By diluting the core mechanics and rules that govern your navigation, these attempts at innovation actually cheapen the player's mastery over the established methods of movement. It's the same kind of awkward, discombobulating transition that dismays some Mario loyalists when they boot up Super Mario Sunshine for the first time and have to come to grips with the FLUDD. Beyond feeling floaty and unresponsive, being able to dismount from your primary mode of transportation is a harsh, unnecessary disconnect from the core of what Tony Hawk games are all about: a way to experience the smooth, fluid momentum of skating. Underground wasn't awful, but by introducing the ability to leap off your skateboard and run around on two feet, it threw the established rules of mobility into disarray. The Tony Hawk franchise lost its way when the principles of 3D platforming - well-defined movement and interesting levels - stopped being the focus. are devising their own approaches to objectives and big combos in much the same way, just on four wheels instead of two feet. You have the power to determine if Mario will simply run up a ramp, or wall jump to its apex, or do a backflip off a tree to skip the part of the level that awaited at the top of said ramp. Netting high scores is only possible once you've figured out your favorite lines, and those ramp-to-grind-to-manual combos can only be mapped out in your head after you've explored every nook and cranny of a given stage.
The size of the environments may vary, but the fun inherent to testing the limits of your movement stays constant. When playing THPS, you're constantly wanting to kickflip over stair sets and grind across rails on the way towards your objective, for the simple enjoyment of feeling out the boundaries in the space you're given. Players are lured into performing little hops and flips as they guide Mario toward his target, if only to experience the satisfying feedback of these responsive actions. Reaching your goal isn't about skating in a straight line, it's about the freedom you have to experiment with your methods of locomotion. Once you've gotten your bearings, you can focus on discerning the most efficient, fun, or impressive way to roam through these nonlinear playpens. Mario's stages operate in much the same way, turning every unfamiliar area into an exciting opportunity to get a lay of the land. Your physical maneuverability is a function of your mastery over the controls, mixed with your recognition of the intersecting trick lines that criss-cross through each level. All these movement abilities are the satisfying means to a clear, unrestricted end: reaching whatever part of the level currently interests you.Įxperiencing THPS is as much about the movements that carry you to your goal as the goal itself. Tony and his fellow skaters are all about the ollie, grinds, manuals, reverts, and fastplants. Mario has backflips, triple jumps, cartwheel flips, wall jumps, and long jumps. And most crucially, both have a defined set of mobility options that must be mastered if you are to succeed. Both drop you into large, open areas that give you the freedom to approach objectives however you see fit, without being so giant that you're constantly getting lost. Both respond to your inputs through tight, responsive controls and rock-solid physics. They may not look it, but Mario and Tony have a lot in common.
And when it comes to illustrating the Tony Hawk connection, I can think of no better comparison than the most influential 3D platformer ever made: Super Mario 64. Banjo-Kazooie, Spyro, Sly Cooper, Ratchet and Clank - they all put intense focus on ensuring that you always enjoy the act of moving through the game world, even if you're not actively thinking about the fluidity of the character controls, or the way stages are designed to constantly guide you in the pursuit of new areas. There are two core principles that define the best 3D platformers: interesting levels to explore, and engaging ways to traverse them.