Sound:  
Easily the most impressive characteristic in THPS3, the sound is completely perfect. When your skater falls, you hear the crack of his or her head on the pavement as well as some vocal response, usually in the form of an “ugh” or “oomph.” In the competitions, the judges cheer your successful tricks and jeer your unsuccessful tricks. If you lose the competition, you are subject to laughter and ridicule from the judges. There are also area-specific sounds in the game. For example, if you grind on top of a bunch of urinals in the Airport level, a flushing sound can be heard. If you skate into a tree in Canada, you’ll hear birds chirping. It is these little additions that make games such as this so much fun.

In a Tony Hawk game, the music has always been one of the best aspects. And THPS3 is certainly no exception. There are over 20 songs in the game from various music genres, featuring such artists as KRS-One, House of Pain, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and The Ramones. And because everyone has differing opinions on what type of music sucks and doesn’t suck, the play list is fully customizable. So if you are more into rock than rap, or vice versa, you can just turn off the songs you don’t like. Props go to Neversoft for including this option.

Gameplay:  
The gameplay in THPS3 is pretty much the same as the previous versions of the game. Players start off on a certain level, and need to earn points and fulfill other amusing requirements (such as to start an earthquake in Los Angeles) in order to advance to the next level. Once at the next level, the cycle continues. Although this is not all that different from the first two games, it is fun nonetheless. In Tony Hawk 2, players had to find money in order to purchase tricks and increase their stats. Luckily, in this game, the tricks are already available, and your skater can increase his or her stats by finding stat points. This was an excellent choice by Neversoft to change this feature.

In addition to the usual single-player mode, players can choose to skate around any park of their choice (if they have unlocked it). This is useful because it helps players to get a feel of the level. Another useful addition to Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 is the Tutorial mode. In this, Tony himself will give you lessons on everything from simple tricks to advanced combos. Although not necessary for seasoned veterans of the series, newcomers to the game should find this option extremely useful. Also, if the usual levels and skaters get too boring, there is a create-a-skater and create-a-skate park editor that keeps the replay value up.

There were a few bugs that I found in the game. I was free skating (no time limit) in the Airport level, and skated into a window. The skater went through the window and started floating in mid-air outside the airport. I could still do tricks, but I ended up needing to restart the level, because it became obvious that I was not going anywhere. There were also some clipping problems that I experienced, some of which landed me behind or inside ramps. These problems gave the game a bit of a rushed feel to it, but it was not enough to make me turn the game off.

Control:
Perhaps the most important aspect of any video game, the control in THPS3 is as perfect as can be. Controlling your skater and performing tricks on time is essential in earning those up-to-300, 000-point-requirements. But the controls are so responsive that this is very possible to accomplish. The ‘A’ button causes your skater to ollie (jump), which is required for all tricks. The ‘B’ button, when used with a direction on the analog stick or d-pad results in a flip trick. The ‘X’ button, also when used with a direction, results in a grab trick. The ‘Y’ button causes your skater to grind on rails and ride on walls. Using the ‘R’ and ‘L’ button makes the skater switch his or her stance, as well as spin when in the air.

I found no problems whatsoever with the controls in this game. I originally thought that using the analog stick would make it more difficult to pull off tricks since I was so used to the Playstation controls. But now that I played the game with the stick, I must say that it is much easier to control my skater and pull off tricks.

Multiplayer:
The 2-player modes in THPS3 are just as fun, if not more so, than the one-player mode. Players have the choice of 6 modes:
Graffiti – “tag” an obstacle on a level by doing a trick on it. If your opponent gets a higher score on an obstacle you already tagged, it becomes his/hers. Whoever has the most tags at the end of the time limit wins.

Trick Attack – the usual run on a level – try to score more points than your opponent in the time limit to win.

Horse – Perform a trick, then you opponent will try to beat it. If he/she gets the same score or higher than you, it is your turn to try to match or beat it. If not, a letter is awarded. The first one to get all the letters in the word loses. You can change the word from “horse” to one of your choice, as well. But try to keep it clean…or don’t. Either way, it is still pretty humorous to call the loser a “buttsniffer,” or something along those lines.

Slap! – try to smack your opponent by running into him/her. Whichever skater is slower gets slapped. Every time you smack your opponent, you get a point. The skater with the most slaps at the end of the time limit is the winner.

King of the Hill – No, it has nothing to do with the cartoon. There is a crown hidden in the level you choose, and the first one to get it is king. Then you must run (or skate) for your life! For if your opponent catches you, he or she becomes king. Whoever has the crown longest at the end of the time limit is the winner.

Free Skate – No scoring, no time limit, no requirements. You and a friend just skate to your hearts’ content.

Each game is fun in its own way, and will keep you and your friends entertained for hours.

OVERALL:
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 is an excellent game. With entertaining objectives, intuitive controls, extremely in-depth create-a-skater and create-a-park mode, and fun multiplayer mode, THPS3 is more than just the same game with graphical upgrades and more levels. Even if you are not a fan of skateboarding, this game is still very, very fun. Put Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 on your holiday wish list. You won’t regret it.

 

The Lowdown on  Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 Aesthetics: Very Good Control: Awesome Gameplay: Awesome Multiplayer: Very Good Sound: Awesome Innovation: 5/6 Lasting Appeal: 5/6 Overall: Very Good! "A Must-Buy"