Abnormal Mapping 31: Tony Hawk's Project 8

The Mappers celebrate the heat of summer with hot jams, hotter
skating, and the blazing addition of a third host! The three of
them get down to business with a long talk about the sun-drenched
streets of sizzling pavement and blasting AC, cars in traffic and
the endless parade of city construction. It’s open season on open
worlds, a question of what open worlds mean for the formal
structure of video games and level design. Then, we skitch behind
a stunt car and grind our way through through the … well, the
grind of the eighth endeavor of Mr. Anthony “Tony Hawk” Hawke,
Esq., also known as Project 8. Friendships are tested, hands are
contorted, and we come through the other side with a rousing
defensive of youth and play by one of our number, who can never
not ollie. He said see you later boy. He wasn’t good enough for
us. But he deigns to take us on this Junetime adventure, as we
grumble our way through this expansive romp.


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NOTE: Jackson and Matthew clarified some of the points in this
podcast in addendum article, which you can read
here.


This Month’s Game Club: Tony Hawk’s Project 8


Next Month: Final Fantasy VIII: Part 2


Games Discussed: A New Host Appears, VaniaMania
Returns with Castlevania 2, Jackson’s PS4 Adventure, Grand Theft
Auto 4, Skyrim, Assassin’s Creed 2, World of Warcraft, Sleeping
Dogs, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Red Dead Redemption, Yakuza 3,
Saints Row the Third, Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas, Burnout
Paradise, Spider-Man 2, Batman: Arkhams Asylum and City, Tony
Hawk’s Project 8, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, this Errant Signal
video, skate 2, Crazy Taxi, Goldeneye.


Music This Episode
Blown Away by Kevin MacLeod
Punk Rock Girl by The Dead Milkmen
If You Must by Del The Funky Homosapien
All My Best Friends Are Metalheads by Less Than Jake
Superman by Goldfinger