Instead, the changes to the heart of the game have made THUG more entertaining than the Tony Hawk Pro Skater games. Factor in the unbelievable customization options and improved online play for PS2, and players should have enough to keep them busy until the next edition arrives - even if the gang at Neversoft decides to take a year off.

In the previous four games bearing the Birdman’s name, the core gameplay was simple: jump into career mode, pick your favorite pro and complete a slew of random goals to increase skills, access new levels and unlock secrets and videos. Simple enough, but it was starting to get stale. So the developers decided it was time for a change; in THUG, your unknown skater struggles through contests and other encounters in story mode to gain sponsors and, eventually, take your place along side pros like Hawk, Bob Burnquist and Rodney Mullen.

As you enter story mode, your journey begins with your pal Eric stopping by your house in Jersey to let you know about a demo in town. Before you can head out and skate your way to the demo, you’re prompted to create the skater that you’ll take to the top. This process is very similar to the create-a-skater feature in the THPS games, with one notable exception where the PS2 version is concerned. With the help of a digital camera and a PS2 Network Adapter, you can download a photo of your own face to a memory card and slap it on the character you’ve created!

This face-mapping feature is very simple, and the whole process only takes a few minutes. It’s not flawless, though. It took me a number of tries to get my image to look anything like the mug I see in the mirror everyday, and even after a great deal of Frankenstein-like experimentation, my character’s face still looked a little distorted. Like he’d eaten some bad Chinese food and was about to give it up. For those who decide the face-mapping doesn’t do them justice, there are still plenty of stock faces in the game to place on your skate rat.

Once you’ve got a character that looks the part and you check out the introductory scenes, you’ll see some familiar features. As was the case in THPS 4, you can access goals by "talking" to designated pedestrians or using the start menu. The interactions with other characters in the game and cutscenes are scattered throughout story mode and detail the trials and tribulations on your road to stardom. The plotline is unobtrusive and amusing, and it’s defined enough that it makes the goals seem less arbitrary than they have in the past.

One of the first goals encountered forces players to acquaint themselves with one of the biggest changes in the game - not skating. That’s right, with the push of a couple of buttons, you can leap off your board and walk, run, jump and climb. Aside from the fun you can have in spots accessible only by foot, the ability to get off the board actually helps extend the linked tricks (combos) necessary to reach high scores. Hopping off your board in the middle of a combo starts a short clock that provides a few seconds to get to the next rail or ramp and keep the score climbing. This feature, along with the new acid drop and hip-transfer moves, enable players to execute sequences of tricks that real skaters could only dream of.

Many of the goals in THUG are similar to the feats from the Pro Skater games. Laying down complicated combos and reaching designated point levels, for example, are still the backbone of the game. Some goals do involve getting off the board, and others even entail getting behind the wheel in various vehicles. Of all the additional non-board activities, though, driving is the least enjoyable. For starters, it’s awkward and doesn’t add to the enjoyment of the game, since the physics and handling are very elementary. The driving goals also seem goofy, out of place and frivolous; something to show off the new feature more than to actually advance the story.

My only other complaint about story mode is the way some of the goals are (not) completed. As the skater lands some of the required moves, the game switches to cutscenes, without showing the end of the tricks. In one of the most momentous goals in the entire story, I didn’t even get to bask in the glory of landing the trick. What’s ironic in that is that I shouldn’t have even finished the objective, since I was turned sideways and would’ve had a horrific spill if it had continued. This flaw is not monumental, but it would be nice to see the skaters finish off their incredible maneuvers.

In addition to the 129 goals in story mode, there are 70 objectives to complete in order to increase your skater’s stats. This is a big improvement from the Pro Skater games. Previously, stat points were gained and applied to whichever traits the player chose. Now, the objectives relate to the specific traits. For example, the first increase in a player’s ability to spin comes when the skater lands a trick that includes a 540-degree spin. While many of the objectives are accomplished in the course of completing other goals, I found myself devoting time specifically to beating certain stat objectives, which become more difficult as the skater improves.

Story mode should occupy hours and hours, even for the most seasoned Tony Hawk veterans, and altering the difficulty setting will ensure that newcomers will have as much fun as Pro Skater greats. But if players triumph over the 12 levels (eight main levels, plus one "secret" and three "classics" from previous games) or decide to take a break, there are plenty of additional features to keep them occupied.

Think the goals were too easy? Go ahead and create other objectives and stick them anywhere you want. What’s that, you say? There aren’t enough levels? There’s no one to blame but yourself, with the THPS 4-like create-a-park option. Perhaps the most remarkable new aspect, though, is the create-a-trick feature, which has a very short learning curve but and lets players create and name some outstanding tricks and stunts. If you have the PS2 version you can even trade any of the created items (tricks, parks, skaters, goals and decks) with other players using the Network Adapter.

Speaking of that PS2 Network Adapter, jump online and you’ll discover lots of THUG addicts playing modes like graffiti, trick attack and firefight. Firefight is a new mode that lets skaters shoot fireballs at other competitors a la Twisted Metal. Also new to the online facet of the game is the capacity to maintain records and scores of all online competitors.

As far as graphics go, they look good, but players will be to busy trying to nail the right tricks to notice the vast surroundings. Also, whether it’s a testament to the previous games or a nitpick with THUG, the only difference from THPS 4 that I could pick out was the collection of animations that accompanied the endless number of bails and crashes I endured. The face-mapping feature also isn’t as stunning as some of Activision’s examples suggested, but it isn’t all that disheartening considering the well-rendered faces already in the game.

But wwhere the graphics were lost on me, the sounds caught my attention. I was amazed to discover that THUG boasts a playlist of more than 75 songs. Artists span hip-hop, punk and rock, and they can be silenced through the start menu individually or by genre. It was also nice to hear the real pros lend their voices to their video counterparts.

Overall, THUG far surpasses the outstanding benchmarks that the Pro Skater games had already established. The depth of the new story mode, extensive online options on the PS2 and the countless customizable items and objectives ensure you’ll be playing THUG for a long time. Looking past the flippant driving feature and abrupt editing, Tony Hawk’s Underground should be considered another step toward perfection for one of the greatest sports franchises ever produced.

See more screens on the THUG media page