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Neversoft has also added tons of new tricks, actually hundreds of new tricks. The best addition would probably have to be the manuals because they open up the gameplay to even bigger combos. It rules because you’re not restricted to areas with long rails you can pull in huge scores just on flat ground. It doesn’t just stop at manuals though there are nose blunt-slides and tail-slides, varials and a bunch of new grabs. If you don’t skateboard this will probably be meaningless to you, so here’s a quick crash course in skater lingo. I stopped skating a few years ago so I’m a little rusty myself but here it goes. A manual is when you balance on the back or front wheels of your skateboard, while you are moving. This can help you continue a trick, i.e. doing a kick-flip, landing in a manual and then heel-flipping out of it will give you a combo bonus. The front of your board is your nose and the back is your tail. So a nose-blunt slide is when you slide across a rail balancing on the space between the wheels and the nose of your skateboard, pretty tough to do. And a tail-slide is when you slide on a rail balancing on the tail of your skateboard. If your confused, seeing it will make a lot more sense. Basically the more tricks you can do the more combo options you have.

The bonus with having the PC version is the multiplayer, now your Playstation owning friends can be jealous of you for once. The one feature that was pretty lacking in the original was the two-player mode. The gameplay was awesome but split screens never lets you see enough of the area around you. But with multiplayer you get your own screen so no more sharing, it’s great. The ability to skate against people over the Internet opens up an entire new aspect of the game. If you go to the Neversoft website you can see that they are already hosting world championships over the net. Now you’re not just confined to playing your friends, you can play people who actually have skills at the game. Multiplayer features the old classic trick attack, graffiti and horse, along with the new addition Tag. In tag you skate around in a cat and mouse situation and the bigger tricks you complete the slower your opponent can skate and the easier he is to catch. The second you begin playing you’re hooked, avoid this feature if you have any plans for the next couple of weeks. Also the new multiplayer contests allow 1-8 players who take turns skating heats. So if you’re like me and have access to a 40 person LAN system you can hold tournaments through out your office or residence.

Expect a rich new soundtrack, Neversoft has added some Hip Hop and they have removed that horrible Primus song “Jerry was a race car driver”. Of course you’re going to get sick of these songs too, but until then it’s some pretty sweet listening. My favorite picks being Rage, The High and Mighty and Lag Wagon. It just shows that Neversoft has been doing some more research on what skaters listen to, because I have yet to meet anyone interested in skating who doesn’t listen to Hip Hop.

In conclusion say good-bye to everything outside your computer room, because you’re going to be hooked again for another 6 months of blissful, clean, smooth Tony Hawk flow. Buy it and a game pad and become the skater you have always wanted to be.

Overall Score: 90%