work in progress...
(had to get creative with some of these wiki entries)
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THPS 2: HANGER Like most of THPS 2, Hanger is a follow up to a THPS level with twice as much for the player to do and thrice as much personality. Beginning the game with a compact yet dense level like this immediately indicates to the player that THPS 2 is brimming with good ideas. HOWEVER - this level also represents the US' piss poor efforts to store and maintain our old military tech, and you bet your best stick of butter I'll be emailing my local congresspeople to ask them how they plan on wheeling that fighter jet through that half pipe
THPS 2: MARSEILLE Probably one of the best competition stages. I think what I like about it is that the pool is a little more interesting to traverse for vert tricks, but there are a bunch of really obvious yet challenging lines to hit for street stuff. It's also got a pretty unique aesthetic relative to other levels. I would play a game that was just tourism but using PS1 graphics and skateboards.
THPS: WAREHOUSE classic flavor Warehouse is this perfect little toybox that lets you try ALL of the mechanics in the entire game at once. The rail is even curved at the end just to make sure you get the idea that grind-able surfaces don't have to be a completely straight line. The gaps are really obvious, too, in case you don't intuitively pick up on what they are right away. Luv u, Warehouse <3
THPS 2: Skatestreet Skatestreet initially seems like another bland skate park level, but it's actually really clever how they tie street tricks into a level that at first glance appears to be all vert stuff. There's multiple opportunities to escape the bounds of the park and gap over over head lights and stuff. I also like how you can explore just outside of the useful parts of the level where the vending machines (and presumably the people there to see the event?) are.
THPS: MALL I feel like a lot of people hate Mall, but...where else am I going to pick up more copies of Bruce Willis' Apocalypse? This level is essentially a slalom course through an *extremely* long shopping mall. Point blank that means I already kinda like this level. What a weird idea! Mall is also one of the only levels in THPS to successfully incorporate street-style tricks thanks to the fact that rails and gaps are everywhere. They even put a traditional half pipe at the end if you don't feel like dealing with the rest of the level - but if you *do* feel like dealing with the rest of the level and are done with your run, there's a final gap over a swimming pool before you cross the finish line.
THPS: DOWNTOWN MINNEAPOLIS Another bizarre THPS level. This one's much sturdier in design than Streets, because it at least has some fun spots to discover, like the rooftop pool. In a lot of ways, Downtown predicts the future of the series' level design. There's a goofy NPC that will scream catchphrases at you as he commits vehicular manslaughter, self-knowing 'cops hate skating' props to eff up, rails that take you though apartment building windows...it's got some charm! Because this is THPS, however, and the level design is not at all catered towards street-level skating, there's still a stupid amount of open space the player has to travel where there's essentially nothing to do. Not quite good, but getting there.
THPS: BURNSIDE Of all the THPS levels, I think Burnside is the most indicative of its limits. Ramps/transfers are really small, and even an A+ run won't be any more dynamic to watch than a casual run. It's super limited in scope and I'd really never choose to play this level on a roster, but there's something charming to it all the same. Kind of a THPS mini level.
THPS 2: NEW YORK CITY Besides being one of my least favorite THPS 2 levels, this is also one of the worst representations of New York City I've yet seen in a video game. I guess it has a certain dense, busy flavor to it, but like...two cabs, a subway, and an extremely large, unnecessary art sculpture? Also a park with a large rock in it you can't really do anything with? I'm just not sure where they were going with this. The big thing in this level is riding the subway line to jump over a brick wall and into a park...but...there's like nothing in that park? Just a confusing and unsatisfying experience all around
THPS 2: BULLRING A weird level, all things considered. The crux of the map is obviously the central halfpipe, but everything else you can do in the level is...confusing? Just a lot of disjointed ramps around, and extremely long stadium lights to grind if you want to waste the time getting to them. There's not a lot going on here, and the big set piece loop-de-loop isn't actually practical if you're trying to play well.
THPS: ROSWELL I don't know why, but I kind of like Roswell. Not a level with a lot going on - it's basically just a series of enormous ramps and one large central gap. Pretty stress free/fun final competition level.