OlliOlli2: Welcome to Olliwood

When I was a small child, I recall watching my father play "Tony Hawk's Underground 2" in our living room constantly. He doesn't really play anymore, but growing up it was a great time for a baby to watch. I remember sneaking downstairs past my bedtime to catch glimpses of him playing, getting whatever high score he could manage to achieve over and over, until I was found, and told off back to my room.

It's significant to me because, frankly, I suck at Tony Hawk, and any deviance of the Pro Skater formula. I don't know if it's the camera or just that the timings of everything feel a little off, or whatever the case may be, but the series never stuck. Which is a shame, because of all the experiences I've had with video games, and the enjoyment I've received from gaming, nothing has even come a little close to excitement I got from watching my dad get that perfectly planned combo in Underground 2.

Or rather, nothing came close until Olli Olli 2.

See, that intro had significance!

Olli Olli 2: Welcome to Olliwood (which I'll be referring to as simply "Olliwood" from now on,) recaptures that high-score-bigass-combo magic from the Tony Hawk games, and breathes new life into it with a new perspective, and an input mechanic similar to that of fighting games like Street Fighter. The game is played in 2-D, with the skater rolling down the stage as opposed to having absolute freedom to skate where you please. Frankly, I think this is necessary for the game to function, as the inputs are truly where the game shines, and identifies itself as its own game.

Mechanically, Olliwood is rich with little timings and methods to control your character, and to further continue a combo to the point of ludicrousness. You can perform a simple Ollie by flicking your control stick upward and land for a couple hundred points, or perform a Dolphin Flip by performing an upside down half-circle forward input, and further landing with a revert manual for several thousand points and to further stack on that initial trick with more tricks. I have played this game for hundreds of hours, and I still find myself forgetting a certain trick or method to getting the most points, or finding my hands not listening to my brain and getting caught in the jumble of trying to get that just right attempt.

The skill ceiling is also very, very, very high, which is expected of a skateboarding game, but there's something about Olliwood's that I just appreciate. Because of the set speed and length of levels, you would think that the game lacks replay value or would get tiresome after some time, but I've found that this is simply not the case. There is so much to improve and to work on in this game that, even when you think you've caught lightning in a bottle with the ultimate run, you might find that you can still fit a spin or two in to optimize even further. This is helped exceptionally by the game's "Daily Grind" mode, where you can compete for daily high scores with other players globally.

The levels of Olliwood itself are typically of high quality, and are in high volume. I'm sure that there are a few stragglers that simply aren't enjoyable or are less exciting, but for the most part Olliwood's map design is absolutely gorgeous artistically, and has level design that's fun as hell to play. This in tandem with the game's tight control scheme results in a sort of melting experience where you can just absolutely flow through every level and flick the stick in whichever way you please to have an excellent casual experience, or pinpoint each part of the map to do "This Specific Move" at "This Specific Spot" with precision and skill.

The soundtrack is the cherry on top, a soundtrack which I ended up buying for how great it sounds. I'm sure that we are all aware of the running joke of real music not standing a chance to the magnificence of video game soundtracks, but I do mean it when I say the music of this game can be listened to like any other song. It's not sonically groundbreaking by any means, but it's solid, and sets a great atmosphere for locking in and grinding out a new high score.

I think that finding a good skateboarding game is difficult. I think finding a good game in general can be extremely challenging. But Olli Olli 2 manages to be both of these things, and does a great job at what it sets out to do. If you're more focused on a more casual experience this game might not be for you entirely, as doing the same ollies can get quite repetitive and boring, but I strongly, strongly recommend this game to anyone looking for that same magic of shooting for the highest score with the absolute sickest combo like I once did.