Amazon.co.uk ReviewJust 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, even more so. As many of you young hipsters may be aware, skateboarding is taken far more seriously nowadays than any child of the 70s could ever imagine, 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. Such minor additions aside, though, the big new change 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. Thankfully, however, they have 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. This is looking, as the kids on the street say, "sick". --David Jenkins(This preview refers to the PS2 version and is based on an incomplete version of the game; features or problems mentioned above may not appear in the finished PSone game.)Product DescriptionThe world's best skateboarding game reinvents itself to give users the real-life experience of a hardened amateur skater. A completely new, non-linear career mode lets you choose the goals you want to accomplish: challenge pros head-to-head to beat their best tricks, take off to a competition or just skate solo to conquer a gap. Make your way through the game as an amateur and then conquer your pro's special challenge to unlock the more difficult professional world. Evolving levels change depending on the specific skater's goals and accomplishments--toggle different skate elements on and off (quarter pipes, benches, kickers) to change up lines. The newly upgraded Ultimate Skatepark editor allows user-set objectives such as high scores, hidden tapes and combo completion. You can create a dream park and give it to a friend to session. Skate as Tony Hawk or one of 12 other top pros. Improved skater physics and animations now allow skating on moving objects such as cars, trucks or cranes. New improvements also include more realistic balancing, bails and board dynamics.Review"The most polished Pro Skater yet. Play it, love it, scrape your knees. 9/10." -- Official UK PlayStation Magazine
