Personally, I prefer the slightly more open nature, incredibly cheesy but nostalgic and charming story, and additional tricks such as the acid drop in Underground, but this game is damn fantastic too. That said, the slightly smaller maps with fun and memorable little objectives to complete, particularly from childhood remembering dumping all the snow on the guy or knocking the big bucket into the lava on Foundry (with much less nostalgia for the later levels, because I was absolutely rubbish at video games as a child). There's really not much else to say. It's a great Tony Hawk's game, it has a mostly great soundtrack (Ace of Spades especially) and it's just pure fun to play.

You could say that Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 sparked my interest in the series. However, it was the third game that managed to fully convince me of the quality of the series. Mechanically, the game doesn't do that much differently from its predecessor. The gameplay is almost unchanged - you complete tasks in 2-minute levels, earn points for doing so, gradually unlock more levels and occasionally take part in a competition. So why did I like this game even more than the second one? Well, Tony Hawks already had a certain "whackyness factor". It didn't take itself seriously and didn't stick too closely to the physical rules of our world. Though the first two games were anything but mundane, the third game in the series really stepped it up a notch in this respect. I don't want to spoil too much here, but I can say that both the missions in the levels and certain unlockable content were pretty insane here :D With this game, the series made it clear once and for all that it doesn't want to be a realistic skate sim, but a fun arcade game with a focus on skater vibes, humor and a pretty wacky world. I loved it very much and it has been with me since my childhood to this day.

While on a THPS kick, decided to drop into THPS3, with it being my least played entry in the series.

Upon this play through, I realised that the game has aged much better than I had originally believed. The introduction to the Revert being the big game changer for most players, leading to longer, more free flowing combo lines. Rodney Mullen-styled flatland tricks from a manual are also a nice addition.

The maps in THPS3 are all pretty good, except for a couple that aren't up to standard. 'Foundry', 'Airport', 'Los Angeles' and 'Canada' are all absolute classics where as 'Skater Island' and 'Suburbia' leave a bit to be desired unfortunately.

For a long time, I thought I preferred THPS 4 to this entry, but after my recent play through, I realised I much prefer the arcade-like goals and addictive bite-sized runs present here. If you like THPS 1 & 2 (as well as the HD remakes), then you'll love this one too!

I'm a swing it, watch me bring it to the next level
The grafted devil's getting funky like The Neville
Brothers from the Bayou, so why you wanna trip?
Just play the sidelines, kid, and wait for me to slip
Cause I can feel it "In the Air Tonight"
But yo I'm not Phil Collins, I'm more like Henry Rollins
Cause I Search and Destroy every toy with a plot
Trying to get what I got, you might get shot!
Hot damn, I'm a slam you like ONYX
Then teach you how to write a rhyme like Hooked on Phonics
Mother Goose ain't got shit on me
Cause I'll get loose at the jam and wreck the whole party
I make em jump and mosh, oh my gosh
Just slamming in the pit while I'm kicking my shit
They bugging in the aisles cause I got mad styles
And ain't a damn thing funny, I get money in piles
Some people thought I died, that's just a rumor though
Others thought I fell off, but now I'm Numero Uno
Dos, not Quatro
Word to Kool Keith, I'm a break up your teeth

When I die (die)
Bury me (me)
Hang my balls from the cherry tree (tree)
Let them get ripe (ripe) then take a bite (bite)
And if they don't taste right
Then don't blame D! (D)

You need to quit swinging the style that I'm bringing
The funk-knuckled dragon who gets on the wagon
I'm not the twelve-stepper, don't play me like a lever
"My Mic Sounds Nice" but it's not Salt-N-Pepa

Well it's the man with the plan to get all your skins
The tip on my dick's where the line begins
So hoes form a line, take off that swine
Strip your ass buck-naked, let's see if you can take it
Cause I'll make you feel "Like A Natural Woman"
Cause I Keep It Comin'
I'm the Everlasting Freestyle Assassin
With Soul and my goal is to bring a little passion
To your girl's life like the daily soaps
Throw her down on the bed and tie her up with ropes

The lyrics keep flowing and flowing and just flowing
The lyrics keep flowing and flowing and just flowing
The lyrics keep flowing and flowing and just flowing
The lyrics keep flowing and flowing and just flowing

I'm just another Ranger with a dirty face
Punk motherfuckers beef about my race
You need step back, kid and give me some space
So I can cold-shock the party when I'm rocking the place
Danny Boy's arriving, standing six five and a half
Don't laugh, kid, the grafted's surviving
The outlaw biker with my bitch hitchhiker
On the "Highway to Hell"
Cause I never tell

Well it's the funk back-breaker
We "Heat it Up" like Jamaica
Don't bring your woman to the party
Cause I'll take her
"Hit the Deck" cause I'm down with the Whooli's
I got a trunk full of funk like the Groovie Goolies
I'm not the man but I asked you "Who was he?"
Quik's got the hairdo just like Ruth Buzzi
Running 'round town like you been to jail, son
But you hit the swap meet to get your hair and your nails done
Get off my sack cause your shit is wack
You diss me and I'm a diss you back

Must have played through the campaign dozens of times - enough to unlock every hidden character. The courses are not too complicated, but still have enough variety to be interesting - although the competition courses are a little more boring as a result since there aren't any objectives other than getting a high enough score for gold. The series eventually went downhill (pun not intended) since it started to become too complicated for its own good, but this is just fun, simple skateboarding. Also, there are some absolute bangers on the soundtrack.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 delivers a satisfying blast of nostalgic skateboarding mayhem on the GameCube. The core gameplay remains rock-solid, offering a smooth and addictive trick-chaining experience. New levels and the addition of the 'revert' move expand the trick combo possibilities, keeping the gameplay fresh. While the GameCube's graphical power doesn't quite match its console rivals, the fun factor and excellent soundtrack more than compensate. If you're yearning for classic arcade-style skateboarding action, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 won't disappoint.