| ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. | |
| PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. | |
| OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. | |
| NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Parents need to know that as with the other Tony Hawk titles, this game has a strong emphasis on rebelling against authority. Some crashes/falls include blood, and players can spray-paint buildings and other areas. The game glorifies taking unnecessary risks by rewarding players with extra points for breaking bones or ending up so hurt that they are hospitalized. This game can be played online; Common Sense Media does not recommend online play for anyone under the age of 12.
This latest Tony Hawk adventure puts a whole new spin on the skater genre. It is called PROJECT 8 because it's the eighth game in the Tony Hawk series; in this game, Tony Hawk is on a quest to find the eight best skaters. You start off as a skater with a low ranking, so you need to do as many cool tricks as possible to move up in the rankings. You must achieve certain goals, but they aren't linear. You also have in-game skating showdowns against a variety of pro skaters, each of whom will dare you to do different mind-blowing stunts
Project 8 includes all of the features gamers love about previous Tony Hawk titles, with some cool upgrades and additions. Bam Margera makes an appearance, which will please fans of the Jackass show (they will probably also like the way skaters can bail and get hurt); Jason Lee of My Name Is Earl also appears in a prominent role. Of course you can still show off your skater skills and do lots of fancy tricks. But now you also get to roam around in one big city and skate in all kinds of interesting areas along the way.
In this installment of the Tony Hawk series, the responses are quicker, and you have better control over your characters and the tricks they can perform. There is online support for up to eight players. While hardcore skaters will love this game the most, it has enough action and cool features to keep most other gamers hooked for quite a while, as well. This is the best skater game yet, with cool tricks and boredom-avoiding challenges -- but some of the skaters' bad and dangerous behavior should be addressed with kids who play it.
Families can talk about how extreme sports are different from regular sports. Do extreme sports appeal to you? Why or why not? Would you rather play them on the computer or in the real world?
Why do the skaters here tag buildings and try to break bones? Would that give skaters more cred in real life? What are the consequences of these actions? Would it be worth the risk?
| Topics: | sports and martial arts |
| Platforms: | Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PSP, PlayStation 2, Xbox |
| Available online? | Available online |
| Genre: | Sports |
| Developer: | Activision |
| Release date: | November 7, 2006 |
| Price: | $59.99 |
| ESRB rating: | T for blood, language, mild violence (PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PSP, Xbox, Xbox 360) |
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