Game: Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3
Genre: Addicting skateboarding insanity
Appeal: Hard core skaters.. or people who just really like to see them get hurt ^^

THPS is without a doubt the best known Skateboardign series to hit console gaming, and with damn good reason. When i first played 1 and 2 I wondered why more games can't be like that. I mean.. where else can you have a perftct run for 90 seconds, leap off a ramp.. and get crushed by a bus on landing.... Yes.. this is true... if i ever find the save file for that video i wat to put it up.. we all had a good laugh.

That aside tho.. THPS3 comes in 2 flavors... Origional PSOne.. which IMO istotla weak sauce... and extra crispy PS2 version... which I honestly believe may be one of the best PS2 games out there as of it's release. Why? Well there are several reasons, but the most important one is the online aspect of the game. Now you can skate with the guy next door, the guy down the road, and the guy on the other half of the world without having to pay for that guys freeloading ass to fly over to play, which is a very important askect when you consider that the game itself costs you about $50.

As compaired to the previous games, THPS2 comes to mind... this game is TOO easy... it's alot harder than I'd like to collide with cars now that the AI actually causes them to brake.. unless you're in LA where the AI takes into account that noone in LA brakes for anything. Oh yweah... there are people now too... people who talk to you while you skate, and give you trick bonus is you happen to do anything more difficult than a manual in front of them. Yet.. when you finally get to the girls.. all they do is push you off your board and laugh at you... The games just so realistic!

And as far as extras go.. well.. anyone who plays THPS games knows that there's alot to unlock... 21 things in all this time round.. each one comes after beating the game with a new character.... wow.. that's alot actually.. here's a list of what you can get.. and why it's not worth it.

01.) Darth Maul - Hi.. I'm stupid
02.) Wolverine - A Canadian skater's common.. but where's the hockey stick?
03.) Warehouse Level - I hated it in THPS2.. and I hate it now... nothign new
04.) Officer Dick - Everyone's favorite baby eatign communist is back!
05.) Private Carrera - Hi, Unlock me again, I still suck
06.) Burnside Level - Whee.. skate parts... eh
07.) Ollie, the Magic Bum - Nothing like a skating with a bottle in your hand.
08.) Kelly Slater - He's a surfer... why does he drown like everone else if you ever gen close to water?
09.) Roswell Level - the alien doesn't scream for help anymore... it makes me cry
10.) Demoness - She makes the skate shop guy burn.. I laugh ^^
11.) Snowboard Mode - makes it almost impossible to bail unless you really suck
12.) Always Special Mode - duh...
13.) Perfect Rail Balance Mode - easy way to built points
14.) Super Stats Mode - Gives everyone the ability to cheat like a bastard
15.) Giant Mode - eh... makes you really big...
16.) Slowmo Mode - stupid...
17.) Perfect Manual Balance Mode - another point building thingie
18.) Tiny Mode - Chibiness is fun!
19.) Moon Physics Mode - Wheeeee I can fly!
20.) Expert Mode - What the hell does this do anyway?
21.) First Person Mode - say.. is that the pavement.. I mean.. ouch

Another realy fin fact is that you can actually bail in different ways.. I've seen broken legs... rails to groins... girls pushing you off of your board if you try to run them over. Oh yeah.. and you can also create-a-skater... a feature that makes it's return in a much improved version... so improved that i actually took them time to make every SU member into a skater.. and try and kill them all ^^.

On to the ratings!!

Graphics: 8 - These are damn good graphics for a skatign game... but there's still clipping.. so -2 points

Gameplay: 9 - Smooth responsive control, Tony and friends execute tricks with the greatest of ease

Replay: 10 - That's where these games really shine.. with 54 goals per skater, and.. alot of skaters... this keeps you playing for weeks without getting sick, plus the online play is VERY nice... especially with a DSL

Extras: 8 - Aside from the 21 unlockable thingies.. there's also a snowboardign demo... snowboarding is fun

Sound: 7 - Music gets repetetive after awhile... but it's good music if you're a skater.. if you're not when you'll probably do what i did and turn off the music and put on some nice JRock.. or trance.... People say the same things over and over.. -_-

Rent of Buy: Depends on how much you like skating.. I bought the first two THPS games.. and I bought this one... yet i really don't like skating anymore.. ::crashes into a bus::

-Fei