There's a good reason why the Tony Hawk's franchise has done so well on every system it has graced. When it comes to extreme sport video games, Tony is the man.

More people have scraped his face across the tarmac than any other plankcriding madman, and now we get to do it on Xbox.

Everything you've heard about this game series is true - Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 is one of the most immensely playable games around, thanks to brilliant level design and a smart, intricate trick system.

Every one of the 10 main levels has been constructed in such a way that you can perform ludicrous combos and chain together astronomical point scores.

Almost every piece of scenery, whether in the ramp-happy stunt parks or the more unlikely airport lounge level, slots together to make a skater's paradise.

Any curved surface can be used as a launch pad to grab some excellent air. Any edge can be used to pull off a grind, and the manual and revert techniques allow you to thread your tricks together.

Once you've eased yourself into the slick, simple control system and acclimatised to the warp-factor speed of play, each stage becomes a freestyle playground where time is spent mixing together ultra-combos for pure satisfaction

The airport level, for example, is filled with a series of rails that span the entire stage, beginning at start of the customs corridor and looping all around the departure lounge.

That is, of course, after you've wrung every last challenge, stat point and hidden deck out of the career mode. And then, if you're still gagging, you can build your own little skate Lilliput with the park and character editors.

The option to create your own soundtrack using the Xbox tune-ripping facility is a real plus, because the licensed soundtrack for the game is the weakest (Motorhead excused) so far in the Tony Hawk's series.

As is the case with Amped and Project Gotham Racing, throwing your own favourite tunes from your prized CD collection into the mix makes the game a far more personal experience. After all, what developer could possibly cater for your own music tastes?

The only significantly annoying aspect of the gameplay is the presence of a few glitches. There are a few invisible trip wires - times when your character will suddenly decide to dismount at an awkward angle or collapse arse-over-tit for no reason whatsoever.

Although they are relatively rare (so far, we've found fewer of them here than in the PlayStation 2 version), they're still there and are an unfair fork-in-the-eye, especially during the later levels when the stakes are raised and your trick-scores are as big as lottery jackpots.

To a lesser extent, it's worth mentioning that the tasks have little consequence - they do little to modify the level, and occasionally open up new sections, but that's it.

Everything about THPS3 is pure entertainment - from your first cigar-worthy 100,000-point combo spectacular, to the carrot-snap crunch and smear of blood that follows a tumble.

It's also one of the very few video games around where you can see and feel your skills improving with practice. During your first few shaky goes you'll awkwardly frown at the telly and controller as you struggle to keep your buttocks off the bitumen; the later career goals seem stupidly unattainable. A week later, you're holding your own, your stuntman slapping the combos together like a tasty stir-fry.

After earning your wings by completing every single challenge and besting every competition, you'll go back and do it with another character, exploring the now-familiar parks with a whole new trick-set. Then you'll try and conquer every level goal in a single two minute session. It's possible...

Tony Hawk's 3 takes days to master, but months to truly savour. Whether you're a fat-panted skate loon stereotype or not, that's something well worth playing for.

1. Rewarding, intricate gameplay
2. Excellent game structure
3. Create-a-player and create-a-park
4. Multiplayer match-ups ahoy!

1. The (albeit rare) falling over glitch

Power
Graphics aren't awesome, but multiplayer action and ripping your own tunes make up for it.

Style
Logo-rich skate cool. Skinny fellas in illfitting clothes scab their knees in time to the tunes.

Immersion
An all-consuming world of combo possibilities. You'll never look at a banister in the same way again.

Lifespan
Near-infinite trick potential - it'll last as long as your high-score cravings.

Summary
The biggest and best extreme sports title in the world.