Tony Hawk?s Underground

Move over, Muska?it?s [your name here]?s time to shine!

The biggest name in skateboarding takes a back seat to a nation full of wannabes in Tony Hawk?s Underground?and the results represent a fresh start for the series.

Once Upon a Grind
The game?s centerpiece story mode stars you as an unknown skater who gets the chance to live the scrub-to-am-to-pro dream. It?s a classic tale of opportunities, power, and betrayal among friends?just like Julius Caesar or Showgirls. Your personal quest takes you from New Jersey to various spots around the globe, where you?ll be meet pros like Hawk and Bob Burnquist while doing burly tricks?and much more (no spoilers here). Some of the missions are a little hokey, and while the driving sequences do break things up a bit, they feel a little forced?but the satisfying story mode is a big improvement on THPS?s structure. The story ramps up the difficulty gradually, so you build skills as you go, but there are now four difficulty levels, making THUG totally accessible to newbies.

When you finish the story, you can create almost everything yourself?skater, deck, tricks, levels, even level goals. PS2 owners get two major perks: They can map their own photo directly onto a player?s face (very easy, very cool), and they can trade all of the above while skating online.

Show Us Your Skittles
The control and gameplay feel as tight as ever; old vets can drop in with ease. The new mechanics this time are wallpushes as well as getting off the board, running on foot, and climbing ledges. Jumping off the board (and keeping a combo going) expands your trick lines immensely, but it?s just tricky enough to get on your nerves. It?s easier on the PS2 than on the Xbox (mapped to the Black button), but it ultimately feels like one priority too many.

Graphically, the game?s no slouch; The Xbox version looks a hair prettier than the PS2, but the levels are huge and richly detailed on both systems, and linking animations are noticeably improved. Expressive voice acting and an enormous 75-song soundtrack featuring NOFX, Jurassic 5, and Jane?s Addiction (the Xbox also supports custom tunes) make this the best audio experience in the series.

The PS2?s online elements give it an edge, but skate fans on any platform?including those who have strayed from the franchise in recent years?should buy Underground. The new name signals a new experience.?Dan Elektro

Also on the GameCube

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