goofy and start saying things like "'sup?" lamely trying to look cool.
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May 11, 2018 11:09
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My best memory of the Airport was my first time playing online in a TH game (I want to say it's THAW? that the level is available). Anyways, we're playing a tag style game where there's two teams, and you have to hit members of the other team like, 5 times, or throw stuff at them (a feature that becomes available in THUG2) to "tag" them before they're out. Somehow I wound up the only person alive on my team because I was off farting around like, in the baggage claim or something, and there's like, 5 members of the other team still alive. Two of them track me down and start chasing me, so I'm like "crap!" and take off. Apparently the other 3 were just hanging out by the entrance, including a bikini girl skinned player that totally wasn't really playing (a far too common occurrence in the online THPS community I would find). So I'm sitting there, flying down the level, grinding on the people movers and stuff, and I go to leap over those stragglers heads, and completely whiff, and fly full speed straight into the bikini girl's head. Every single player and spectator (you can watch once you're out) just bust out laughing, and it suddenly changes the dynamic to me trying to continually hit their "queen" while avoiding them. I managed to do it two or three times more too. Fun times.
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May 13, 2018 17:07
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I forgot about that flat as hell guy in LA lol. Also, the Vancouver Tape was the first time I legit ran into trouble with a faq, as it explained it horribly. Finally, the cruise secret I mentioned earlier is, if you shatter all the glass in that greenhouse deck in a single run, over the pa you hear the captain get in a fight and a NEW captain takes over with a far more sarcastic voice, yet all the same lines. This persists on that save file permanently.
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May 17, 2018 00:36
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Oh yeah, you do fine. Video makes all the difference in describing gaps in this series. Also I agree that THPS3 is a beautiful game. There is constant attention to detail that actively rewards exploration, and there's so, so many secret characters to replay with. Not just the unlockables either, but the name game is still there too, with everyone from neversoft employees to kids of skaters, to even some original creations like rastapoplus, the guy behind the counter at the menu, or put in "braineaters" for my favorite unique head. The other thing about thps3 is that it really galvinated in its popularity a huge upsurge in copycats both inside company and out. There's a couple I think deserve more love. Simpsons Skateboarding isn't as terrible as it first appears, as its flaws are the same as in many of the franchise's games: sloppy controls and poor instructions. That said the levels are interesting, huge, and full of detail, and worth someone putting effort into exploring. More pertinent however is the game Aggressive Inline. That game is good. The game actually beat thps4 to many of its innovations, like large open levels with timers only on goals activated by talking to stuff, skitching, heck even revert combos. (Though the different manual timing takes getting used to if you're a hawk veteran) and having stats go up with successful tricks. They even do several unique things, like juice box pickups scattered around that refill/extend your special meter (if it drops to empty your run is over and it drops slowly over time or in big bits when you bail.) or even neater, having parts of levels locked off and the keys hidden in other levels (most hidden IN locked areas) and when unlocked, not only open up more area to skate in, but also harder goals to complete--a "pro" quest if you will. A few of these areas are as big as the original play areas themselves even. The biggest downsides being that A. they didn't quite playtest it enough and there's a few bugs in the game that are easy to accidentally trigger (probably because they spent more time on boob jiggle physics instead) and well...it's roller blading so it will never be as popular as skateboarding. Still, I highly recommend it if you're into thps.
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May 17, 2018 19:58
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Well like I said, the controls are intensely sloppy and take forever to get used to, which is a shame, because the levels are large and detailed with quite a few several interesting setpieces that would be cool in a better controlling game. For example, to really speed up, you don't just press X which readies your ollie, but you have to press up to kick the ground. Like, they could have just copied the engine and slapped on the ip, but no, instead it's like they watched a kid play the original and build what they thought they saw. If you can get used to the shoddy controls, the game is worth a look. But that's a big if.
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May 17, 2018 23:56
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Yeah, for all that's wrong with Eric, he still knows how to skate at pro skill, so I always assumed they meant he did the gap after the coast cleared, the snake
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May 18, 2018 16:53
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Aww, being done with THPS3 means no more end content. oh well. Also, DJ Qbert is a pretty world famous DJ. Like people consider him one of the best.
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May 22, 2018 06:45
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disappointed the board doesn't say "El Barto"
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May 25, 2018 23:12
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Jamesman posted:There's only 4 layers to work with to add characters. I meant instead of "Bart"
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May 26, 2018 01:23
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Yeah it's funny, it's simultaneously the most forgettable in the series, while being mechanically probably the best. Like, after this point, the series just adds fluff and the stories get dumber. I will admit to liking the many, many levels in the next game, mechanically it's just not as good.
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May 26, 2018 20:41
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Yeah, the non skating missions in THUG 2 are just horrible. Especially the ones where you get a weird vehicle thing (which every level has) because they control just so, so badly. And yeah, the writing is really really bad, jumping on the gravy train of Jackass' popularity at the time, as Bam Margera was already a long established skater in the game series. Though the constant dunking on Eric Sparrow is pretty great after this game
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May 28, 2018 00:39
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Russia is such a pretty level, but man does it feel like a pain to get everything in.
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Jun 1, 2018 11:14
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Oh yeah, that makes sense. I remember at least one gap in Venice Beach I could NOT do without moon gravity, which made me feel like a dirty cheater. The 100% gaps challenge is stupid hard in this.
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Jun 4, 2018 03:55
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Straight outta moscow is a lot harder than it looks here. You have to learn the path to thread by trial and error, and the time limit is tight af. Will you be showing off in the final video what happens when you beat the game a second time on the same save?
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Jun 8, 2018 15:07
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Yeah, THAW isn't terrible. It just kinda feels like they're losing creativity by that point more than anything when it comes to ways to do things. The story isn't all that bad, and some of the levels are just plain full of fun stuff to trick on. Funny enough, Tony Hawk's American Sk8land for the NDS actually reuses most of the story mode levels in lower def graphics (but oddly replaces the casino level with Alcatraz from THPS4, which is odd, especially since in story you just take a helicopter from East LA to the island, pretending it's not off the coast of San Francisco instead, which would be a several hour helicopter ride)
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Jun 14, 2018 08:32
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Been lazy but catching up. The Fatty Transfer in Venice Beach was the one I couldn't do without moon physics. I'm kinda bad at transfers that aren't even horizontally. I started playing the series for real with 3, but yeah, Hanger is one of the all time best levels.
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Jun 28, 2018 22:54
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| # ¿ May 10, 2024 00:32 |
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Thanks a lot for the LP man. It brought back lots of great memories. That alternate ending is so freakin satisfying by that point. Eric definitely earned it. Speaking of Eric getting clowned on, THUG2 has several scenes of Eric totally sucking and being a wussy poser. That and Jersy being used in the intro despite not being in the game-plus your dude already being a pro at the start all add up to small clues that it's supposed to be a direct sequel to THUG 1. It's funny, 2 switches the pros and cons from 1. Like, the levels are for the most part interesting and huge (Berlin is prob my fave, with lots vying for second place. Too bad Boston is the first new level, it's probably worst whole game). On the other hand the writing is pants on head stupid, with Tony Hawk and Bam Margera deciding to jump on the Jackass phenomenon that was just starting to wane at the time, and make 2 competing teams of pros to go on a world tour of skating and hooliganism, heavy on the latter. Like the 2 games do reflect each other well. THAW also isn't awful, but you can definitely tell that the spark is fading. The script is so so and straight out of an 80s movie (we gotta save the park! Let's put on a show!) and the pros rarely get more than a token appearance for their late game goals. Also the mechanics are a little more grounded while the level design and goals aren't, creating some frustration. Also a lot of the levels are very samey in story mode, probably half deliberately, as you never leave LA. Wow, that's a lot of words for games not in this LP...
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Jul 6, 2018 11:10
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