Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 - Gameplay

Gameplay

It features the series' trademark open-ended gameplay, in which the player (playing as a professional skateboarder) completes a number of tasks which result in cash rewards. With money gained, the player can then purchase skill improvements and better skateboards. THPS2 was also the first game in the series to introduce the manual, a skateboarding trick where the performer balances on two wheels. This enables players to string together trick combos. The game also introduced the Noseslide, Tailslide, Bluntslide, Nosebluntside, Feeble, and Overcrook grinds. It was also the first of the Pro Skater games to feature Create-a-Skater and Park Editor features, now staples in the series. It also welcomed characters to the series including Steve Caballero, Rodney Mullen, and Eric Koston.

Some levels in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 are designed for the player to complete 10 tasks in two minute time frames. Such tasks include "finding S-K-A-T-E", finding 5 of an object specific to the level (hall passes in the school level for example), high score, pro score, sick score, a particular grind, and finding a hidden tape somewhere in the level. Each of the non-competition levels contain ten tasks for a player to do, each task rewarding a player with cash. Cash is also scattered around the levels in order for players to find, increasing the use for replaying a level. Once a player has enough cash, they can continue on to a new level. The maximum amount of money that can be obtained in a single skater career is $150,000.00. The other type of levels are competition levels. The rating by the judges that a player receives is based on how much they score, variation of tricks, bails, and how much of the level they have used. The judges give scores based on these criteria, the highest and lowest are taken away, leaving the average. There are three runs in total, the best two count. Competition levels also contain cash, hidden for a player to collect.