"Another great game from Activision."

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, the 3rd game in one of the greatest series of games ever(in my opinion). Tony Hawk 3 takes everything great Tony Hawk 1 and 2 had, filters out all the crap, adds quite a few new features and levels, and creates a great game. Although, the game is a bit easy, it does have enough goodies to make up for that.

Graphics: 8.5/10

The graphics and animation are extremely smooth; the skate parks, and the like, are incredibly detailed, and actually look like actual half-pipes, rails, and yes even snow. The actual skaters look great, but a little fruity. The create-a-character is near perfect, and this time you can even make female skaters. Only bad part is you can't edit the faces, therefore the male skaters look a bit like Gilligan >_>

The animation is surprisingly excellent, too, like when you grind a rail, the character twists around, moves his hip, et cetera, like in real life, to keep balance. There are also people who hang around in the environment, that say things and hang around, to make the game seem more realistic. And yes, you can knock them down and hurt them.

Sound: 7.2/10

The sound in the game is excellent, from the sound of the skateboard rolling along the ground, to grinding on the rails, to the voices. Speaking of the voices, they are spectacular. Like I said before, there are people in each of the levels, and each person has something to say. You can hear them talking to one another, shouting out when you come near or hit them, and even a bully is in one of the stages that insults others (even you, but you get revenge on him).

The music in the game is mostly hard rock; not really my type. But, the game does include a few popular bands such as Alien Ant Farm and Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Gameplay: 9.9/10

Whether your new to the Tony Hawk series, or your a veteran at Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 and/or 2, your gonna love this game. Tony Hawk newbies can learn the basics of the game in the new tutorial mode, and can be skating like a pro in a matter of minutes. Since THPS3 is easier than 1 and 2, this game is perfect for those of you who are new to the series.

And for all my fellow veterans of THPS1&2, there's a new feature to learn called the revert, that lets you not only link up grind tricks into a huge combo, but halfpipe tricks too. Doing a revert is a little tricky, but eventually it'll become a reflex after playing for a while.

Then there's the park editor. This one is many times better than the THPS2 editor, since you can create new pieces such as trailers, lava pits, pools with actual diving blocks, and even miscellaneous objects such as the 4ft Rollin' and a fountain. The new objects let the park editor soar to new heights. The new risers, controlled by R1 and R2, are a Godsend. In THPS2 you could only use the risers upwards, but now, in THPS3 you can build the risers so they'll go underground, therefore letting you create holes, for objects such as pools, and even lava pits. Only problem with the park editor is that in THPS2 you had access to 4 themes, and in THPS3 you only have 3. Doesn't matter very much anyway, right...?

Now, you have the create-a-skater. The new create-a-skater lets you choose from a male skater and a female skater (as stated before), and has quite a bit of different options. You can change clothing colors in a very precise color editor, then mix and match to create the perfect skater. After that, you can mess around with his or her stats in any way you want. Want to max out your hang time and deplete your manual skills? No problem! This handy little feature can be done with all skaters as well. Perfect for your strategy in each level.

Then there's an online play feature, but as of now you can't access it, unless you have a USB modem or USB adaptor, and can figure out how to hook it up. Good luck to ya. Remember, if you can get online as of now, you can play with about 10 people and the testers :P

Buy, Rent, or Forget?

Definitely buy this title. THPS3 is near perfect. Just remember, this review is for the PS2 version ONLY. I haven't tried the PSX or GBC versions, so don't bother asking me.

Pros: If your into skateboarding, or if you love extreme games like this, or if you just love the Tony Hawk series, your gonna love this game.

Cons: May be a bit too easy for most players, and you can't get online easily... yet.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 11/15/01, Updated 11/15/01