Some folks can't be told. They see the word 'skateboarding' and switch off. It's understandable perhaps, considering the sport's cliquey image and some people's view that proponents of the art are show-offs fresh from a successful SlimFast diet, at least judging by their oversized strides. Besides, Tony Hawk's isn't about skateboarding. Not really.

Sure, it takes the tools and jargon of the trade, but primarily borrows and exaggerates the attitude of skating, an attitude so brilliantly expressed with the theme tune to the latest instalment of the smash series, Motorhead's Ace Of Spades. This is a game about gambling, about taking a chance on landing that big trick and beating the high score, about the thrill of knowing failure will result in you going home with nothing but a bruised ego and a scraped backside. Like the song says, "You win some, you lose some, it's all a game..."

That's not to say true fans of skating are alienated. In fact, they'll lose THPS3, which resides in a fantasy world where everyday suburbs co-exist with futuristic Tokyo alleyways, each representing a skater's paradise of outrageous physics and interactive scenery. Here gameplay rules over realism and furiously addictive levels combine with a vast array of manoeuvres to empower you as a gamer, letting you produce sublime feats of dexterity with a few twists of the wonderfully logical control system.

Naturally the game is founded on the principles that underpinned the previous two instalments on PSone. For initiates, the nuts and bolts of the Tony trilogy are three flavours of basic trick: grinds, which involve scraping your board across edges such as kerbs and railings; grabs, in which you put at least one hand on the board and spin; and flips, where you kick your board into a spin of its own. All the movements are carried out by combining taps and double-taps on the D-pad with the corresponding trick button. If you had a PSone you probably played a Hawk's game and know the drill. If you haven't, or you need a refresher course, see 'Skate School'.

Tony experts will be relieved to learn that you'll need some practice to become proficient, mainly because the game is so much smoother, with far more fluid movements and accurate body positioning through superior animation. Once again, the quick restart facility comes in handy as your insatiable search for self-improvement requires increasing trick thrift.

The game is based on the familiar dynamic of score- and task-based goals that will unlock later levels. You still need to daisy-chain moves to generate massive combinations, and therefore massive points hauls, but there are changes to the game that extend beyond slicker visuals and more accurate controls.

In response to public criticism, and capitalising on PS2's greater power, the arenas are now not only larger, but they're far more densely populated. When you're in the Foundry, you feel as if you're mischievously interrupting the worker's daily routine, although they don't seem to care. When in LA, with its police chase and wandering pedestrians, you genuinely sense you're in something approximating a living environment.

Most importantly, though, bystanders have been incorporated into gameplay in two key respects. First, the Spectator Bonus taps into the very essence of skating culture - the desire to show off. If you pull a trick in front of someone you're rewarded with a multiplier as if you'd nailed a gap or grind bonus.

Second, there's genuine, albeit fairly minimal, interactivity as you complete level goals involving the folk around you. On the Canada level, for example, you have to free local kid, Chuck, from a lamppost to which his tongue is frozen and later you must bury a bully under snow from an overladen tree. And it's not just people you affect; even acts of God are activated by your presence, a fact that's most spectacularly illustrated when you cause an earthquake in LA.

You can also expect to earn bigger points because there's a greater variety of tricks available and the levels are designed to include subtle lines of best trickery that will net you massive points hauls. There's also a key improvement with inclusion of balance bars on lip tricks and grinds as well as manuals, so you can eke out every second of stuntery without having to judge the relatively jerky motions of the PSone skater of old. Another useful new tool is the 'revert', which offers a swivel of the board and means you no longer have to end tricks on a ramp manoeuvre, which opens up even more trick permutations.

It is now possible to increase the stats of your skater, too. The wonderful, though frequently maligned, balance of TH2 - in which you could scrape together cash to beef your skater up in order to make that leap to the previously unattainable ledge - is here replaced with collectable statistics and boards.

One key advantage of the new reward system is that it fleshes out the competition levels. There are five stat points to collect on every level, giving you ample reason to replay once you've netted that elusive gold medal.

As well as the usual complement of unlockable skaters and secret levels, namely the Cruise Ship, Burnside, Warehouse and Roswell, you can also measure your success with some new stats, an element nicked wholesale from Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX. This allows you to vie for the longest grind in history, adding even more replay value.

Once you think you've done it all there are still loads of hidden areas and breakable scenery to find and disassemble, so you'll be able to unearth extra playing areas as you progress while fully exploring each environment. If you get all the level goals, you unlock a new slot to add to your trick list from a selection as diversely named as Pizza Guy to Dark Disaster.

Mercifully, there's a raft of multiplayer options which have been extended from the usual face-offs to include Slap! - a game in which you muster as much speed as possible and ram your opponent as many times as you can. Another, King Of The Hill, is a tag game in which you collect a crown and only relinquish it when your opponent bumps into you. Add in network play and the multiplayer fun could last forever - or until Tony Hawk's 4 at least.

Arguably, some of the arenas do fall a little below par in terms of sheer size, but when you're bored of them why not produce your own in the returning Park Editor mode? While a few new touches are commendable, they're not entirely useful - the Look command, for instance, although allowing you to survey the pretty scenery, does little to aid your cause. But in terms of gameplay, significant steps forward have been made both graphically and in terms of control responsiveness. THPS3 isn't a re-invention of a genre, so it won't stand as an all-time classic, but it's certainly a benchmark for future skateboarding games.

Minor criticisms aside, the excellent Create-A-Skater mode allows you to spawn a uniquely hideous creation or give Tony Hawk a comedy porn tache, adding yet another layer of detail. The skaters also tumble more realistically, and there are tons more tricks for you to perform. While the sound doesn't extend simply to a cool track list, the wonderful metallic grinds and wheel rolls are sheer class, giving the impression of even more realism. In short, this is a lovingly produced sequel in every aspect.

For intuitive gameplay that you can pick up for two minutes as easily as two hours without losing interest, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 is a fit contender for the crown of Best Extreme Sports Title ever - and that includes SSX Tricky. Honestly, you won't put this down for days...

1. Furiously addictive gameplay.
2. Many new features and challenges.
3. Even better than SSX Tricky.

1. It'll embarrass the other games in your collection.
2. It could prove harmful to your social life.
3. Still not got the hint?

Graphics 80%
Short on style, but packed with detail.

Sound 90%
Top hip-hop soundtrack, plus good effects.

Gameplay 100%
As simple and fair as it is addictive. Superb!

Lifespan 100%
Loads to unlock and multi-player heaven.

Overall 90%
A stunning PS2 debut that will hook newcomers and Hawk's veterans alike. This is everything a great game should be - addictive, fun and veined with longevity. Buy it.