Big Drop Logo in THPS2.
Big Drop Logo in THPS3 on PS1.
Big Drop is the unique feature presented in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2X. Due to players' dislike, this feature was removed from the upcoming titles starting with the generation 6 versions of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3. However it made its return in and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD as it was claimed to contain all the features from two initial games.
Feature origin[]
The THPS series was originally presented as a simulator, hence the attention to skater stances and other specific things. It is known that height which allows skater to land the trick successfully is limited. This feature was most likely influenced by Jamie Thomas' Leap of Faith ollie footage.
Feature mechanics[]
When the skater jumps from a high place, there is a chance the Big Drop Indicator will appear. When visible, the player has only a few options to avoid bailing:
- *Press Ollie (Jump) right before you land
- Land in a Grind
- Land in a Manual while holding Ollie
Pressing Ollie before you land is heavily based on reflexes. You will receive more points for the big drop, as it's considered a trick, depending on how close to the ground the skater is before pressing Ollie. Pressing Ollie too early, or too late, will result in a automatic bail.
The Big Drop has a height limit which isn't normally seen in Pro Skater 2 as the mechanic was designed in mind. As such, this originally unknown factor makes some of the Pro Skater 1 stages in Pro Skater 2X less accessible. While upgrading the landing stat will increase the permitted height allowed before triggering a Big Drop, there is indeed a cut-off point to where a Big Drop is not only 100% guaranteed but also a 98.8% bail chance. - Good examples of this cut-off would be the Flying Leap gap in Mall and the Pagoda Jump in Streets, as these areas are taller than any Pro Skater 2 stage.
Trivia[]
- Pro Skater HD is the only title that does not give score for Big Drops.
- The PS1 ports of Pro Skater 2 and Pro Skater 3 feature Big Drops as they were built on Pro Skater 2's source.
Gallery[]
