MoshTMA wrote on 01/16/20 at 12:37:53:
Yeah, it may just be.
The concept of the game is not very good to begin with.
It tries to use nostalgia to its advantage but in the case of TMHO it wasn't necessary. I get that people at the time still wanted a good sequel to TM2 World Tour but the fact is TM Black and Small Brawl already did that... TMB may be a darker TM, and SB replaces cars with RC cars, and there is no world tour, but they are still heavily nostalgic and fit right in with the first 2 titles. Head-On had no reason to double down on the nostalgia for the sake of a mobile platform, and the result is a game that doesn't feel all that unique or interesting in comparison to it's brothers. The return of Grasshopper was probably the best aspect of TMHO, despite me not being a fan of that car, I do think it was wise to bring GH back one more time since it was a character with a personal tie to Calypso, who ought to be the main character of the series, instead of Kane.
I do enjoy the endings of TMHO for the most part, but I didn't really feel it was necessary to bring back some vehicles. Slam for one... Mr. Slam was honestly cooler in Small Brawl than in Head-On, I kind of wish they didn't ruin Slam in TMHO, there is no challenge in using him, and his ending wasn't that cool either, with him becoming a baby (fitting since TMHO Slam is a baby's car, that is - a car so easy to use a baby could win with it).
I felt like Twister didn't need to come back either honestly. And then the remaining returning vehicles have watered down designs and special weapons when compared to their predecessors.
And Dark Tooth/Tower Tooth was a disappointing boss battle in TMHO, like a watered down version of TM2's finale, an example of bigger is not better.
Despite all the flaws though, I still enjoyed the maps, some of the music, and found the game fun albeit not particularly challenging (well, the mini games were tough, actually, but they were unimportant)... the nostalgia aspect of the game really doesn't do it for me though, it just comes across as unoriginal unlike the other TM sequels/spin-offs.
And the PS2 port Extra Twisted Edition is like the Mortal Kombat Armageddon of the series. There's a whole lot there, but it doesn't feel like it.
I think you hit the nail on the head in a lot of areas.
It's important to remember that it was a RUSHED PSP game. As a PSP game, and a very innovative game for a handheld, it was pretty impressive. Over the years though, it has not aged all that well.
Your point that it largely bilks TM2's scenarios is probably the biggest reason. It's almost like a high def remake, only with dumbed down gameplay. Some things that really bugged me:
1. Paris . . . I mean been there done that. Eiffel Tower and all. It wasn't horribly done, but it wasn't memorable either.
2. Mr. Slam . . . yeah WTF.
3. Dark Tooth. WTF. What was once one of the scariest boss fights of all time was now a complete snooze fest.
4. Tower Tooth - Something about this one just never clicked. It felt SO over the top - though then TMX came out and reinvented over the top.
I dunno, I just liked it when the vehicles seemed like they could plausibly be a contestant.
5. Marcus Kane/Needles relationship - what a horribly stupid idea.
I did like that this one returned the focus to Calypso.