How many of you have ever played Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater? It’s arguably one of the best skateboarding games ever made along with its subsequent sequels and if you’re a gamer, the answer is probably yes, that you have played it. It was one of the most fun skateboarding games on any platform and allowed for some of the most insane tricks you could think of. Well, if you’re a gamer on iOS or Android, you’ve probably noticed that there aren’t really that many good skateboarding games on there that are similar to THPS, until now that is. Let me introduce you to Skate Party 2, by Ratrod Studio. This game aims to be the spiritual successor to THPS but in a much smaller form factor.

What you’ll notice first about this game are the graphics. The game is very much like THPS in which you control your custom skater around a realistic setting looking for sweet place to perform grinds, jumps, and tricks. The graphics in the game are very good with Skate Party 2 taking a more realistic approach to skateboarding. Overall, great graphics and really has that THPS feel to it, which is a good thing as there aren’t many games out there like this on iOS.

The controls for this game are decent. You use a virtual thumb stick to control movement and the virtual buttons to perform ollies, kick flips, grinds, and board grabs. Overall it works, but if you really want to experience this game properly, I suggest using a MFI gaming controller such as the MOGA Ace Power. It’s just so much easier to play with a real controller but even if you don’t have one, the game still controls reasonably well.

If you check out the trailer below, you can get a feel for how the game looks and plays. As you can see, it’s very familiar for those who have played skateboarding games in the past on gaming consoles. You can string tricks together for huge combos, you just have to master the control scheme and figure out how to perform all 40 unique tricks.

Overall, Skate Party 2 is a great game for anyone who’s ever played Tony Hawk Pro Skater and games like it. Yes, playing with the touch screen can and will take some time to get used to with a game like this, but once you get going, you should have no trouble performing sick tricks. Again, I suggest using an MFI game controller for a better experience, but it’s not necessary if you’re willing to adjust to touch controls.

App Store Link: Skate Party 2
Version: 1.0
Developer: Ratrod Studio
Price: $1.99
In-App Purchasing: Yes
Compatible Devices: (Universal App) Requires iOS 4.3 or later. Compatible with iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, iPad 2 Wi-Fi, iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G, iPad Wi-Fi (3rd generation), iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular (3rd generation), iPad Wi-Fi (4th generation), iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular (4th generation), iPad mini Wi-Fi, iPad mini Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air, iPad Air Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad mini with Retina display, iPad mini with Retina display Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPod touch (4th generation), and iPod touch (5th generation). This app is optimized for iPhone 5.

Description

Skateboard Party 2 brings all the fun of skateboarding to your mobile device allowing you to ride in 8 completely unique locations. Jump on your board, learn new moves and improve your skateboarding skills to land sick combos.

Play with your friends using the new online multiplayer mode or challenge skaters from all over the world using the online leaderboards. Complete achievements, gain experience and upgrade your favorite skater. You can also customize your outfits, boards, trucks and wheels with real brands.

HIGH DEFINITION
Skateboard Party 2 includes next generation 3D graphics specially optimized for your mobile hardware to provide you with the best skateboarding experience.

CAREER MODE
Complete over 40 achievements to unlock new items and locations. Gain experience to upgrade your favorite skater’s attributes to perform better and achieve higher scores.

FREE SKATE
Practice and improve your skateboarding skills without any time constraints.

ONLINE MULTIPLAYER
Challenge your friends to a skateboard battle and let’s see who can land the baddest tricks! Share and brag your results with your friends on Facebook or Twitter.

MASSIVE SELECTION
Select between 9 characters and customize each of them to your preference choosing your favorite gear. A massive collection of boards, trucks and wheels are available including items from Powell & Peralta, Bones, Golden Dragon and Tork Trucks.

LEARN TO SKATE
Over 40 unique tricks to master and hundreds of combinations. Follow the tutorial to get started and progress as you go. Execute the craziest combos and trick sequences to rack up some impressive high scores, gain experience and make a name for yourself.

GAME CONTROLLER
Compatible with Apple game controllers such as MOGA Ace Power.

CUSTOMIZABLE CONTROLS
New fully customizable control system to configure your own button layout. Use the right or left handed control mode, select a control preset or create your own. Use the analog stick or accelerometer option as you wish. Adjust your truck tightness to change your steering sensitivity.

LOADED WITH FEATURES
•Supports all the latest generation devices and optimized for high resolution displays.
•Online multiplayer mode to play against your friends or other skaters online.
•New fully customizable control system. You can adjust everything!
•Learn over 40 unique tricks and create hundreds of combinations.
•Massive skateboard locations to ride including a trailer park, army base, shopping mall, ski resort, campus, funfair beach and a big open city.
•Customize your skater or board with tons of exclusive content including outfits, boards, trucks and wheels from licensed brands.
•Play often to gain experience and upgrade your skater’s attributes.
•Share your results with your friends on Facebook or Twitter.
•Extended Soundtrack featuring songs from Voice of Addiction, Sink Alaska, Beta, Hitplay!, Moovalya, We Outspoken and Melodic in Fusion.
•Ability to purchase experience points using in-app purchases.
•Available in the following languages: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Chinese
•Record and share your skate sessions on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter
•Ability to listen to your own songs from your own music library
•Game Center support including achievements and online leaderboards
•Universal version for all your iOS devices

[via App Store]