" It actually hurts me when I bail in this game "

      Title: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 by Activision

      Format: Extreme Sports Skateboarding for PS2

      Reviewing Monkey: Simi N.

      The Hype: Take control of one of 13 pro skaters including Tony Hawk (obviously) and complete tons of objectives as you work your way through amazing levels with huge scoring opportunities and intense competitions. Unlock new levels and secret skaters. You even get to design your own skate park!

      What This Monkey Thought...

      Graphics: Definitely the best graphics yet seen in the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series, this game is awesome looking. The levels look great and are designed very well. The character models are sweet, with great textures and very fluid animations. And the best part is that the frame rate is fast and constant…I never saw a hint of slowdown. The only real failing in the graphics department is that the blood splatters are not very good looking. They just don't seem natural and look more like a smear than a cool splatter. 4 out of 5.

      Sound: Very likely the best aspect of this game, the sound is great across the board. The sound effects are very, very well done. It actually hurts me when I bail in this game because it sounds so real. The board sounds appropriate on the many surfaces you skate on in the game, and the sounds of the tons of events going on around you are just as good. Along with the sound effects, the music for the game is for the most part perfect. It all fits the feel of the game, and is all high in sound quality, there are a couple of songs that I personally don't enjoy, but if you hate a song you can simply take it out of the song list. 4.5 out of 5.

      Playability: Damn! This game is supremely addicting. It is always fun to watch these skaters do their stuff on TV, but now you get to do it yourself, only better. The game controls are easy to learn and make a lot of sense. Of course the best part is the utterly crazy amount of tricks and combinations, and the awesome variety of objects that you get to trick off of. The best part is that the control is really, really tight, if you ever bail on a trick as frustrating as it can be it can almost always be said that it was your own damn fault. The only fault on the part of the game is that sometimes you will land tricks that you should have no business landing because your character mystically follows the contour of the ramp you left so he can land at the right angle. The game has plenty of awesome levels and loads of objectives to complete, and boards to unlock, and after you do all of that there are secret characters to try to get. The only unfortunate thing is that the game's online function cannot be utilized yet (please hurry, Sony)! 5 out of 5.

      Multiplayer and Replayability: There are many cool different multiplayer modes that this game provided for you and your friends. Unfortunately for the time being you will only be able to take on one friend at a time due to the lack of online service from Sony. That said the multiplayer aspect is still a really cool one that you and your friends will definitely enjoy as the games are fun and challenging and the game is still very fluid. 4 out of 5.

      Story/Dramatics: : There isn't a story in this game at all, but then there really doesn't need to be one. Likewise there are no real dramatics either. I mean really it is a skateboarding game if you want skateboarding and drama, go rent, "Thrashin'." Or I suppose, "Gleaming the Cube," would suffice.

      The Verdict:

This game is perfect for those who love extreme sports and even those who don't necessarily love them. The control is responsive and the graphics and level design are awesome. The coolest aspect is finding all the different things you can trick off of and discovering ways to put together incredible trick combinations.

      The Good: Great graphics, smooth animation, solid frame rate, Awesome trick combos, and tons of secrets to uncover.

      The Bad: Sometimes the laws of physics seem to fly out the window, even more than normal, in order to allow you to land a trick, and the online support is useless as of yet.

      The Overall Ugly: If you liked the first to get this one! If you have never played the first two get this one and you'll be an instant fan!

      What it's Worth: Market.