Preview: 'Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3' goes online

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By Dan Elektro

(IDG) -- As if the mere arrival of "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3" on three platforms wasn't enough, developer Neversoft is readying a slew of new skills, spills, and thrills for the occasion -- plus support for some newfangled thing called "the Internet."

Indeed, "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3" is already up and running in beta-test environments with up to four skaters sharing the same park over a USB modem. At the time of this writing, Sony's online PS2 plans are still to be announced in the U.S., but Neversoft says that whatever Sony comes up with, "THPS3" will support (sorry, PS one owners, no online play for you -- but at least you get the game).

Online and local network play obviously makes multiplayer contests such as Graffiti more fun, but even free skating with three other human players leads to fun new chaos. In addition to body-language taunts, if two skaters collide, the one moving faster pushes the other out of the way÷and the blood stains stay on the ground for an embarrassingly long time.

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Look for "THPS3" to feature twice as many tricks as "THPS2," as well as new 3000-polygon player models and fresh animations for balances and grinds. Level goals harken back to "THPS1" (no more money system to worry about) and will be specific to each skater, based on their individual style (street or vert). New levels include Canada and Los Angeles (the latter of which will change while you skate due to an earthquake, creating new lines and trick opportunities), but the skatepark editor returns as well. Skater creation will also be enhanced -- girl gamers can finally create female boarders. And like the manuals of the last game, "THPS3"'s killer new combo-linking move will be the revert, a special landing that helps skilled players extend their trick runs even further.