Sunday, 22 May 2011

Are the classics really better?

More than any other type of entertainment, gaming has been the one that is seen to have developed and evolved the most over the past decade or so. Much like technology, as time advances, so do the games. Its not always like it in films though and music though, look at Twilight and N-Dubz. So whilst we all sit down with a beaming smile on our faces due to the latest blockbuster game that implements some crazy tech, gaming develops and changes into something new, something better.

However, I, young Mr James disagree here. If you are friends with me on the Facebook then you will know that I have recently started playing Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2. I downloaded it onto my iPod not that long ago and after destroying the single player, I decided to put this masterpiece into my PS3. I was blown away. Over 10 years after its original release, Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2 still amazed me. Its just so perfect. There is no stupid faffing around with online deathmatches or stupid peripheral that gets you wearing a space suit or something, no, THPS2 is pure, balls out gaming bliss. Whilst the majority of games now are more focused on having gorgeous graphics and a silky frame rate, back in 2000 the made do with what they had, which was basically nothing! I know that their are still brilliant games that care about gameplay, look at Portal or Fallout, but some games nowadays only really care about looking good (COUGH BLOODY COUGH KILLZONE 3).

Casually ollieing into a stair grind into a manual into a nosegrab 360 is still brilliant. The controls are so simple but deep, R1 isn't shoot and the levels are beautifully designed. THPS is a game that no matter what your skill level, whether it be Tony Hawk veteran or complete noob, it made you feel like a god. Few games are this accessible now days. Think Rust or Rainbow Road get you thinking tactically? Try nailing a run on Marseilles skate park! But, although the game has much better gameplay due to the concentration being fully on creating the best experience, the developers at Neversoft crammed their game with so many extras that it puts anything these days to shame. From Spider Man to the classic Horse mode, every aspect of it is amazing, not beautiful or polished, but fun.

I may be being biased as it holds many memories for me, but after playing Tony Hawks, I'm starting to think, have we really moved on as much as we think? Story has been a major turning point in gaming, steering games away from a random run around to a story driven engrossing narrative. I do enjoy the deep game, I love them, but occasionally I like to let loose of all intelligence, leave the mind bending twists behind and play games for the real reason we play them, for fun. Sadly, the Tony Hawks franchise has gone into a very large decline, but the second instalment has partially changed my views on gaming as a whole. I still want to remind you guys that I dont hate modern games now, I love them, hence me having a blog about them, but it just surprised me how a game from 10 years ago can still compete against the latest blockbuster. Fancy facial animation that 'picks up every single detail to the nearest millimetre'? Give me a board, an abandoned hanger and a legendary skater any day!

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