Review: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 (PS2)

Skateboarding is a popular activity amongst kids, young and old, since the early 1970’s. Its not surprising, therefore, that once computers became a more popular (and safer) pastime for most, a plethora of skateboarding games were produced, played and enjoyed.   These range from the early ‘720 degrees’ with its blocky unresponsive (yet surprisingly fun) game play on the ZX Spectrum and the commodore 64 to the pleasurable experience that each of the Tony Hawks incarnations has been.   It seems fitting that arguably the best skateboarder ever to live has put his name to arguably the best extreme sports game ever to be seen, on any platform. And make no mistake, that is exactly with THPS3 is.

The first Tony Hawks game arrived on our shores with no prior hype. It was one of the best surprises of 1998 that the little grey box had for us. Having been released ‘across the pond’ with a different name and aimed at a market where Tony Hawks was already a house hold name. It was assumed that us Brits would not respond to the same kind of build-up that surrounded the original game in the US.   The assumption was right, and it took a short while for the news of how special the game was to filter through the UK game-vine. But when it did, the new king of alternative games was born. Neversoft had created a beautiful monster, that was the cause of many a sleepless night and even dreams of landing impossible combos on the local high-rise roof. Well, it did for me (I have still never been able to land that in ‘real life’).

On the next incarnation Activision promised, this time long in advance of the game being released, that there would be more pro skaters, smoother graphics, larger levels, more tricks and the ability to create our very own parks and skaters. They promised a lot. And it was all delivered. The game played like a dream, and there was very little that caused complaint. Even the limited create-a-park editor was applauded. This time the game was released on all platforms almost simultaneously.    By the time most of us had been able to play THPS2 to exhaustion, news of Sony’s new project (imaginatively named Playstation 2) was well and truly flooding the gaming market place. This allowed many to let their imaginations run wild with what they hoped the sequels to their favourite game would include, beyond stunning visuals.   The same happened at Neversoft, the team who have been employed by Activision to code each of the THPS games (on both PS and PS2). The only difference is that they happened to have the ability to design and code the game that they collectively imagined.

The hardware that Sony has kindly provided for us was what Neversoft needed to be able to really reach a new level in gaming. It is very much apparent that PS2’s hardware has unlocked some of the most ‘special’ areas of coder’s brains. An example of this, beyond THPS3, is DMA Designs wonderful GTA3.

So what makes THPS3 so good? 

In the first instance the graphics are simply breathtaking. From the minute the game loads up onto your little black box you can see that there has been a full upgrade of the graphics engine. When you first start playing the game you can see that the game looks so much more realistic, this is down to a massive overhaul of all the animations skaters animations.   Neversoft have basically gone back to the drawing board and come up with brand new animations for bailing, grinding, grabbing, flipping and landing. If you and a friend are taking turns to play in one player mode, the game is just as much of a joy to watch, as it is to play.

Neversoft have also included pedestrians on each level, some of which it is necessary to interact with or impress with your marvellous skating skills to complete objectives. This is another touch that really helps add to the realism the game exudes.

Another new, and helpful feature that has been included in the game is the ability to stop and look around. Through moving the right analog stick you can move the ‘camera’ and seek out the best skating line, find hidden decks and stats. All of which will help you in achieving that massive combo.

Those of you that have played either of  THPS3 little brothers will know that the game is objective driven. The player had to accomplish a number of objectives on each level before they were able to unlock future levels and videos. This has not changed for THPS3, but it has been tweaked slightly.   Before, each skater had exactly the same objectives to complete – this is not the case in THPS3. There are usually one or two ‘floating’ objectives that will change depending on what skater you are currently using to skate with. This increase’s the overall longevity of the game and, in turn, the overall enjoyment.

Obviously, the aim of the game is to better your overall score for as you progress from one level onto another. As with THPS2 it is possible to link tricks together through manuals, but with THPS3, we are introduced to another little trick that makes 1 or 2 million point combos a great possibility. These are called reverts. Whilst they don’t exist in real skating, in the eland of THPS3 they certainly enhance the overall gaming experience.

So what are they? It’s a small trick that the player can pull off after a vert trick that will cause the skater to rotate 180 degrees and gives them the opportunity to start a manual and continue their trick combo. Already there are the rumoured 2/3 million point combos being talked about by THPS3 fans all over the web.

The most surprising of all the new features that THPS3 unveils is online gaming. This was something that it was thought wouldn’t be possible in the UK until March 2002 when the Sony Online Adapter is released. But, again, the guys at Neversoft have surpassed themselves by making it possible. This is the first game to venture into the realm of online gaming on the PS2. And it does so with style and panache.

All in all, whilst Activision has turned the THPS games in to somewhat of a franchise, the coders at Neversoft have excelled themselves once again. This is the one of the first truly next generation games to be released on the PS2. With the stonking soundtrack (that’s so good its almost like buying a game and getting an album for free!) it is nothing short of fantastic. With more hidden tricks, levels and skaters to shake a stick at the message is this - If you don’t have this game, get it. It’s a must have for the PS2.

For those of you out there who have the game and want to find out how to go online visit www.THPS3.com. If any of you want to share some of your feats with others visit the THPS forum, which is administrated by Neversoft employees

Rating: 9 / 10

Words by Chris Cathcart