Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3

Skating fans and gamers of all sorts will spin, flip, grind, and sky their way to glory with more control and realism than ever before in this third full version of the explosively popular series of Tony Hawk skateboarding games. The Tony Hawk Pro Skater games established developer Neversoft as a universally respected big-name player in the industry and alone accounted for nearly 25 percent of Activision's total revenues in 2000. Many credit the franchise with legitimizing the extreme sports genre and this third edition once again infuses the title with outrageous tricks, engaging environments, and the distinct styles and personalities of some of the world's most talented and successful professional skaters. As Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 enhanced the play of the original game with larger environments and the possibility for more tricks and combos, Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 expands upon the standards established by its immediate predecessor. This third edition features levels that are up to twice as big as those featured in THPS2. Levels are more dynamic and interactive in this version, featuring streets busy with traffic, sidewalks full of pedestrians, and several special mission-specific events. Each professional skater is imbued with stylistic distinction and signature moves. More options are included for developing custom characters in this version as well, including the ability to create female boarders with a wide range of clothing and appearance choices. By including up to five times the amount of animation that was used in THPS2, Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 is designed to make it easier for the player to read the status of his or her onscreen persona (and pull up when the skater is about to lose balance and bail). The addition of new landing tricks is intended to allow the gamer to string together bigger combinations, even when moving from vert to street-style skating. In all, Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 has been crafted to enhance and improve on features of the earlier titles while maintaining the core gameplay that makes the series one of the most important of its time.

X Button (hold) = crouch
X Button (release) = jump (ollie)
Triangle Button (hold) = wallride; grind
D-Pad Up, D-Pad Down = manual
D-Pad Down, D-Pad Up = manual
D-Pad Up + X (release) = no comply
R2 Button = revert
L2 Button = revert
Square Button = flip tricks
Circle Button = grab tricks
Triangle Button + D-Pad Up = nosegrind
Triangle Button + D-Pad Down = 5-0
Triangle Button + D-Pad Left = noseslide
Triangle Button + D-Pad Right = tailslide
Triangle Button + D-Pad Down Diagonal = smith; feeble
Triangle Button + D-Pad Up Diagonal = crooked; overcrook
Triangle Button + D-Pad Up (tap) = nosebluntslide
Triangle Button + D-Pad Down (tab) = bluntslide ~ Mark Hoogland, All Game Guide

With its variety of sprawling levels, more complex goals, and the option to personalize characters down to their exact skin tone, weight, and gender (not to mention the humorous options of hats, glasses, and other goofy accessories), Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 offers couch potatoes who would otherwise be tasting asphalt a chance to perform aerial flips with relative ease. An added bonus is that players must impress other characters in the game to advance, and each skater's goals differ depending on their own personal trick repertoire.

Though the gameplay doesn't wander far from the exciting standards of its predecessor, this sequel is nonetheless a fast and fun play with plenty of options to keep things interesting. Graphics are familiar, but reveal greater detail upon closer inspection (keep an eye on the character movements and the smoothness of motion) thanks to the dramatic increase in processing power over the original PlayStation. The added storage capacity of the DVD format also offers the sometimes-humorous addition of a short video clip after a player accomplishes a specific goal or level requirement.

Controls are smooth and easy to handle, and once a player figures out the basics, it's time to show off (of course, for those who spent hours mastering Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2, this will come more naturally and quickly). Immense levels containing numerous hidden treasures and trick spots offer attractive incentive for repeated play, with unlocked secrets revealing everything from new trick combos to bonus characters.

In addition to offering a helpful tutorial in which players can master the numerous tricks and combos, the inclusion of a new "revert" move takes the game beyond the confines of THPS2 by letting players pull the trick after landing from a ramp run, and combine it with the familiar "manual" to create new combos that will keep your board flipping and your score skyrocketing.

A pumping soundtrack offering everything from rap to punk to hardcore offers the perfect fuel for rail grinding and catching air, and the ability customize your player and board down to your body weight and the precise color of the wheels makes for some quirky and personalized gaming. THPS 3 is also the PlayStation 2's first offering of an online game, giving skate addicts the chance to face-off against each other over a network connection with a server moderating level selection and players.

While fans of the last installment may at first be disappointed in the apparent lack of notable new features and improvements, there are plenty of additions to be enjoyed after mastering the new options and levels. And for those seeking another asphalt thrill-ride without the perky annoyance of a compound fracture, Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 is sure to hit the spot. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Game Guide