Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 for PS2

The famous Tony Hawk series of skateboarding games is back in the third game, now taking advantage of the PS2. Everything loved about the Tony Hawk series is here, with several new additions, including it being the first online PS2 game with Internet multiplayer. Tony Hawk 3 is a highly enjoyable skateboarding game, tuned to near perfection. While it is not entirely realistic, the game is fiendishly addictive and playable with lots of secrets to unlock and challenges to conquer. In Tony Hawk 3 you skate throughout a variety of levels, including a factory, a snowy Canadian parking lot and Los Angeles. The goal is to rack up as many points as possible within a time limit by performing combinations of skating tricks as well as collecting items and completing objectives. You must mix up your tricks, however, because repeating the same combination over and over will give you fewer points each time you use it. Accomplishing enough tasks in a level unlocks new levels and features and allows you to boost the stats of your skater.

You can choose from a collection of real-life skaters or create your own skater using the player editor. In addition to creating a custom character, you can also design your own level to skate in with the park editor. For new players, Tony Hawk 3 has a tutorial mode and a “Free Skate” practice mode allowing you to learn the basics of the game and practice levels without worrying about a time limit. You can also practice accomplishing the level objectives to be ready for the real thing. The controls are spot-on and responsive; there is a useful new move called the Revert which, when paired with a Manual, lets you link together strings of combos to obtain a massive amount of points.

Now that Tony Hawk is on PS2, the game runs at a smooth 60 frames per second. The high framerate is a significant boon for the series, making it much easier to time your tricks and pull off combinations for big points. There is virtually no fog to mask the distant horizons, and the game has rich textures and model detail. While Tony Hawk 3 is not a graphically stunning showpiece title for your system, the visuals are more than sufficient and suit the gameplay well.

The soundtrack in Tony Hawk 3 is a diverse mix of tunes. While it is not quite as impressive as Tony Hawk 2’s list, it includes artists such as KRS-One, AFI, Redman, Alien Ant Farm, Xzibit, Motorhead, and Rollins Band. The tunes list can be edited to include your favorite songs only. The skating sounds have been revamped as well and sound better than ever. The audio is presented in the three-channel Dolby Surround for added immersion.

Tony Hawk 3 is the first online PS2 game outside of Japan. Even though Sony’s official modem/broadband accessory is not yet available, Tony Hawk 3 supports a handful of USB modems and ethernet hubs, allowing it to be played over dial-up and broadband (cable, DSL, T-line) connections. Connecting is as simple as plugging the device into your PS2’s USB port, inputting your internet settings and connecting. The GameSpy service holds different groups of players based on skill, so you won’t necessarily be overwhelmed by expert players or have to compete against newbies.

Tony Hawk 3 has raised the bar for skateboarding games and PS2 games in general with its online play and carefully crafted design. Fans of the series and newcomers alike will enjoy Tony Hawk 3, for it is easy to learn but an exciting challenge to master. Tony Hawk 3 is also due for Nintendo’s GameCube system at launch, but it will lack the online play feature of the PS2 version.

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