By the Power of SKATEBOARDING!

Long Ago...

There was a time. A time where Video Games went from the edgy, in-your-face era of the '90s, to the EPIC, EXTREME ACTION OF THE Y2K ERA known as the Early 2000s. Games were getting cooler, Adult Swim was starting strong with the hits that would define themselves, and the TV Networks were edging out hit after hit after hit in terms of animation with the slow but inoffensive (yet hilariously in-your-face) rise of anime. And let's not forget the absurdity of stunt shows that made channels like MTV a household name.

But all of those are trash compared to the one thing that seemingly set that era in stone. The one thing that made a single man the legend he is today...

TONY HAWK

Man, I'm gonna be straight up. I miss the early 2000s, and the only thing I'd really leave behind is the fact of Video Game Subscriptions. To be fair, I didn't have many subscription-based games or online capabilities back then, but if I were to have that now?? WITH STEAM?????? I'd be aggravated.

I used to play it all the time with my friends at their houses. We played our own version of Horse during the single player campaigns of Pro Skater 2 and 4. There was a point where I was just playing the single player for a friend for Pro Skater 2 and I accidentally unlocked SPIDER-MAN for them.... SPIDER-MAN. It was awesome! And my friend was both excited AND angry. Let's just say... that was an interesting day.

Those PRO SKATER games are awesome! But for me, I never owned a Tony Hawk game....

Nah, instead, I had one of those epic spin-off knockoffs... and it was a Disney Game!

I almost passed on it when I saw the kid on the cover, but seeing three of the most popular Disney characters especially my personal favorite, BUUUUUUUUZZZZZZZ LIGHTYEEAAAAAAAAARRRRRR, on a skating hoverboard of sorts, I was like....

I dropped my allowance into this game and, especially after replaying it this weekend. It's still just as fun. It's not fast and frantic as the usual Tony Hawk game, but you can still pull off some crazy tricks. Just with easier button controls, especially for a PlayStation 2 game. And the music's not half-bad either. But hearing a slightly-censored version of Pacific Coast Party (they only cut one verse from the song) is surreal lol.

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There's loads of extreme sports games out there, and it was quite the time to be alive whether you were a kid or older. Nothing's gonna replace it.

If I were to look for one now, I'd go for Underground 2, just for the fact that you can skate as Shrek. (and Pro Skater 4 just for the fact that you can skate as JANGO FETT.)

SHReK Tony Hawk's Underground 2 (2004)

Jango Fett in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 (2002)

But what about you? Did you ever own an extreme sports game? If you owned a Tony Hawk game, which one did you have? Which was your favorite?

Be Toontastic~!