Welcome to NSports, if we feel that you as a sports fan will be interested in a game or peripheral, we will give it coverage right here on NSports. If you enjoy other genres of games in addition to sports, then be sure to visit NAdventures and NShooters in order to get your fill of gaming content. Check out http://hub.ngenres.com for the highlight stories from each genre.

Preview  Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 (GBC)
- By Neal Gittens


Tony Hawk, Tony Hawk. The name amongst names in the skateboarding world, and now, the name amongst names in the video game skateboarding world. The previous incarnations on various systems have been tremendous hits, and the latest versions look to follow suit accordingly. Tony Hawk will once again ride his Birdhouse board onto the screen of the Game Boy Color this fall, and once again he will be taking his flying skateboard circus to various courses around the world. Many familiar names will return, from Geoff Rowley to the female sensation Elissa Steamer, and of course, Tony Hawk himself. In this third installment in the series, Tony and pals will take their show to locales like Rio de Janeiro and the wilds of Canada. (Grind that grizzly, eh?)

The format of the game is a bit different from the console versions of the same name. The GBC uses more of a 2D perspective as opposed to the usual 3D used in the console versions, or the 2.5D type used in the GBA version of THPS2. However, the driving forces remain the same, pull off tricks to rank a huge score, accomplish various goals to score some cash for new boards or tricks, and generally thrash every inch of every board to figure out every nook and cranny where you can pull off tricks to max out your total score.

This time the Hawkman cometh and brings with him:

13 skaters – (Actually he only brings 12 WITH him, if you want to get nitpicky)
Battery backup – So you can save those kicking scores and your progress
9 areas to thrash – From Rio to Canada to Skater Island, you’ll grind around the world

While the GBC Tony Hawk may not be the exact same game as will be available on the GameCube, it still enjoys a Tony Hawk license, which can’t hurt. The team behind the game has been charged with capturing the essence of Tony Hawk and recreating it on the GBC screen, and with its release in November, we will all find out how thoroughly they have been able to do so.

- 11.2.2001