Gaming Target - PlayStation 2: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3

Written by Chris Reiter on September 10, 2001

First Impressions: Getting high has never been so much fun before...not to mention legal.

No other sport-related game has been able to make me want to play an extreme sport game more than Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 has. The music, the gameplay, and the addictive challenge always kept me -- and as it seems millions of other players -- stuck to televisions with this one title (not to mention the first game to go along with it). And even though Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 is the best skating game ever (in my opinion), there's going to be another title that'll make even Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 look like an old fashioned, forgettable title. Surely enough, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, the highly anticipated sequel, will crumble its competition just like number two did with number one.

Coming this October to the PlayStation 2, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 will yet again bring the innovative and surprisingly addictive gameplay and realistic feel of skating on a home console. And with greatness comes greater things. Let me begin by gloating about all of the marvelous additions you'll be able to experience in the best of the series! Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 will be one of the first games on the PlayStation 2 to have online multiplayer functions. You heard it here folks! While a two player, or even a four player mode would be nice to have with a friend over in split screen... Why not instead play with even lots more of new friends at the same time right from your own TV set, without the hassle of looking for extra seats? Neversoft (the developer) is even adding in support for 56k modems. So no matter what kind of modem you're going to enable for your PlayStation 2 (if, that is you're looking to get one), you can pretty much play this game with the $300 investment on the web. i-Link support for using two PlayStation 2's side by side is another notable feature to be recognized in the game.

Want more for your money? Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 will further have added keyboard support to talk to others on the Internet. Activision is making sure that every single detail is filled in for your enjoyment. With the keyboard, you can just hang around watching other players around the world complete tricks, or just hang out and chat with the other skaters in the game's chat rooms. And here's something interesting: Interactive skate playgrounds! For example, if you skate around the wider city streets, and pass by computer models of people standing near one another, you can actually hear them having a conversation with each other. It's features like these that make me swoon. Not only that, in certain levels, many cars in the road will interact with your character. If you were to head into oncoming traffic, vehicles will actually brake for your character. The skate park editor will return, and the various multiplayer modes such as Horse, Graffiti, and Trick Attack will as well. While the new Hawk title will be a skating game at heart, Neversoft is making it so lifelike that you may never have to go outside again to make a friend.

Really, the graphics don't get much better in life than when you're cruising through the air. Little details like logos on skateboards, T-shirts, and even footwear will be paid attention to. When a skater is performing a grind, other realistic improvements like wobbling arms will take into effect. The previous two Tony Hawk titles may have been done in 3D...but the third title is going to improve the look to a vast level of unbelievable. The game engine will support smoother, more fluid animations than the previous titles, all at 60 frames per second. The levels too will be genuinely better, as they are going to be twice the size of those immense levels found in the second title. Imagine a world where skaters roam free, possible to do almost anything with a skateboard. That's what Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 is going to do. New tricks, such as the revert trick, will allow skating fans to combine a link of combos together. While in the air, pressing the button in order to activate a revert trick, will allow then another trick to be performed...and again, yet another. It'll be great to see who can do the most profound tricks with the revert. A few of the other tricks on the list include the boneless hop, grinds, manuals, wall rides and lots and lots more!

Reminiscent of the first two games, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 will not stray too far from its roots when the same modes are pieced into the new game as well. Free Skate; practice your skills, Career Mode; take part in unlocking different levels by participating in missions to expand your cash flow, and Single Session modes will be returning. For single players, the most valued asset to the game will obviously be the choice of Career Mode. Not only will you have to build your characters up from scratch, but you'll also have to refine your skills at actually playing the game in order to compete with what's to come in the game. There will be tons of new missions in Career Mode.

The new missions will be cooler than ever in the, what looks to be 10 levels of game to skate through. These missions will be a total enhancement over any of the previous Tony Hawk titles. For example, there'll be a level that takes place in the city streets of L.A. Completing a task of grinding links will cause a scripted earthquake to rupture, further expanding your skating area. Another mission will have you teach some kids tricks on your board, while even another mission will have you track down a thief in his car while riding on your skateboard. In a Canada level, kids will throw snowballs at you. Your task is to grind on a branch in the air above them so that a pile of snow is done on to them as it was done on to you. Talk about interaction!

Missions basically allow you (the player) to venture out there in the world, performing certain tasks that have been set in place. Sometimes you'll have to collect letters that spell out the word "SKATE" for instance. Each time you begin a mission, though, a time limit is present, and it's up to you to skate around looking for the letters by exploring. At other times these missions can vary. Some are very difficult, and some can be very easy. The challenge all depends on how well of a skater you really are in the game, and how well your knowledge of each level is. A method that's going to be abstract about the game in whole, is that each skater in the game can vary, and missions will be based upon their skills. Tony Hawk, for example, may have to perform a 900° turn over a channel, while a street skater like Jamie Thomas would have to hardflip over a gap to finish a goal. After completing a mission lets your character gain money in order to buy new stats, like being able to balance better, or skate faster. The money also unlocks new levels. The same money system from the previous title has been taken out -- it was kind of easy. In its stead, Neversoft decided to go back to a money system, more similar to the first Pro Skater system. All objectives have an equal amount of money to score. This method will result in having to travel back to earlier levels in order to advance into the later levels. Practice makes perfect, and in the game of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, perfection is necessary.

The music looks like it's going back to the way of punk. Ever since Tony Hawk's Pro Skater released, Activision has been looking to recruit a major addition of popular bands into the mix of things. In other words, Activision wants the biggest and best bands they can get to sign on for Tony Hawk titles. Tony Hawk himself favors Punk music genres. Don't be surprised if such bands like Rage Against the Machine or Primus return, amongst a set of some select new ones.

One really good thing about this game is that there'll be more female characters to choose from. Coming back will be the create-a-character option, where now you'll be able to create female characters. Guys will especially be pleased to know that translucent skirts and bras, amongst other attractive clothing will be available to add to your woman character's body. Tattoos will be another original option to give the guys or girls. And knowing Neversoft, you'll be able to look for new secret characters in this game as well. The skaters included in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 will range from most of the pros from the second game. Tony Hawk himself, Elissa Steamer, Jamie Thomas, Geoff Rowley, and some new comers like Bam Margera (replacing Bob Burnquist) from MTV's own Jackass television show are a few skaters of whom you can expect to be in the game.