Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 announced for Xbox, GBA

Activision has announced Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 for multiple platforms, including the Nintendo Game Boy Advance and Game Boy Color, the Sony PlayStation, and the Microsoft Xbox. The game has already been confirmed for the Sony PlayStation 2. The company also released specific gameplay information on THPS 3. New to the game is the addition of large populated environments, where players can skate through and perform tricks in urban streets cluttered with pedestrians, cars, traffic accidents, and natural disasters. Dynamic effects such as changing weather conditions will also come into play. Specific locations featured in the game include Skater's Island in Middleton, RI; Rio de Janeiro; Los Angeles; Canada; Tokyo; and Paris.

The lineup of professional skateboarders, including Tony Hawk, Steve Caballero, Rune Glifberg, Eric Koston, Bucky Lasek, Rodney Mullen, Chad Muska, Andrew Reynolds, Geoff Rowley, Elissa Steamer, and Jamie Thomas, will be joined by Bam Margera of MTV Jackass fame. Naturally, players will be able to create their own skateboarder by customizing such options as glasses, hair, armbands, and tattoos. Finally, the multiplayer options will also be expanded for the latest game in the series.

"Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 takes skateboarding to the next level through its innovative technical advancements and unique gameplay features that offer fast and furious competitions both on the ramp and in the street,'' Larry Goldberg, executive vice president for Activision Worldwide Studios, stated. "The title's inherently fun and intuitive game design will translate seamlessly across multiple platforms."

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 will be Activision's second game under the franchise for the Xbox. The company will also release Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2X for Microsoft's next-generation console.