We take another look at T-Hawk with the online mode.

Year after year it's pretty much the same thing with Tony Hawk's skateboarding series. But hey, who's complaining? Judging by the positive reviews and sales, I'd say no one. Jim has already reviewed the XBox version of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4, here, and I agree on all accounts. I'm just going to gloss over some of the points he made and talk a little bit about the online mode in the PS2 version.

They've added ground tricks to the skater's repertoire for this year's effort. It's arguably as big an advancement for Hawk fans as the revert was last year. Fundamentally, they are the same as the land tricks added to Matt Hoffman BMX game. During a manual, tapping combinations of buttons turns the manual into a full-fledged trick like a handstand. Then you can link that ground trick into another ground trick as long as you can keep your balance. The same tapping motion also applies to grinds and lip tricks. Each transition changes the original trick into something new, as well as adding another multiplier to your combo string.

These new multipliers need to be mastered in order to complete some of the new challenges posed this time around. The revamped career mode not only offers an even bigger challenge, it also boasts a much more user-friendly goal system. Instead of performing a series of disjointed two-minute goals from a menu, you now get to free skate around the level actively searching for things to do. While a lot of the goals are the same as they used to be, now you find new challenges by talking to skaters and spectators placed around the level. This really helps immerse the player in the game since they aren't constantly loading and re-spawning from the same position on the board.

One big bonus you get by purchasing the PS2 version this year is a complete online mode compatible with Sony's new network adapter. It's quick and easy to get online and find a server to play in. All the multiplayer modes are available for play, and there are plenty of people out there to play them with. There's a lobby where you can chat with other players, or you can skip all that and get yourself right into an open game. Chat is still available in game as long as you aren't in the process of skating. Players begin in a free skate until the host decides to start the game. Once it's going, it's just like playing multiplayer at home except that there are potentially more players involved and you have the whole screen to yourself. At this early stage of online console gaming, any online mode has to be considered a bonus. That doesn't mean that they can't have their drawbacks. Hawk's online mode is great for finding others to play the multiplayer modes with, but there is little else to draw you in. This is just my opinion, but I find the career mode to be much more intriguing than multiplayer skateboarding with friends. There isn't much to chat about like there would be in a first person shooter or rpg, so that takes some of the wind out of its sails. Plus there's not much interaction with other players. What I mean by that is you rarely spend much on-screen time with them. Mostly it's just you on the screen with other players flying by in the middle of their tricks.

If you get a real kick out of playing Pro Skater with other people, then the online mode is a sure selling point on the PS2. From what I've seen, it's very stable. Even if you aren't interested in the online portion, Activision and Neversoft have still nailed down another extremely solid sequel to the Tony Hawk franchise. Go ahead and pick your favorite system and help yourself to another dose of the best skating game franchise on the planet.