Skating head-to-head: Tony Hawk vs. Grind Session

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June 1, 2000
Web posted at: 11:08 a.m. EDT (1508 GMT)

In this story: Is that Animal Chin? Please don't skate my sidewalk The verdict RELATED STORIES, SITES

by Iron Thumbs

(IDG) -- No game in recent memory caught the attention of the skating world like Tony Hawk's Pro Skater (THPS) did with its real world pros, sick tricks, incredible controls, and over the top trick-combo possibilities that appealed to skaters and non-skaters alike.

With the runaway success of THPS, several companies quickly followed suit and released their own versions of digital skating, with Sony's Grind Session as the closest contender to Tony Hawk's title. Though the games are similar, each offers a few things the other doesn't.

Both THPS and Grind Session feature real world professional skaters. Represented in both games are punk, hip hop, female, vert(although not so much in Grind Session) and all-around skaters. They are all pretty easily recognizable in both titles thanks to solid graphics, individualized outfits, and realistic character models.

The sound effects in both games are realistic, with accurate grind sounds and a slam sound that really sounds like a painful thud. Grind Session wins in the music category thanks to its solid soundtrack featuring hip hop, punk, and surf rock. THPS's soundtrack is pretty much all punk, although it does include a range from the 80's through the 90's.

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Grind Session is so closely modeled on Tony Hawk's Pro Skater that the button layouts are identical. The tricks emulate real-world skateboarding in both games, including everything from the simple kickflip to the death-defying 360 flip judo air front flip, so of course they're similar. Both games include special moves, adding a fun factor and sense of accomplishment once they've been mastered. As you progress through Grind Session you'll unlock new tricks, the commands for which the game will graciously show you, whereas in THPS you must work up a special move meter before you can bust the secret tricks.

While THPS takes the cake for originality on level design, Grind Session has some incredibly fun ramp-to-rail-to-ramp areas that lend themselves to performing extended trick combos. The game's controls are incredibly responsive and less forgiving to button smashers than Grind Session is. In the short run, a button-smasher game that enables you to bust sick moves all over the place is a blast, but it gets old and some strategy is quickly missed.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and Grind Session are two incredibly fun titles. They both offer exciting gameplay and plenty of terrain and tricks to keep you coming back. Grind Session's designers had the privilege of examining THPS and deciding what they liked and didn't like and incorporating those aspects into the game. The result is an excellent title with a more diverse soundtrack, levels packed with even more obstacles, and solid controls.

With its tight controls, slick graphics, and more hardcore feel, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater is still the reigning king, but Grind Session gets props for its much-appreciated attempt at revolution.

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