Sometimes, it can be fun to revisit a game from your childhood that you haven't been able to play for years. When I was a kid, one of my favorite games was "Tony Hawk's Underground 2: Remix" for the PSP. I played the Hell out of the game for years, only never being able to beat it because my PSP would never allow me to pass the Australia level (it would always glitch and turn off after finishing it). However, thanks to the beauty that is emulation, I was able to re-experience the game to see if it was still any good. And while, of course, age comes with a few wrinkles, this held up pretty nicely.
In many ways, it's a wonder that "Tony Hawk's Underground 2: Remix" exists in the form that it does. To be able to put a console Tony Hawk game on a portable system and have it turn out so solid is honestly incredible in and of itself. And from there, the game's story is anarchic, chaotic fun that, as per "Tony Hawk" tradition, features a varied and incredible soundtrack. The level design is excellent, with tons of variation and exploration potential, and the skating is extremely smooth, even with the fact that the PSP had limits as a system in terms of control. There's also plenty of potential for replayability thanks to the vast cast of characters and stages, and the Story Mode, while short, is worth coming back to often. It's also very cool that "Remix" adds new levels that are all really great (Santa Cruz is a huge favorite of mine).
Sadly, there are some things about it that don't hold up in my eyes. The graphics can look rough, especially in regards to your created skater, and I know it's because of the handheld, but it's a bit uncanny at points. The game also often suffers from bizarre glitches and cuts in voice acting, and I think some of the controls and the camera can feel a bit finicky at times, which is compounded a bit by the PSP itself. While I was happy I got to play the game with a regular controller thanks to emulation, I do remember the actual PSP itself feeling a bit more awkward when playing the game. It does feel like this game just plays way better with a controller.
Overall, "Tony Hawk's Underground 2: Remix" is a bit of an accomplishment in and of itself. Being able to take a console "Tony Hawk" game and put it on a system like the PSP in the way they did is pretty incredible. And while it is dated in a few areas, the game still plays very well. While I'm not sure if "Remix" is the most essential way to experience the game (especially if you own a physical PSP and can't use a controller), I do highly recommend playing "Tony Hawk's Underground 2" in some form.
Final rating: 7 out of 10 "Good"