Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3

Template:Game Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, often called THPS3 or Tony Hawk 3, is a third video game in the Tony Hawk's series. It was developed by Neversoft and published by Activision in 2001 for the Nintendo GameCube, Game Boy Color, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation. In 2002, it was published for the Nintendo 64, Xbox, PC and Game Boy Advance. It was the first game released for the PlayStation 2 supporting online play, and the last game released on the Nintendo 64 in the United States.

The game was unusual for having advertising in the form of billboards; while the previous games in the series featured advertising, non-skating brands can be seen for the first time (sans the level Downhill Jam in THPS1). Such brands include McDonald's, Nokia and Jeep.

Game features

Multiplayer

The Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 multiplayer lobby on PC.

The game stood out in the franchise for being the first title to have online capabilities. Users could connect directly to other players online on the PlayStation 2 version—even prior to the launch of the network adapter, with a USB Ethernet adapter, or on PC, where one could use the GameSpy lobby to play online, or simply play LAN on a local area network.

Revert

THPS3 saw the introduction of the Revert - one of the most influential moves in the series, a trick that enabled vert combos to be tied together with a manual by tapping a button when landing in a quarterpipe. This allowed for much longer combos than in the previous two games, where landing in a quarterpipe would finish a combo.

Hidden combos

Hidden combos are variations of standard tricks that can be performed as flip, manual or grind tricks. For example, double-tapping the flip button would, naturally, make the character perform a double flip. However, number of extra tricks is limited and they take more air time, so it's impossible to land them in flatland. This system would later be refined in THPS4, known as double-tap tricks and manual/lip/grind extensions. The interesting ability that was cut out in following games is flip-grab blending tricks. So, Kickflip could be easily transformed into Kickflip to Indy or Kickflip to Crail.

Lip/Rail Balance Bar

THPS3 introduced balance bars for grind and lip tricks. Also skater could flip out from lip trick giving the ability to perform extra flip and revert.

Big Drop removal

THPS3 is also the first game that didn't feature Big Drop, which marked game's shift to its known arcade feeling.

Pedestrians

The first game in series to introduce pedestrians.

Create-a-Skater

THPS3 was the first game where you can create female skaters. But not the first game that has the Create-a-Skater mode. That was THPS2

Control Zone multiplayer game

Control Zone is the exclusive THPS3 game type which didn't appear in subsequent games anymore.

Game Levels

Main

• Foundry, based in Woodland Hills, California
• Canada, based in Canada Olympic Park, Calgary
• Rio, based in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
• Suburbia, based in Munich, Germany (other sources claim Jackson, Mississippi)
• Airport, based in Honolulu, Hawaii (other sources claim Kyoto, Japan)
• Skater Island, based in Middletown, Rhode Island
• Los Angeles, California
• Tokyo, Japan

Next-Gen only

• Cruise Ship, based in the Caribbean Sea
• Warehouse, based in Woodland Hills, California
• Burnside, based in Burnside, Portland
• Roswell, based in Roswell, New Mexico

Xbox only

• Oil Rig

PS1, N64 only

• Downhill, based in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

GBA only

• The Zone

GBC only, cancelled for other platforms

• Paris, France

Platform differences

• THPS1 levels, which include Warehouse, Burnside and Roswell are featured in next-gen versions only.
• Cruise Ship level is only featured in next-gen versions of the game.
• Oil Rig level is featured in Xbox version only.
• Downhill map is only featured in PS1 and N64 versions.
• At the moment Gearbox was working on new Doom title and they decided to include Doom's protaginist in their THPS3 PC port. Doom Guy can be unlocked only by entering "idkfa" cheat (same cheat unlocks all weapons in Doom game).
• Special character X-Ray is a skeleton. He is featured in Xbox version only.
• Next-gen versions provide way more secret characters, they are limited to 2 in PS1 and N64 versions - Wolverine and Officer Dick.
• Double tap tricks, which were called hidden combos at the moment, are featured in next-gen versions only.
• Only PS2 and PC version of the game feature online multiplayer.
• PC port lacks some next-gen features (instant replay for example).
• Music credits video was cut from PC version of the game.
• While PS1 and N64 levels repeat general shape of their next-gen versions, there are lot of differences like elevator in Los Angeles or extra area in Skater Island.

Soundtrack

1. AFI - "The Boy Who Destroyed the World" (from All Hallow's EP, 1999)
2. Adolescents - "Amoeba" (from their 1981 self-titled album)
3. Alien Ant Farm - "Wish" (from ANThology, 2001)
4. Bodyjar - "Not the Same" (from How It Works, 2000)
5. CKY - "96 Quite Bitter Beings" (from Volume 1, 1999)
6. Del the Funky Homosapien - "If You Must" (from Both Sides of the Brain, 2000)
7. Guttermouth - "I'm Destroying the World" (from Covered with Ants, 2001)
8. House of Pain - "I'm a Swing It" (from Same As It Ever Was, 1994)
9. KRS-One - "Hush" (from The Sneak Attack, 2001)
10. The Mad Capsule Markets - "Pulse" (from OSC-DIS, 1999)
11. Motörhead - "Ace of Spades" (from Ace of Spades, 1980)
12. The Nextmen - "Amongst the Madness" (from Amongst the Madness, 2000)
13. Ozomatli - "Cut Chemist Suite" (from their 1998 self-titled album)
14. The Ramones - "Blitzkrieg Bop" (from their 1976 self-titled album)
15. Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Fight Like A Brave" (from The Uplift Mofo Party Plan, 1987)
16. Redman - "Let's Get Dirty (I Can't Get in da Club)" (from Malpractice, 2001)
17. Reverend Horton Heat - "I Can't Surf" (from Liquor in the Front, 1994)
18. Rollins Band - "What's The Matter Man" (from Nice, 2001)
19. Xzibit - "Paparazzi" (from At the Speed of Life, 1996)
20. Zebrahead - "Check" (from Waste of Mind, 1998)

Reception

The game has sold 2.4 million copies worldwide. The game was very well received by the gaming press, the PS2 version earned a rare perfect 10 score from Gamespot, one of only seven games to ever receive said score. It was also awarded the best sports game award at the 2001 E3. IGN rated the game 9.7/10, and ranked it #21 in the Top 25 PS2 Games of All Time. The game is currently the top rated PS2 game on the review aggregate website Metacritic, with an average score of 97/100, tying with Grand Theft Auto III.

External links

• Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 gamepage at IGN.com
• Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 community site