Sound:  
If there is a weak link in the series, it’s the music. Not that it is terrible, it just isn’t fantastic. It keeps in step with the rest of the games in this category, and just takes its place as something to qualify as “music in the background”. The sound effects are also standard fare. Crashes bring about a grunt, and the sound of rolling skate wheels follows you wherever you go. It isn’t mind blowing, but then again, how could it be? It’s a solid effort, and I’ll leave it at that.

Gameplay:  
The same core of Tony Hawk makes up the bulk of the game, and that is definitely not a bad thing. You skate around levels accomplishing goals and collecting stat points to open new levels and raise your stats, respectively. The latest levels, as I stated before, are enormous. If parts of your objective are scattered about them, you need to have a very smooth run to even be able to reach them all. I am still left in awe at the design of the levels. The objectives themselves are very cool as well. They are not all taken directly from the console versions of the game, and that surprised me. I was expecting standard fare missions on each board, and then they throw new ones at me. Well played…. Activision. I could go on and on about it, but by now, the Tony Hawk series is notorious for its gameplay, and besides, the more I write, the less time I am playing this game. And, to put it the way Frankenstein would: playing game better than sitting in front of computer. Must… play… game. It’s THAT good.

Control:
For the most part, the control remains the same from THPS2 for the GBA. B jumps, A is for grinding, L and R and grab and flip tricks. The control pad, uh, controls the skater. The main new addition is the revert, which is new to the console versions of the game, too. You use it by pressing R as you land from a vert trick, and then can go into a manual or other trick to continue your combo. The revert can string together what would normally be big vert combos into ones that are simply HUGE. The controls are perfectly suited to the game, and if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, and Activision didn’t.

Multiplayer:
I personally have not played the multiplayer parts of the game, due to the fact that there are no associates of mine that also own a GBA. The game does offer many options for you and your friends. You can play a game of “horse”, where you try to match the trick your friend pulls off. You can also play “tag”, which is, um, tag. Trick attack has you compete to see who can get the highest score in a certain amount of time. King of the Hill has the players look for a crown in a level and whoever keeps it for the longest amount of time wins. There are a bunch of modes to choose from, and should definitely add to the value of the game if you have friends to play with.

OVERALL:
Well, I will sum up yet again: This game is great. Not often is it that a game is astounding in nearly every aspect, but this franchise is now one of them. From the perspective, to the intuitive gameplay, to the level design, nearly everything pushes the capabilities of the GBA in wonderful ways. Tony Hawk 2 blew many people away when it hit stores alongside the GBA last summer, and those who were astounded then will be taken aback yet again when they see the next installment. Vicarious Visions has upped the ante once more, and that is something that is of benefit to anyone that owns a GBA.

 

The Lowdown on  Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 (GBA) Aesthetics: Awesome Control: Awesome Gameplay: Awesome Multiplayer: Very Good Sound: Above Average Innovation: 5/6 Lasting Appeal: 5/6 Overall: Awesome! "Top of the Genre"