Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3: Web Wombat: Games

That said, the extra power of the PS2 does lend itself to an improved audio/visual aspect, but you know how the saying goes - too many cooks soil their lederhosen… Something… Ouch…

So here we are - Tony Hawk 3 on the PS2. What's new? Well, the graphics are very sharp and extremely fluid, sporting a nice 30fps frame rate.

Compared to the PSX version, this is the dogs' bollocks. Or, if that failed to translate, it's really very nice to look at.

It moves at a faster clip than even the PSX version, making it slightly more challenging, too.

The skaters look remarkably realistic this time around; with the fancy motion capture lending them an air of authenticity. The way they reach around to grab the board is immaculate and even small movements, like squatting before an ollie or performing a manual, appear suave and very polished.

Indeed, when performing seemingly impossible tricks, like a hand-stand grind, the game still looks realistic and this, along with the gameplay, is one of Tony's biggest assets. The amount of detail in the game world is also much improved over Tony's last excursion.

Take, for instance, the secret cruise ship level. Not only is it huge, constantly moving through the water and gifted with a acid-tongued captain, the vessel is also thoroughly detailed, from the wooden decking to the museum area, full of precious artefacts and wall hangings. You'll notice writing on the side of fire trucks in L.A., you'll hear announcements at the Airport and list goes on.

Downtown in Los Angeles - lovely weather, too

Other levels deserve mention, too, such as Rio - one of my all time favourite competitions. There are so many cool grinds on this level, it's like Neversoft created the level just for me.

Suburbia has plenty of variety and some truly funny cameos by a troupe of rednecks near the empty pool - funny stuff.

In general, the levels feel more alive and this is due in part to the inclusion of civilians on all levels.

There's many dynamic areas in the levels, whereupon flicking a switch or grinding a ledge will result in a chain reaction, often destroying part of the level (look out for the earthquake in LA).

To be honest, there are a few things that didn't go down too well with this jaded gamer, such as the inclusion of only one new move.

Called the revert, you simply punch L2 when landing a big air off a quarter-pipe. If done correctly, you'll perform one of these little 180-degree ground spins, which add another potentially massive combo multiplayer.

So instead of getting 6000 points for a big grab move, you'll get more like 10,000 if you add a revert in at the end. It's a nice inclusion, but nowhere near as innovative as when the manual was added in Tony Hawk 2.

The amount of game modes has been beefed up considerably in Tony Hawk trois. Now gamers can partake in online games with up to three others, assuming, of course, you have access to a USB modem or an Ethernet card. The park editor, again, is much improved over Tony 2, offering more room, more objects and more gaps.

The two player modes are actually quite robust, offering good framerates without too much of a drop in detail, rounding out a fairly comprehensive list of multiplayer features.

The old truckstand during a multiplayer game

The career mode is back, but instead of earning and spending money like in number two, each level has five stat points. Each one collected allows you to add another point to your stats.

It may sound a bit wonky, but it actually works remarkably well, suiting the style of play a little better. There's still three various point quotas to meet on each level and plethora of funky objectives, including finding objects for certain NPCs, which is quite cool.

The game has an amazing amount of features to get through and should last quite a while. On the other hand, those who eat and sleep Tony Hawk may just see this as a tarted-up version of the original Tony Hawk - not so!

The gameplay is quicker, hence more demanding, but at the same time it can be more rewarding. It should also be mentioned that bails are much more satisfying, with many ear-shattering 'cracks' to be heard when bones bend the wrong way. There's also liberal amounts of blood splattered all over the shop when you stack, adding to the realism.

Sound wise, the game doesn't disappoint. The sound effects are spot on and depending what surface you are skating across, the corresponding sound sample come into effect. It's just another of those little details that Neversoft is good at implementing.

For the most part, I turned the music off. I know for a fact that it's quite good, featuring many well-known bands, it's just that I prefer my personal music collection when searching for high scores.

In my mind there was only one area that Neversoft had to concentrate on to win me over - level design. If the free-form areas in which the player is allowed to explore are interesting, full of variety and offer new and challenging experiences, half the battle is already won.

For the most part, Neversoft succeeds. Of the 8 levels included in the game, I found only one not to my liking. This was Tokyo and the level was just a bit too gaudy and neon-like, though there are plenty of big-score opportunities.

Perhaps we're at the stage where simply an upgrade in graphics and a few new levels won't make Tony Hawk 4 a desirable game. Despite Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 being one helluva tip-top title, Neversoft may have to do a little more thinking to capture the world's imagination once more. Then again...

Game: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
System: Playstation 2
Players: 1-4
Memory Card: Yes
Developer: Neversoft
Distributor: Activision

Rating: 90%

(Ratings Key/Explantion)

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