Chairman of the Board

Give Activision credit—after six years and even more award-winning sequels, its signature line of skateboarding simulations is still going strong. Tony Hawk's American Wasteland for Xbox 360™ isn't just the best installment in the franchise yet, it's also an entirely new turning point for the series.

Gone are the loading times—whether entering buildings, attempting challenges, or just cruising around Hollywood or Santa Monica's streets, you'll never sit through a booting sequence again. A change of scenery is also offered.

The adventure, and it is a sprawling one, takes place completely within Los Angeles, home of skateboarding culture. Good news for action sports fans too: The need to buy sister products like Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2 is a thing of the past as well. Anyone can grab a BMX bike here, which handles uniquely in its own right, and start shredding in seconds.

Brace yourself for a painful landing.

As the tale opens, you're a no-name chump fresh off the bus from Middle America. Behind you lies a disappointed father, nondescript daily life, and one-way ticket to anonymity—ahead, a hopeful future as an extreme athlete. The second you hit the City of Angels, however, a couple of punks jump you and steal your stuff, recognizing you for the wide-eyed farm boy you really are.

Not to worry. A gorgeous and sassy rocker chick named Mindy has been watching from the sidelines. Your first friend in L.A. and eventual guide throughout the game, she quickly explains the status quo, gives you a few pointers, and sends you off in search of a haircut and some decent clothes.

All of this simply serves to introduce one of the game's coolest features—extreme customizability. Give your digital double a mullet or Mohawk, deck him out in shorts or cargo pants, and score some sweet tattoos. Throughout story mode, you encounter all sorts of stores offering goods and gear with which to personalize characters.

The more missions you complete, the more cash you earn. Finish specific challenges or chat with different individuals loitering around each neighborhood, and you can also enhance your stats, learn new tricks, and unlock additional graffiti tags.

If you see it, you can skate it.

Other game options like multiplayer mode, classic mode (where one or two players can skate around freely, join forces, or individually attempt timed objectives), and skater/skate park creation utilities are additionally available. Chances are that you'll appreciate the plot-driven single-player campaign the most.

You don't have to do anything—just run or wheel around grinding on rails or leaping off ramps if that's your bag. However, the lure of meeting the game's colorful cast of characters, and acquiring items to build the ultimate skate park should prove irresistible.

That's the nice thing about the game. You can leisurely hang around in any given area, refining your technique, or simply exploring random alleyways and rooftops. (For that matter, even step off your board and run around swatting people with it if you like.) Then again, there's always the option of picking up a cash goal whose reward could go towards buying a new hoodie, or completing a story-specific mission that opens up a fresh place to play.

A compass indicator which sits at the top of the screen makes finding assignments easy—simply follow various icons to locate the nearest objective. You needn't worry about botching any events either: Fail one, and you can just restart it when ready.

Per usual, the audiovisuals are pretty darn dope too. While a version of the game is also available for the original Xbox®, Xbox 360 owners definitely get the best deal here. Characters, backgrounds and environmental props all look amazing in 720p, with graphical touches like day/night transitions and freakouts (hit Y repeatedly to go nuts after falling off your board) appearing sharper than ever. The musical score, featuring cuts by Green Day, Public Enemy, and Scissor Sisters, is great as well. Options for creating your own custom soundtrack prove even cooler.

Someone's a show-off...

Suffice it to say both beginners and masters of Tony Hawk's Underground 2 won't be disappointed. Tony Hawk's American Wasteland is high-flying, hand-planting fun for all. New tricks like stalls, Bert slides and bank drops? Merely an added (and baggy-panted) bonus.

Article by Chris Zimmerman

• Tony Hawk's official site.
• Activision site.
• Transworld Skateboarding Magazine.