Tony Hawk's Underground 2

Game Informer

An irresistible package born of the classic mold but with an invigorating twist. [Nov 2004, p.140]

TotalGames.net

Throw in secret characters, such as a certain green burger-loving star of a recent popular movie sequel, and there's enough here to keep you going for ages while the straightforward structure of the game means you can concentrate on having fun.

DailyGame

The sticker slap is my favorite new addition. The trick takes the place of the wallplant and enables the skater to turn a wall into a pitstop on the way to a huge combo. Leaping out of a grind into a sticker slap will send a skater right back to the rail, where he (or she) can retrace the path that already produced a good line.

Cinescape

For fans of the series, this may be the best game yet. It combines a Classic and Underground mode into the same game, adds new gameplay elements, and really captures the feel of a bunch of skaters goofing around.

GameSpy

The best skating game ever made, and while it isn't nearly as groundbreaking as the previous game, it takes everything that made it great and adds some new tricks and a dash of juvenile potty humor, leaving you with the best time you'll have at a skate park this year.

GMR Magazine

THUG2 may not match THUG's charm and novelty, but it's still one of the most addictive and satisfying experiences out there.

PGNx Media

The game’s visuals are good, but like always, never quite reach great status.

AceGamez

It's everything you ever wanted from the last couple of Hawk incarnations but these are things that were never included; a unique bobby dazzler of a story and loads of depth that promises to wow us all.

Nintendojo

This game is about two steps away from being called "Bam Margera Pro Skater," seeing as he is the main pro skater you see in the game.

GameZone

It might not push the series into new territory but Tony Hawk’s Underground 2 for the GameCube is an outrageously fun sequel with a lot of laughs and skating goodness.

1UP

Players who didn't voluntarily step off the train with "Hawk 4" or last year's "Underground" will find more to love here -- more new tricks, an even more streamlined system of goal selection, a ridiculous selection of goals to select, and levels that hurt to try and comprehend.

Armchair Empire

The days when the new Tony Hawk games were one of the highlights of the year are gone, but THUG 2 still offers plenty of joy for gamers that haven't left the genre behind.

Inside Gamer Online

With the inclusion of Classic Mode and the continuation of this quite natural evolution of the franchise, Neversoft has done most everything short of bringing Tony Hawk to your doorstep to put a smile on all of the fans’ faces; old, and new alike.

Game Revolution

Neversoft has refined the gameplay to the point of it being almost a meditation exercise, letting you grind, manual, revert and flip with a Zen-like calmness.

IGN

The Cube gets a slightly lower score than the Xbox version (0.1 less) because it's so much more difficult to control.

GameSpot

THUG2 hangs on to the great gameplay of the previous games, makes a few minor tweaks, and wraps it all up in a new Bam Margera-centric package.

BonusStage

Many problems with the game, such as the misspelled goal on the RV vert ramp in Boston (it’s supposed to be 20,000 points, not 2,000) and the sudden change in manual and grind sensitivity, really make the game a little less fun than it should be.

Jolt Online Gaming UK

However, casual Tony Hawk fans should really think twice about investing, as there’s not a huge amount to set it apart from the rest.

Game Over Online

The lack of attention to the pure mechanics that attracted so many players to the series is a significant detraction to the game, as are the limitations placed on some of the game modes and the overemphasis on acting crazy.

NintendoWorldReport

THUG 2 won’t rein in anyone who has disliked the previous Tony Hawk games, but the newest sequel is more than enough to chew on for those of us who already appreciate the series.

Australian GamePro

The majority of new gameplay features do positively elaborate on the core THUG experience, but there is an alarming lack of effort in their refinement.

Maxim Online

Though it all adds up to, essentially, a tuned-up version of the last game, there’s enough variation to keep your rebel skater spirit from getting too (sorry)…board.

Total Video Games

The amalgamation of Tony Hawk’s and "Jackass" is the videogame equivalent of a match-made in heaven, and certainly makes a marked improvement upon the weak story of its predecessor.

G4 TV

In many ways it's the best the series has to offer, but it's still probably not enough to haul in a new audience.

Yahoo! Games

A sign that the series is grinding along nicely in a comfortable rut, biding its time with the same old technology and some minor gameplay changes.

Nintendo Power

Guest characters such as Ben Franklin, the THPS-style Classic mode and an incredible soundtrack of old and new hits add to the mix. [Dec 2004, p.144]

games(TM)

While Underground tried to seamlessly mix its diversity, humour and gameplay, it was always obvious when you were being dragged away from the combo system at the heart of the series. Thankfully, THUG2 makes a much better fist of keeping classic Tony Hawk’s gameplay at the heart of the tasks. Even when skating as Benjamin Franklin or a shrimp vendor, the focus remains on skateboarding. [Dec 2004, p.102]

eToychest

If you like deliberately subjecting yourself to frustration for little or no reward, surrounded by a group of idiots mocking you, super glue a coin to the ground and attempt to pry it away while screaming obscenities at the top of your voice. It’ll be cheaper than wasting your money on this.

Play Magazine

Bouts of bad behavior distributed between T. Hawk-style fun, the highs and lows of the THUG 2 experience truly boggle the mind with various goals so flawed in execution it feels as if the programmers passed out on their keyboards. [Nov 2004, p.58]

Xequted

The entire single-player campaign just ruins what could have been a truly excellent sequel to what was a flawed but strong new entry into a well-established franchise. Instead, it feels as if Neversoft did not want to improve on what needed work and then prayed that players would not notice.