Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4

Or at least, it could have been.  While games like Spy Hunter got the full Zodiac treatment, Tony Hawk 4 wasn't so lucky.  Instead of being an all-out, Zodiac-specific game, it's merely a port of the Game Boy Advance version.  You get enhanced visuals – the backgrounds look brighter and clearer, and the picture is bigger without pixelation.  But do you get the awesome 3D gameplay that the N-Gage introduced in its version of Tony Hawk?  Unfortunately no, you don't.

Since the Game Boy Advance versions have never been as popular as the console editions, let me clue you in on the differences.  First of all, Tony Hawk GBA (or Tony Hawk Zodiac in this case) is a 2D game with semi-3D mechanics.  An isometric view is used to simulate a three-dimensional camera angle, but since the camera is never behind the skater it never truly feels 3D.

On the upside, the gameplay is very fast paced.  Up until N-Gage made its debut last year, I was really satisfied with these mobile variations of Tony Hawk.  Now that N-Gage is here my expectations are higher, but I still had fun with the game.  It's not a must-buy, but it is a worthy buy for anyone who has a Zodiac but missed it on the GBA.

Gameplay: 8
Isometric Tony Hawk for those who love to grind on the go.

Graphics: 7.5
Crisper, cleaner, and brighter than the GBA version.

Sound: 7

Difficulty: Medium
There’s a learning curve involved for anyone who hasn’t played the GBA Tony Hawk games.  Controlling Tony Hawk from an isometric view is not the same as it is to control him in a 3D environment.

Concept: 6
A port of the GBA version, which in turn is an altered port of the PS2 version.

Overall: 8