Which Tony Hawk campaign style do you prefer?

[GameShowPresident]

There's the classic style from 1-3, where you complete objectives in a 2 minute run or the one that was introduced in 4 where you complete specific tasks for other NPCs after talking to them.

I much prefer the style in the first few games. Having to talk to an NPC slows down the pace, and I'm locked into that one goal until it's complete or I give up. It also removes any potential self imposed challenge to complete all goals in a single run.

 

[jon bones]

I loved the format of the classic games, and I wish more modern games recaptured it.

Get me in & out of a short run to do something tricky. Like Celeste. Just perfect.

 

[HiLife]

Getting rid of the 2 minute timer was the best thing ever for the franchise imo. THPS4 and Underground are my favorites. Loved being able to take my time to really explore the area. I still remember College from THPS4...I never got tired of simply skating around. If I felt like doing missions then I did.

 

[Anth0ny]

2 minute runs all day

 

[Aswitch]

Underground is my absolute favorite so that's my choice. Really loved the rags to riches story moving up the ranks with the setbacks here and there.

 

[hotcyder]

Pretty much as you say at the end: much of the fun in Tony Hawk isn't just doing the objective but also doing it quick and chaining it into another. It's why many of the gap and SKATE letters followed natural lines you'd take in the level. It's almost like a sandbox racer in a weird way.

Weird place I think I feel a Tony Hawk Vibe is in speedrunning Mario Odyssey. Often some of the moons are in plain sight or easy to pull up. The challenge comes in chaining these moons together or optimising your run through a level to get the most under par. Balloon World scratches this itch a little bit I wonder if a "timed" objective mode in a future Odyssey game could scratch this itch better.

 

[Torpedo Vegas]

I liked the later ones, it was easier to goof around in since I wasn't loading in and out of the board.

 

[Goney]

I know I'll be in the minority here, but always preferred the open-world/no time limit style. THUG 1 is my favorite of the series.

 

[Phil32]

I liked the games that had both the regular open world and the Classic formula like the Underground games. They're my favorites of the franchise next to 2 and 3.

If I had to choose, though, I went with 2 minute.

 

[chrisPjelly]

While I get why people like the challenge of the first three, I think 4 onwards are suuuuper underrated as platformers. I loved exploring, goofing around, and stumbling into things at my own leisure

 

[SolVanderlyn]

Underground. Actually one of the more enjoyable stories in gaming.

 

[take_marsh]

The more open style is really great, but I feel classic is one of the many reasons why THPS 1-3 are legendary.

 

[VinylCassette64]

Classic, although coming from someone that's only owned/played 3 (as well as played a little bit of 2) I presume my opinion doesn't mean much as someone who hasn't played the other titles. I would say that I wouldn't mind a THPS sequel/spiritual successor that either had a longer time limit or allowed you to complete goals without the time limit, but it's unfortunately been years since I last played THPS3, so I can't really comment if the 2:00 time limit is really something that needs to be tinkered with.

 

[The_R3medy]

Give me Underground 3 please. Thanks.

 

[logan_cadfgs]

The first Tony Hawk game I got to spend a lot of time with was 4, so I was used to the open-world approach for the longest time. But the more time I spent with the classic 2-minute run, the more I came to appreciate it from a design perspective. It complements the gameplay perfectly, and makes even simple things like navigating the environments more white-knuckled and rewarding.

 

[Filipus]

THPS4 is my favorite. And I think it doesn't have to be a choice between those two because it would be easy to include a "classic mode" when selecting the levels.
I did like being able to focus on a single challenge and repeat it a ton until I got it.

 

[Deleted member 9290]

I like both.

THUG story mode was fun, but arcade is also great

 

[Muppet of a Man]

1 through 3 are the better format.

Also, look at this fuckin' guy:



He is like the video game rendition of himself in real life.

 

[Snake__]

I think that 3 was the best by far, but project 8 doesn't get enough credit, it was real good

 

[CaptainNuevo]

I like the objective styles of the open games, but the level designs in the 2-minute classic campaigns. Honestly the shift towards open levels made them feel like they flow a lot less easily and never felt as fun to do tricks in.

I guess overall I'd go classic only because the level designs were that much better.

 

[Goney]

Whats the best way to play THUG 1 in 2020?

 

[Deleted member 25606]

I like 4 best, combined the best of both worlds, take on missions when you want and free roam but that and no timer unless accomplishing a mission are the only real differences. There are no cars, story, any of the other bloated stuff that came later, it's pretty much just the first 3 games but without the 2 minute timer.

 

[sixteen-bit]

The original 2-minute run style was the best. I understand some folks like to take their time exploring the level at their own pace, but there was always Free Skate mode if you wanted to do so.

 

[Deleted member 15240]

Underground was my podcast game for a really long time. Loved just mindlessly doing tricks and grinding, with the occasional mission here and there. So yeah, 4 onward for me.

 

[Ryuhza]

That brief period when they featured both. I think it was THUG 2 and American Wasteland that did?

 

[kdm]

I always felt that the level design was better in 1-3. Latter entries had their place, but definitely not as polished.

 

[Nazgûl]

I loved THPS 4. Played a lot of hours.

 

[Deleted member 13155]

From the OG trilogy. Always. TH3 is GOAT. Or TH2... that was something on Dreamcast. I can never decide lol.

 

[HiLife]

I remember feeling the coolest kid on the block when I figured out the 900 by myself. Right, Down, Circle. From then on I figured out that special tricks would follow a similar format and started going through each skater and pressing right, down, circle. Right, right, circle. Etc etc. until I figured out every special. Idk why that stuck with me.

 

[The Benz]

I honestly found the timer to be pretty annoying in my recent playthrough of the series. I feel like THPS4 was the sweet spot for me - more freedom while maintaining the classic feel of the earlier games.

 

[Print_Dog]

Underground was the best campaign. The levels had all kinds of secrets and trick spots. If I had it I'd replay it.

 

[Falchion]

Don't rush me with that timer, I just want to chill and explore.

 

[Video Games Are Dumb]

4 onwards? I believe you mean "shit they wholesale stole from Aggressive Inline"

 

[BlastProcessing]

Without the timer, it never felt right to me.

 

[Dot-N-Run]

I always like exploring the maps at my leisure.

Also, the story in THUG was actually surprisingly effective at getting people emotionally invested (i.e. everyone loves to hate Eric Sparrow).

 

[ClivePwned]

everything about the first three. after that, too bloated and too much emphasis on jackass style minigames.

 

[Camwi]

This poll is nuts. People want a time limit instead of being able to explore at their leisure? Madness.

 

[Deleted member 8784]

You could never have a villain as dastardly as Eric Sparrow within the confines of a two minute run through a level.
I do love both though.

 

[sn00zer]

All you pre-THUG voters are insane. I want Eric Sparrow, and horribly read lines from real skateboarders.

 

[Het_Nkik]

This poll is nuts. People want a time limit instead of being able to explore at their leisure? Madness.

Click to shrink...

There were non-timed modes in the games. But completing objectives against a timer is more rewarding and more fun.

 

[Rei dos Vermes]

The classic THPS games had a perfect gameplay loop. If we ever get a new entry in the series, I hope it's based on the original trilogy.

 

[George]

Coming from someone that has speedrun just about all the games in the series, Classic all the way. The way the goals flow together and ways to route the levels out is basically unparalleled. I always equate it to being like Super Mario 64 on a time limit, and you don't get ejected from a level when completing a goal. My only complaints are that the levels are almost too bite-sized once you've routed them out and that competition stages are mostly meaningless because the scoring system is pretty bad throughout the whole series.

Underground 2's story mode comes close to striking a nice balance, but having to unlock several sets of goals per level and some of the goals obviously being designed around the fact that there is no time limit destroys a lot of the potential flow.

I think a lot about the old games still works really well. Any developer trying to make a new Tony Hawk game or even a game inspired by it would do well to focus on the movement and platforming and then developing the goals around that.

 

[Richietto]

I like both but I prefer timerless.

 

[ascii42]

This poll is nuts. People want a time limit instead of being able to explore at their leisure? Madness.

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The result was tighter, more polished level design. But getting rid of the timer did open up new design opportunities.
Personally I'm glad we got both types.

 

[newmoneytrash]

That brief period when they featured both. I think it was THUG 2 and American Wasteland that did?

Click to shrink...

yeah but the classic mode always felt kinda underbaked

 

[Larrikin]

That brief period when they featured both. I think it was THUG 2 and American Wasteland that did?

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This. THAW is my favourite in the series. Lots of cool variety in challenges.

 

[russbus64]

The classic formula has always been more appealing to me. The added challenge of trying to get as many objectives done within a time limit has no equivalent in the story based games (as much as I love the story in THUG). THAW was probably the worst in this regard. It felt like half of the story missions were tutorials.

 

[Trace]

I still like THUG the most. It still has a lot of "arcade style challenges" just with a bit of narrative stringing it together. I've never been a fan of the timer myself.

 

[Psychonaut]

Wow, I didn't know Era had such bad Tony Hawk opinions. I thought the original games were alright, but I never LOVED the games until I could roam free by my own watch.

 

[jwk94]

I loved the format of the classic games, and I wish more modern games recaptured it.

Get me in & out of a short run to do something tricky. Like Celeste. Just perfect.

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Seems like this would be perfect for mobile devices.