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Not A Whole Lot New, But Better Than Ever |  Arend D. Hart from Michigan says (30/Jan/2002): | Gran Turismo and Tony Hawk Pro Skater. By far, two of the best serials for the PSone. Now, it's the age of the PS2.
Like Polyphony's spectacular PS2 release of Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec, Neversoft's Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 is a lot of the old, wrapped in a much prettier package. And old isn't bad by any means, especially in the case of these two games.
So here we have the newest addition to the Tony Hawk series. The only way to describe it is jaw-dropping. The graphics are perfect, the gameplay is perfect, everything is perfect. This game is getting top ratings everywhere. Even here. If you like trick-based gaming, you have no choice but to buy this game. But, there is a downside...
First of all, as I alluded to above, in all it's perfection, THPS3 is still basically the same game wrapped in a pretty package. I mean, there isn't a whole lot of new stuff you can do with the third installment in a trick-based series which has been so amazing from day one. Neversoft started on the top rung of the ladder with this one. And, so far they've done a great job staying at the top. The first game was incredible, and each sequel has had some significant new offerings to keep the gameplay fresh and exciting. THPS2 gave us the Manual, and the Park Editor and an incredible set of courses and hidden items. Now, along with incredible graphics, THPS3 for the PS2 brings us the Revert, online play, and even bigger and better courses to thrash on. But still, it's a lot of the same as the previous two games, and it's starting to look like there may need to be some major changes to the whole concept of the THPS series from here on out.
What am I getting at? Well, in my opinion, Neversoft needs to rethink the end-to-the-means here. Sure, Neversoft is standing at the top of the ladder, but it seems like they've gotten to the point where they're butting their heads on the ceiling. And, unless they break through, they risk falling off. The PS2 afforded them with being able to make significant visual changes, but that's only going to go so far. Don't get me wrong, THPS games will always sell, but the thrill and excitement is waning with each release.
Where can they go? Well, they're trying online. And indeed, online is the wave of the future. But, at this point in time, not many people can afford to go PS2 online. So, for the most part, that is not really an important add-on in my opinion. As far as updating the old...The control scheme has always been so perfect, you don't want to fiddle with that. The graphics could be a little better, but not much. And save for going the way of SSX Tricky and getting all extreme, or including a story mode like Dark Summit, it's really looking grim.
So, do I have any ideas? Yeah! I say to make one core THPS game disc which will accommodate expansion discs. Then, throughout the year, a gamer can go to Best Buy or Circuit City and purchase a disc chock full of new courses, or it could take courses you already have and add new goals. Keep the expansion disc's price down to $10-$15 and release them every few months. It's make 'em a mint, and leave them time to go off in other directions.
Finally, another downside to THPS3 for the PS2is that once you play this game, you'll have a really difficult time playing any of the old PSone THPS titles. The PSone's graphics, once the best in the business, are so choppy in comparison to the PS2 that they are almost seizure-inducing. This really bums me out in a way. I miss the old games, but it's nearly impossible to play them after seeing this version. It's nice that THPS3 has unlockable levels from the old game, but maybe Neversoft should look into reissueing the old levels on one of the new expansion discs, eh?
So, in closing...
Like GT3, THPS3 is a whole lot of the same things as previous installments, but in a much prettier package. Both GT3 and THPS3 games are well worth the money. But, both Polyphony and Neversoft really need to start looking towards the future and how they will be able to keep these games exciting and new. And the answer isn't simply to go online. GT3 is already teasing us with an expansion pack (Concept 2001 Tokyo), so why not THPS?
| A Skaters Dream! | | Dave Newton from England, UK says (10/Jan/2002): | Tony Hawks 3 is excellent, I bought for £29.99 the best £30 I have spent, in ages. Tony Hawks 3 has real strong gameplay, you will always want to go back to it. the lifespan of the game is brilliant too. getting all those decks will take you ages, the graphics are awesome no slow down like on the PSone versions, loads of cool moves to learn, and the new improved create-a-skater is brilliant, loads of different clothes to choose from, faces, hair styles, just like the WWF games, loads of cool extra characters, including Dark Maud of Starwars, and the classic Officer Dick. This games will keep any sort of gamer hooked for hours, is has the graphics, and gameplay, and a brill two-player mode. Go out and buy today
| THPS3 is in & THPS2 is out | | Tristan Ramkissoon from Toronto,Ontario,Canada says (29/Aug/2004): | This game is the BOMB!!!.New levels,New music and more.Skate as Hawk and 12 pros like Steve Caballero,Kareem Campbell,Rune Glifberg,Eric Koston,Bucky Lasek,Bam Margera,Rodney Mullen,Chad Muska,Andrew Reynolds,Geoff Rowley,Elissa Steamers & Jamie Thomas.new moves including flatground tricks so skaters coud do freestyle moves like Rodney Mullen.Like THPS2 you can create your own skater.But when you create a skater you get new looks :).Change your skaters shrit,pants,glasses & more.If you get this game you'll be playing this 24 hours a day,7 days a week.Did i also say you can even play online if you have a network adapter.Unbelivebel but true.That's all for now until my next review.see you my station play amigos
| Still Addicted | | Clarkie Dude from Lakeport, USA says (10/Feb/2004): | I love this game! I've had it for a while, and it's still the first thing I grab when I get home after a long day at the office and want to unwind.
To begin with, any PS2 game you can play with cheats and still feel challenged is a winner. This is possibly the best series with such cheats. But enough reverse-engeniering.
Solid, smooth gameplay and control merely enhances the awesome landscaping and background effects. (Check out the Tokyo level for a perfect example of what I mean.) The colorful backdrops and neat locales give your chosen grinder plenty to chew up--and spit out.
The challenges are truly challenging, and when you pass a level (cheats or not), you feel like you've genuinely accomplished something special. There's nothing like the rush you'll get, for example, when you rip all those flags at the Airport. It's exhilerating!
On the downside, however, the creators could have put more effort into secret discoveries. Every level could've easily been filled with sub-levels or hidden skate areas to tear up (like the pool in Rio or that awesome, circular grind inside the Foundry). Also, it would've been nice to have a monster of a park--indoors or out--to trick around in. Too often the areas are limited in size and scope. (Think "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" with all its near-infinite room to roam and the possibilities for the Tony Hawk franchise become boundless.) In addition to my few gripes, the Park Editor, though sweet, needs major work; why not allow for customized graffiti and paint? Instead of a handful of props, why not allow for a far more extensive list of stuff to choose from? And why only three themes? Anyway...
The fact is that "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3" is so darn good you'll be salivating for more of everything that makes it such an incredibly addictive game.
| Yes... 3 is cool. | | Brad Felizardo from Angola, Luanda says (31/Oct/2003): | Yes, i have THPS 4 and 2, and decided to buy 3 too, to join the collection. First i was thinking: -"Well, i'll waste a bit of money on THPS 3 to join the collection...", hey! But no, 3 is really cool because of many things. It as lot of things improved from the 2 and many things better than 4, starting from the levels, the boards, etc. Come to think of it, it has 8 cool secret skaters! Even THPS4 just has 3! Private is better, and i don't have that feel of allways skatin' on the same place that i have in THPS4, it really has what you can call by secret and complex places in stages. The 3 medal contest is better than 4 and 2, off course, and for guys that have THPS4, having 3 will give you a lot of pleasure, you feel like you got more levels and skaters. Only 4 bad things, the annoying music on the skate shop (oh, with the experience that they have Neversoft still make such big errors?), the way to get the boards (what kind of shop is that if the boards you must get out there and then bring them to the shop and make them available? o.O?), the really bad way to manage the music and having to open a level with all the skaters so that all them can play there. Just to say in free skate the levels should be available for all skaters. But the game is cool.
| Best Game Ever, Maybe.... | | FreeStyler from Queensland, Australia says (22/Apr/2003): | THPS3 was the best game I have ever played. The detail is fantastic, and the all new tricks can absolutely blow you away. The career mode is back with all new levels, and the goals are so realistic. Say Canada, in real life someone might be throwing snowballs at another person. Why not bury the bully? THPS thought of this, and turned the game into a bestseller. The sound is brilliant, screaming for a good speaker. "Ace of Spades" is here, as well as other great music.
The Sound - 9.7 - The best sound I have ever seen, but I think on different levels there should be more fitting music.
The Graphics - 8.9 - Good graphics, and I think I prefer it like that. The only reason it is 8.7 is because it is not real-life quality! You dimwit people out there who think the graphics are bad, what are you thinking?
The Gameplay - 10 - Best gameplay ever! The park editor, multiplayer, career, characters and the levels all add up to best gameplay ever!
The Originality - 7.3 - The skating was certainly not original, but some of the characters, tricks, and most definitely the levels are quite original.
The Lifespan - 9.5 - The lifespan is very long, about two to three years. The park editor, long goals, plus unlocking extra characters will keep you on your toes for a long time.
Overall - 10 - You may not think these scores add up to 10. Alone they don't, but when the creators jammed them into THPS3, they make a huge impact.
What I really like is the special tricks. Pull off speckies with backflips, cool manuals, and maybe the odd grind. Once you unlock your special characters, you unlock their tricks. My combonation is the Dark Jedi Grind, Ahhh Yeahhh, Lazy Ass Manual and the Hand Claw Punch. You can have a great laugh by assigning weird tricks to the wrond people. Try Darth Maul with the Ahhh Yeahhh!
| I just got it and...... | | Alex from Britsh Columbia Vancouver Canada says (22/Feb/2003): | I was amazed I was bored with number 2 so I got it and the graphics are amazing I mean look at them there's new levels and so many things to unlock u can even get the eyeball! so if you don't have this game too bad 4 u u don't know what your missing so go buy it NOW!
| hugely overated | | A gamer from england says (14/Aug/2002): | as a skater i find THPS3 hugely disappointing. Very unrealistic parts such as riding on grass and snow bring the game way down. Many of the trick graphics have been changed from THPS2 and some like the 360 flip now look crap. The levels are all boring and samey without a single realistic spot. most tricks look poor and some are just wrong. the selection of skaters is very similar to that of THPS2 despite the lack of burnqvist but a huge amount of superb skaters have been missed out and the ones in the game just look wrong. the ollies are too high and long and speed is built up during a grind which is the opposite of what really happens. for some reason a nollie is higher than a fakie ollie. somebody really should have researched a bit better. The ability to smoothly move from one grind to another is pointless without 50-50s to boardslides which are the most used transition. most grinds look terrible with the trucks not even touching an obstacle and blunt slides are the wrong way round and so look awful. so all in all its a pretty $#< remove me > at ! game. stick to no. 1 and 2 for better levels and slightly better realism. or just get a board and stop wasting time playing the game. Get out on the streets and start tearing up!!!
| oh yea #3 is here | | aaron from alex MN usa says (11/Aug/2002): | The graphics have improved from #2 the selection of levels was amazing they had every skater from tony to the eyeball dude. They added so many great features like peps you can interake with the music selection rocked they had rhcp its probly the best game of the year if you dont have it buy it or at least rent it ROCK ON TONY
| god bless tony hawk | | chris the beefcake from glasgow, scotland says (26/Jul/2002): | this is sheer brilliance from activision, neversoft or whoever made it. the game sports everthing needed to make a great game with the excellent difficulty curve and brilliantly sized levels. i have owned all the thps series and i can safley say thps 3 has improved in all areas for example thps 2 had overly sized levels which took about three turns to fully explore aswell as not enough secrets which plagued both thsp1 and 2. the new features are the icing on the cake such as the network play option this is what separates it from any other sports title.the skate shop jokes are hillarious such as the till guy chocking when you highlight darth maul.and the soundtrack is worth bying on a separate cd the mad capsule markets motorhead and cky to name a few. all in all id say this is one of the best games that will ever grace the ps2 and everyone should own at least one copy
| Different but the same... | | JB07 from Canada says (25/Mar/2002): | THPS3 is the best of the series so far. Graphics are quite nice and of course better that the first 2. The courses are nice with a lot of secret areas in most of the levels. The sound is good. There is people walking around in the maps you can knock around and they can also knock you flyin. They also talk to you while yer skating. The funnest part of this game is to unlock secret characters and videos. There is some cool secret characters such as Garth Mole from star wars, and The Magic Bum from THPS2. There is only 8 or 9 levels and you can beat them quite quick. It only took me 2 days the first time I ever played it. Overall I rate it a nine only because I can see it being better and different from the first two a little more.
| Skating Heaven | | Errol Docena from NO Hollywood, CA , USA says (13/Mar/2002): | With new characters, secret characters, new stages, editing mode, more secrets, new stages, better tricks, changing character's looks, and ofcourse the on-line mode, this is the best to ever come! Play in 1P and try your tricks, multiplayer and challenge your friends in skills and your very own skate park, or on-line and challenge the world to see who's best! This game deserves a sraight on 10!
| Best Game from Neversoft so far. | | A gamer says (10/Nov/2001): | Tony Hawk pro skater 3 is the best game from Neversoft so far. The thing that that makes it great is that all of the decks and skaters are up to date and that their personalities are modeled perfectly. Another is the internet capability that makes this game great. This allows you to play against people across the world. The graphics, though, are what separates this game from everything. The first time I popped the game into my PS2, I felt as if I myself fell along with the skater. Other great features are the videos, which appear as if on a DVD, and the music of great quality, and just great sound. Coming from a skateboarder, this game is simply great.
| The game is great | | Kyle Shuppert from Mishawaka, IN US says (9/Nov/2001): | Well since everyone is posting their reviews on the Playstation page, including me, I will just post this little short one to the people who finally figure this out. The game is great. There's more features, better graphics, special skaters, and is a good buy. For those who got THPS2 for Playstation, you'll like this one as well. This game will soon become the must-have for the PS2. What are you waiting for, go get it.
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