[#] Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 (Activision, 2001)

An odd duck blend of new and old.

I was a little harsh on this port in my initial review. In the halcyon days of the PS2, because the PS1 was still quite a strong seller, companies would sometimes backport their new PS2 games to it, leading to strange little ports like this. Using the 2 engine with warped versions of the much more expansive 3 levels, it sounds pretty lame on paper, but y'know, I enjoyed the hell out of it. If you liked the other PS1 Pro Skater games, it's more of the same—but how can you go wrong with that?

While 3 on the PS2 was known for its breathing worlds that feature pedestrians, this version has zero pedestrians, making the levels feel like ghost towns—something Shaba Games clearly noticed, given the post-apocalyptic makeover they gave Los Angeles. Even still, the reworked levels definitely have a unique vibe, so it's still a pretty different experience. Reverts are included, though hilariously, the score goals from 2 haven't been increased at all, making them pretty trivial.

A lot has been recycled from 2, actually, like the park editor and create-a-skater options, though the game features all the skaters from the next-gen versions (plus some exclusive ones, like Wolverine) and retains their kickass soundtrack. This still isn't the ideal way to experience Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, but it's still a lot of fun, and even if it basically amounts to a 2 expansion pack, there's a lot worse you could be than that. You should play them both, really. Really!