Tony Hawk 4

I bought the Xbox version of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 the other day, for a cool $4.99. I've been pretty satisfied with my purchase, it's exactly what I expected it to be.

However, it's almost too close to what I expected. Maybe I didn't get far enough into the third Tony Hawk, but does anybody else think this is like the same damn game? Same levels, same interface. The graphics are probably better, but I don't know that for sure. It's just a testament to the fact that video game producers don't have to blow the doors off once they've got a franchise people like. EA Sports has been rolling in money because of their sports franchises, specifically Madden. Sure, they add features every year, but I wonder how much they really have to do to generate the new game.

Not like I care, though. I'm not one of the guys who buys every subsequent copy of a franchise. I pick one, roll with it for a few years, then occasionally buy a new one. And I even more rarely buy new games. My instinct for saving money leads me to eBay or the used game section of EB Games more often than not. Why pay $50 for a new game when you can get 4 games for the same amount, giving you a better chance of buying a game you really enjoy? Maybe I'm behind the times, but I don't play video games to see the latest technologies. I play to entertain myself. As long as I'm having fun, I don't care if the game is new.

So if you'll excuse me, I'm off to play some Contra.