Just in case you didn't know, the
Tony Hawk's series is the best skateboarding sim ever--and now, with the release of
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4, it's even more so. Skateboarding is taken far more seriously nowadays, with legions of baggily trousered youths now able to refer to moves such as a bluntside or overcrook with a perfectly straight face. Indeed, the list of silly names for ridiculously dangerous stunts has been increased for this latest sequel and you now have the added ability to skitch (hold onto the back of a moving car) and grind through traffic. The big new change, though, is the career mode, which now has specific goals and milestones for all the different skaters and really adds to the replayability.
Curiously, the graphics are still not particularly good, with the same slightly muddy, undefined look to them that the developers presumably now think is all part of the fun. They have however thankfully realised that having time limits for the levels was an unnecessary limitation and, except for a few specific missions, you've now got all the time in the world to graze your knees and cave in your skull. Add in a new and improved online mode and you've got everything the discerning extreme sportsman could desire. --David Jenkins