MR_SaturN's Full Review: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 for PlayStation 2
Ah, I remember the first time I played Tony Hawk for Playstation 1. I don't know if it was the incredibly fun gameplay or the all-punk rock soundtrack, but it captivated me for months on end.
And now Tony Hawk Pro Skater's third installment is out for Playstation 2, and I'm still addicted. Although the soundtrack is more mainstream now, that is easily looked over. Let's look at the different aspects of the game in categories.
The skatepark editor is a great feature. Here, you can make your own level that you can skate freely around. You can insert virtually anything a skater would need; half-pipes, quarter-pipes, bowls, grind rails, ramps, ledges, funboxes, you name it. You can even put in different gaps for additional points (to clarify, a gap is an added bonus that is from one obstacle to another; so, for example, if I were to grind along a rail on the skateboard, jump off it, and land and continue to grind on a different rail, that could be a gap). However, one thing bothered me: you couldn't put an object into two different gaps, therefore limiting the number of special moves you can pull off. Other than that, the skatepark editor is ginger-peachy.
The Create-A-Skater option is really cool, too. Here you can, literally, create your own skater. You can edit his name, age, height, weight, birthplace, gender, race, appearance, EVERYTHING. My created skater has a green mohawk, a dress shirt with camo shorts, Converses, spiked wristbands, and a Japan skateboard, whereas my friend's skater has green army fatigues and a foam beer helmet and flippers on his feet. I actually prefer to skate with my skater than any of the other pro-skaters; the mohawk gives me better aim.
The game's pro-skaters aren't that bad, either. I prefer Bam Margera, my hero, and star of the CKY skate/prank videos. Each have their own special tricks with the skateboard, and several slots to add on additional tricks. You can also level up their different skateboarding skills - grinding, hangtime, and the height that they can jump with their skateboard are some of the skills.
The soundtrack, although not bad, leaves something to be desired for me. I remember the first one was great, because it was basically an all-punk setlist. Then, THPS2 came out, and although it was a wee bit more mainstream, it was still good. Hell, even some of the rap songs were skateable. However, Tony Hawk 3 just doesn't really cut it. Although it has some great tracks, like the CKY, Guttermouth, AFI or Ramones ones, they're few and far between. I usually turn them off and make my own skate playlist from my mp3s on my computer.
The levels are extremely well done. They're all original, but in the sense that they're realistic, and not far-out and extreme. There's skateable ramps and pipes all over the place, and more grindable ledges and rails that you can shake a stick at. Each level has about 8 or so objectives you must do, like "grind along the so-and-so rail" and "knock over 5 pickpockets", as well as the 3 high-score tasks. You can also find new decks that you can use, and get stat points to increase your skills.
There's tons of secrets, too. In most levels there's usually secret areas that you must do by going through some unseen place, or breaking down something, or something to that effect. There's a whole mess of secret characters, including Darth Maul from Star Wars, X-Men's Wolverine, Tony Hawk's children, a cop, the Neversoft programmers... the list goes on. There are also secret levels from the first game, as well as a list of cheats you can toggle on and off; perfect balance, low gravity, and first-person vision are just a few. Sometimes it's fun just to turn on all the cheats and goof around. Each character has a movie about themselves that you can watch upon completing the game with them.. a compelling reason to keep playing the game, in my opinion.
So, there you have it. Although I've already beaten the game with 3 characters (my skater, Tony Hawk and Bam Margera), I'm still only about 15 percent done the game. This game should provide me with a great deal of fun for some time to come.
Tony Hawk brings you into his world yet again with all-new features that'll have you high flying through Paris, Tokyo, L.A., Canada, and more. Perform...More at eBay
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