Tony Hawk's Underground
Encyclopedia
Tony Hawk's Underground, abbreviated to THUG, is a skateboard
ing video game, available for the PlayStation 2
, GameCube
, Game Boy Advance
, and Xbox
platforms released in 2003. A PC
version was released exclusively in Australia as a budget release in 2005. This version was ported by Beenox. In 2004, its sequel
was released.
It is the fifth game in the Tony Hawk's series. It features the ability to create a custom character, and supports face mapping and online play on the PS2 and PC versions. Unlike its predecessors, Underground focuses heavily on its story mode, plus is also the first game in the series to introduce the ability to travel around levels on foot.
, with the Custom Skater and Eric exploring the area and helping prepare for Chad Muska
's skate demo. After the demo, the Custom Skater performs for Chad as he explores the greater New Jersey area to grab his attention. Once accomplished, he suggests to the player to earn a sponsorship from the local skateshop, and gives the player his skateboard out of respect. After impressing the local sponsored skaters, one of Custom Skater's friends, Shawn, says that the local drug dealers have stolen a skateboard
from Peralta's shop. The custom skater is sent on a dangerous odyssey to retrieve it.
The Custom Skater then meets up with Stacy Peralta
, and asks for a sponsorship from his skate shop. He makes it a deal, as long as the Custom Skater shows him something original and doesn't film in any local spots. When the Custom Skater tells Eric the good news, he responds in a nervous panic that the drug dealers have been following him, angry that he destroyed their car. In an effort to help Eric, the Custom Skater leaves town with him to Manhattan, New York.
Once the Custom Skater arrives in Manhattan, he and Eric decide to make a skate video hitting famous lines and tricks in well-known areas of Manhattan, and complete the sponsorship video by performing various tricks over a burning taxi. Once completed, the Custom Skater talks to Stacy who tells him to join the Tampa AM skate event in Florida
. The player arrives in Tampa
in trouble with the police for driving a shoddy vehicle (an old hippie bus lent by Stacy) with a police-offensive bumper sticker (cops push mongo). Eric gets arrested for mouthing off to the officer, meaning the Custom Skater must first do favors for the local police force to bail out Eric. The Custom Skater then proceeds with the Tampa experience. By the time the event starts, the Custom Skater gets into an argument with Eric when he "forgets" to sign the Custom Skater up. After impressing local pros, and doing some doubles with Tony Hawk himself, the Custom Skater is allowed into the event.
Once the Custom Skater dominates the event, he joins the sponsor of his choice (Birdhouse
, Element
, Flip
, Girl
, or Zero
, each choice modifying the GUI
of the game), which sends the Custom Skater to San Diego to do a demo. Eric is soon joined to the team, introduced to the Custom Skater during his party-induced hangover. When the Custom Skater and Eric impresses their team manager Todd with their performance at the demo, the pair are sent to Hawaii
to film for a team video. In Hawaii, the Custom Skater searches for a spot that has been untouched by skaters. The Custom Skater eventually finds the rooftop of a tall hotel, and calls Eric to film him skating on it. When a police helicopter arrives, Eric insists that the Custom Skater leave, but he wants to seize the moment of a challenge, and performs a McTwist off the hotel's roof, over the helicopter, and onto the rooftop of the neighboring building, with Eric capturing it on film. Custom Skater and his team then travel to Vancouver, Canada.
In Vancouver, after doing some local favors, the Custom Skater goes to Slam City and views the team's video premiere after hurriedly finishing parts for it. To the surprise of the Custom Skater, Eric had edited the filming of the rooftop jump to his benefit. Todd immediately makes Eric a professional skater, and presents him his own pro-model board. After confronting Eric, who couldn't care less about the frantic and angry situation that Custom Skater is in, the Custom Skater enters the Slam City Jam
contest, and (despite still being an Amateur) lies that he is a pro and proceeds to take on a series of pro-competitions. The competition ends in a one-on-one between the Custom Skater and Eric. The Custom Skater wins, and is declared a pro by Todd. After gaining a shoe
sponsor, the team decides to go to an international pro skateboard demo in Moscow. While practicing for the demo, the Custom Skater is reconciled with Eric, and the two perform a double performance together.
In Moscow
, Custom Skater follows a drunk Eric when he steals the keys to a Russian tank, and takes it on a ride through town. After attempting to stop it, the Custom Skater loses control of the tank, and crashes into a building and becomes trapped in the tank under a pile of rubble. Eric runs off, leaving the Custom Skater to get sent to jail. The team sacks the Custom Skater, and leaves him stranded in Moscow. The American Embassy bails Custom Skater out, but he must get home by doing favors for locals.
When Custom Skater arrives back in New Jersey, he finds that Eric has changed. Eric now has many sponsors, has a record label
in the making and now only skates for money. Eric reveals that he has been plotting to bring the Custom Skater down from the very beginning, and that the money is all that matters in professional skateboarding. The Custom Skater resolves to show Eric how wrong he is by making a "soul skating" video; a collection of pure skating exhibitions featuring a team of the best pros selected by the Custom Skater and Peralta. This is very successful, and provokes Eric into challenging the player to a last "skateboarding line" in return for the Hawaii
tape he refused to let air at the Slam City Jam. After the player wins, the Custom Skater takes the tape and walks away from Eric, who throws a tantrum as the player leaves.
If the player completes the story a second time, there is an alternate ending
. Instead of the Custom Skater following Eric's line again, a cut scene shows him flashing the tape at the player, but in a final frustrated move, the player punches Eric in the jaw, grabs the tape, and walks away as Eric faints onto his car. If all of the challenges are completed, the player is rewarded with a collection of game cheats.
There are secret tapes and levels from Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
that the player can unlock by obtaining 'floating' pictures of the THPS2 game case or tapes.
In each level of the game (usually by beating a challenge that requires it), the player also has an opportunity to use vehicles throughout the level. Encountering the professional skateboarders in each level features them trying to teach the player a new trick to add to their slots (although these goals are not necessary for progression in the game).
rated the game a 9.5/10. Gamespot
rated the game a 8.9/10. On Metacritic
, the game has an aggregate score of 90/100, based on 38 critic reviews. The game has sold 2.41 million copies on the PS2 worldwide.
Skateboard
A skateboard is typically a specially designed plywood board combined with a polyurethane coating used for making smoother slides and stronger durability, used primarily for the activity of skateboarding. The first skateboards to reach public notice came out of the surfing craze of the early 1960s,...
ing video game, available for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
, Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
, and Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
platforms released in 2003. A PC
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
version was released exclusively in Australia as a budget release in 2005. This version was ported by Beenox. In 2004, its sequel
Tony Hawk's Underground 2
Tony Hawk's Underground 2, also known as THUG 2, is the sixth installment in Neversoft's Tony Hawk's Series and sequel to Tony Hawk's Underground. Tony Hawk's Underground 2 was released on October 4, 2004 for the PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, PC, and Game Boy Advance platforms...
was released.
It is the fifth game in the Tony Hawk's series. It features the ability to create a custom character, and supports face mapping and online play on the PS2 and PC versions. Unlike its predecessors, Underground focuses heavily on its story mode, plus is also the first game in the series to introduce the ability to travel around levels on foot.
Story
The story follows the trials and tribulations of two unknown skaters. The player, as a Custom Skater (the main character in the storyline) and the Custom Skater's friend Eric Sparrow. The story begins in their hometown in New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, with the Custom Skater and Eric exploring the area and helping prepare for Chad Muska
Chad Muska
Chad Muska is an American professional skateboarder, musician and DJ.-Biography:Muska is a professional skateboarder and musician, known for his part in the 1998 skateboarding video, Shorty's Fulfill The Dream....
's skate demo. After the demo, the Custom Skater performs for Chad as he explores the greater New Jersey area to grab his attention. Once accomplished, he suggests to the player to earn a sponsorship from the local skateshop, and gives the player his skateboard out of respect. After impressing the local sponsored skaters, one of Custom Skater's friends, Shawn, says that the local drug dealers have stolen a skateboard
Skateboard
A skateboard is typically a specially designed plywood board combined with a polyurethane coating used for making smoother slides and stronger durability, used primarily for the activity of skateboarding. The first skateboards to reach public notice came out of the surfing craze of the early 1960s,...
from Peralta's shop. The custom skater is sent on a dangerous odyssey to retrieve it.
The Custom Skater then meets up with Stacy Peralta
Stacy Peralta
Stacy Peralta is an American director and entrepreneur. Peralta was previously a professional skateboarder and surfer with the professional skateboarding group, the Z-Boys.-Early life:...
, and asks for a sponsorship from his skate shop. He makes it a deal, as long as the Custom Skater shows him something original and doesn't film in any local spots. When the Custom Skater tells Eric the good news, he responds in a nervous panic that the drug dealers have been following him, angry that he destroyed their car. In an effort to help Eric, the Custom Skater leaves town with him to Manhattan, New York.
Once the Custom Skater arrives in Manhattan, he and Eric decide to make a skate video hitting famous lines and tricks in well-known areas of Manhattan, and complete the sponsorship video by performing various tricks over a burning taxi. Once completed, the Custom Skater talks to Stacy who tells him to join the Tampa AM skate event in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. The player arrives in Tampa
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
in trouble with the police for driving a shoddy vehicle (an old hippie bus lent by Stacy) with a police-offensive bumper sticker (cops push mongo). Eric gets arrested for mouthing off to the officer, meaning the Custom Skater must first do favors for the local police force to bail out Eric. The Custom Skater then proceeds with the Tampa experience. By the time the event starts, the Custom Skater gets into an argument with Eric when he "forgets" to sign the Custom Skater up. After impressing local pros, and doing some doubles with Tony Hawk himself, the Custom Skater is allowed into the event.
Once the Custom Skater dominates the event, he joins the sponsor of his choice (Birdhouse
Birdhouse Skateboards
Birdhouse Skateboards is a skateboard company formed by ex-Powell Peralta pros Tony Hawk and Per Welinder in 1992....
, Element
Element Skateboards
Element Skateboards is a skateboard manufacturer and surfwear retailer based in Irvine, California. It is a subsidiary of Australian clothing giants Billabong International....
, Flip
Flip Skateboards
Flip Skateboards is a US-based international skateboard company, owned by Jeremy Fox, Ian Deacon, and Geoff Rowley. The company produces skateboard decks, wheels, and clothing. Flip is distributed by NHS Distribution in the US.- History :...
, Girl
Girl Skateboards
The Girl Distribution Company is a skateboarding distribution company based in Torrance, California, which houses several companies including Girl Skateboards, Chocolate Skateboards, Royal Skateboard Trucks, and Fourstar Clothing....
, or Zero
Zero Skateboards
Zero Skateboards is a skateboard company located in Carlsbad, California. It is part of the Black Box Distribution family. Zero decks are manufactured in Tijuana, Mexico, by Edieth and Osuna, which is owned by Jamie Thomas...
, each choice modifying the GUI
Graphical user interface
In computing, a graphical user interface is a type of user interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices with images rather than text commands. GUIs can be used in computers, hand-held devices such as MP3 players, portable media players or gaming devices, household appliances and...
of the game), which sends the Custom Skater to San Diego to do a demo. Eric is soon joined to the team, introduced to the Custom Skater during his party-induced hangover. When the Custom Skater and Eric impresses their team manager Todd with their performance at the demo, the pair are sent to Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
to film for a team video. In Hawaii, the Custom Skater searches for a spot that has been untouched by skaters. The Custom Skater eventually finds the rooftop of a tall hotel, and calls Eric to film him skating on it. When a police helicopter arrives, Eric insists that the Custom Skater leave, but he wants to seize the moment of a challenge, and performs a McTwist off the hotel's roof, over the helicopter, and onto the rooftop of the neighboring building, with Eric capturing it on film. Custom Skater and his team then travel to Vancouver, Canada.
In Vancouver, after doing some local favors, the Custom Skater goes to Slam City and views the team's video premiere after hurriedly finishing parts for it. To the surprise of the Custom Skater, Eric had edited the filming of the rooftop jump to his benefit. Todd immediately makes Eric a professional skater, and presents him his own pro-model board. After confronting Eric, who couldn't care less about the frantic and angry situation that Custom Skater is in, the Custom Skater enters the Slam City Jam
Slam City Jam
Slam City Jam, the North American Skateboard Championships, was scheduled to return to Vancouver, BC in May 2008, but it has been postponed to May 2009 for unknown reasons. Debuted in Vancouver in 1994, Slam City Jam is the longest-running skateboarding event in North America and is among the best...
contest, and (despite still being an Amateur) lies that he is a pro and proceeds to take on a series of pro-competitions. The competition ends in a one-on-one between the Custom Skater and Eric. The Custom Skater wins, and is declared a pro by Todd. After gaining a shoe
Skate shoes
Skate shoes are shoes specially designed and manufactured for use in skateboarding. While some non-skaters choose to wear skate shoes, the design of the skate shoe includes many features designed for use in skateboarding...
sponsor, the team decides to go to an international pro skateboard demo in Moscow. While practicing for the demo, the Custom Skater is reconciled with Eric, and the two perform a double performance together.
In Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, Custom Skater follows a drunk Eric when he steals the keys to a Russian tank, and takes it on a ride through town. After attempting to stop it, the Custom Skater loses control of the tank, and crashes into a building and becomes trapped in the tank under a pile of rubble. Eric runs off, leaving the Custom Skater to get sent to jail. The team sacks the Custom Skater, and leaves him stranded in Moscow. The American Embassy bails Custom Skater out, but he must get home by doing favors for locals.
When Custom Skater arrives back in New Jersey, he finds that Eric has changed. Eric now has many sponsors, has a record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
in the making and now only skates for money. Eric reveals that he has been plotting to bring the Custom Skater down from the very beginning, and that the money is all that matters in professional skateboarding. The Custom Skater resolves to show Eric how wrong he is by making a "soul skating" video; a collection of pure skating exhibitions featuring a team of the best pros selected by the Custom Skater and Peralta. This is very successful, and provokes Eric into challenging the player to a last "skateboarding line" in return for the Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
tape he refused to let air at the Slam City Jam. After the player wins, the Custom Skater takes the tape and walks away from Eric, who throws a tantrum as the player leaves.
If the player completes the story a second time, there is an alternate ending
Alternate ending
Alternate ending is a term used to describe the ending of a story that was planned or debated but ultimately unused in favor of the actual ending. Generally, alternate endings are considered to have no bearing on the canonical narrative...
. Instead of the Custom Skater following Eric's line again, a cut scene shows him flashing the tape at the player, but in a final frustrated move, the player punches Eric in the jaw, grabs the tape, and walks away as Eric faints onto his car. If all of the challenges are completed, the player is rewarded with a collection of game cheats.
There are secret tapes and levels from Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2, often abbreviated as THPS2, is the second game in the Tony Hawk's series. It was developed by Neversoft and published by Activision in 2000...
that the player can unlock by obtaining 'floating' pictures of the THPS2 game case or tapes.
Game mechanics
For the first time in the series, the player can get off the board in order to walk, run and climb around as an alternate to skating. This is necessary to reach some locations and challenges. The player is now able to leave the skateboard in the middle of a combo of tricks and continue the combo elsewhere, as long as he or she continues within a time limit. Added to the moves in THUG is the wall push, the wall plant, hip transfer and acid drop.In each level of the game (usually by beating a challenge that requires it), the player also has an opportunity to use vehicles throughout the level. Encountering the professional skateboarders in each level features them trying to teach the player a new trick to add to their slots (although these goals are not necessary for progression in the game).
Skaters
The game's default in story mode is the Custom Skater. By playing the levels and challenges, the player can pre-emptively access the professional playable characters in Free Skate modes, as well as unlock secret and bonus characters through Story Mode.Soundtrack
Reception
IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
rated the game a 9.5/10. Gamespot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
rated the game a 8.9/10. On Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, the game has an aggregate score of 90/100, based on 38 critic reviews. The game has sold 2.41 million copies on the PS2 worldwide.
Awards
- E3 2003 Game Critics AwardsGame Critics AwardsThe Game Critics Awards are a set of annual awards held after the E3 video game conference since 1998. The awards are given to products displayed at E3 with the title Best of E3 of their category. The nominees and winners of the awards are chosen by individual judges representing 35 major North...
: Best Sports Game - GameSpotGameSpotGameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
's Best And Worst 2003 Most Despicable Use of In-Game Advertising - Kids' Choice Awards's Favorite Video Game 2004
- MTV Video Music AwardsMTV Video Music AwardsAn MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
's 2004 Best Video Game Soundtrack