"The worst in the series, but still pretty good."

Introduction

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 was one of the first games that I got on my PlayStation 2. At the time, I was very much impressed with the graphics and everything else about the game, but now that I've tried more games for the PS2, it's not as good as I remember.

Gameplay 9/10

The gameplay from the past 2 games in the series hasn't changed a bit. You still use the same buttons to do the same tricks. Speaking of tricks, there's an insane amount of them. From kickflips to Indy 900's, this game has any skateboarding trick imaginable. There's also plenty of new special tricks to do. Also, with the special tricks, you can have many more special trick slots than in the previous games, giving you the opportunity to earn huge scores.

There's also a new skater in this edition of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. He's none other than Bam Margera, one of Jackass's (the TV show) lunatics. With him, he brings more new tricks and styles.

The old Create A Skater part of the game is back too. This time, it's much better than the last couple of times it's been on the game. The selection of clothing and looks of the new skater are infinite. You can pick the skater's tattoos, clothes, shoes, and boards.

There is also a new way to get new decks and stat points in this game. In each level, there are 5 stat points and a new deck to be found. To make this even harder, they're in different spots for each skater. To maximize you stats, you'll have to find all of the stat points in each level.

The way you unlock other new levels is by completing the objectives of each level. On each level, except for the competition levels which you have to get a medal in to get to the next level, you have 10 objectives. By completing a certain number of them, you unlock new levels. The objectives also vary depending on which skater you are using. If you are using a street skater, you might have to grind a long rail, or if you're a vertical skater, you might have to complete a huge transfer.

Also still in the game is the Skate Park Editor. With this, you can create your own custom skate park complete with rails, half pipes, stairs, and ramps. You can even include bushes, trees, and planters. After you've completed your park, you can skate it, as well as some other pre-made parks that are already loaded into the game.

There's also some videos that you can unlock by beating the game with certain characters. These are a good addition to the game. If you get a medal in all three of the competitions, you will unlock a Bails video, which shows pro skateboarders 'bailing' or falling. It's very funny.

Graphics 9/10

The graphics of this game are great for being one of the earlier games released for the PlayStation 2. The people and objects in the game are very sharp. One of the bad things, however, is the game can be a little rough as far as frame rate goes. Also, the addition of blood helps this category out a little bit.

This game also has real videos, as mentioned before. This is a great thing to have. I think that this gives the graphics category a good boost, even though the videos could've use a little better editing.

Sound 8/10

Personally, I think that the sound in this game could've been much better. The sounds are crisp, but they don't have many different sounds. Every time you fall, you hear the same sound. Some of the sounds are uses for multiple things in the game too.

The music in the game is what makes this category get an 8 instead of a 4. I loved the music in this game. It is much better than listening to the sound effects. There is mostly rock music, and not much, if any, hip hop or rap. There is a multitude of songs. A good feature about this is that you can turn single songs off instead of having to turn all the music off.

Play Time/Replayability 7/10

This game has plenty of playing time. I played it for 50-60 hours just to complete it. To complete the game, you have to beat it with each character. This can take a while and it will eventually get boring and tedious. This makes it lose a few points.

The replayability of this game is bad. I haven't replayed this game since I beat it. Yes, it is that boring to try again. Doing the same moves with the same people gets very boring.

Final Recommendation

This is a good game to play through once, but never again. If you buy it, I would get it used. After that, consider selling it again. If you don't do that, than you should at least rent it.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 02/18/03, Updated 02/18/03