Even I was surprised when I first played this. I'm no skateboard enthusiast, and I was rather cynical at first. I would never have considered trying this game out had my cousin not put it on the top of his Christmas list. I purchased the game and gave it to my cousin for Christmas. He was notably happy and ecstatic when he unearthed the shiny CD from its colorful wrappers, and we proceeded to spend the entire day in front of the living room big-screen, perfecting our rail grinds and 900's (whatever that means). I ended up playing it more than he did, and this is saying alot for me. I am not easily amused with video games, but this was one of the few that managed to grab me for a significant amount of time.
I'd rank this up with Grand Theft Auto III, both are masterpieces in their own right. However, I have tried to avoid playing whenever I visit my family now - because I usually spend the majority of the day in my cousins room instead of with the family that I love! Not recommended for people with addictive personalities (smokers, alcoholics, etc.) Just kidding, but seriously, this game is great, it requires a measure of skill unlike many silly shoot-em-ups out there. It never gets boring. Aside from the multitude of fun and realistic settings, cities, and skating parks provided (along with many secret levels), you also have the unique ability to create your OWN skating scenarios, your OWN skating parks and cities, so the fun never stops. If your a busy college student taking 21 credits and juggling a part-time job, wait until the summer to start playing! Because once you start, you won't want to stop.
