Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 is the third installment of the successful skater game and the last game released for the Nintendo 64 in the U.S.
It is the first part to include reverts, which allow to chain verts (tricks done, while vertically jumping up) to other tricks, which enables big combos netting many points. However, since verts are time consuming and points can be gathered also through other tricks, this new feature is only rarely used in this TAS.
Unlike THPS 2, goals do not have a weighting. This allows to go for the fastest goals.
Short info for watcher, who are unfamiliar with the game
there are 8 levels: five areas with goals and 3 competitions
to get the credits screen, the skater has to win gold in all competitions and achieve 35 of 50 goals to enter these tournaments
performable tricks, seen in the run:
grinds: slide along edges
grabs: grab the board midair (grants many points)
flip tricks: spin the board (short, but nets only few points)
manuals: wheely on the floor (allows to continue a combo, while going)
reverts: spin after landing a vert (chains verts with other tricks)
competitions consist of 3 runs ("heats"), where the skater has to perform tricks to get points during a minute. After rating each heat (max. 100 pts.), the points for the best two runs are added and compared to other skaters. Each heat can be ended at any moment or skipped. Thus in this TAS, the first two heats are ended after acquiring enough points and the last one is skipped.
combo system: the total score is calculated as "points times multiplier". Each trick adds some points the the total count and increase the multiplier by one.
About the run
aims for fastest time
starting a grind speeds up the skater
combos are ended, if continuing it would slow the skater down
tricks are varied, as they lose value each time they are used
though even mentioned during the run, the player does not always go faster when crouching. On some occasions it is even slower
Goals of each level
Foundry (end score: 108023)
Rather compact level, so I get 9 goals here, due to shorter ways
High Score
Pro Score
find the secret tape: I get this first, due to easier access to the higher platforms early on
grind the control booth
Sick Score
activate press
collect s-k-a-t-e
cannonball over the halfpipe: done while collecting the "S"
valves unjammed: takes some time, but complement well the SKATE letters
Los Angeles (end score: 278271)
Large level, so no collection goals done. 6 goals collected
find the secret tape: Again I get this first, due to easier access to the higher platforms early on
grind the electric rail
High Score
Pro Score
Sick Score
kickflip over elevator lobby
Competition: Rio de Janeiro
good grinding setup. Unfortunately, I could not find a medium combo to be done twice, but a long and short one. Together they add up to the needed points
first run: 94589 pts.
second run: 37785 pts.
Suburbia (end score: 234186)
Medium size. However, there are 3 collection goals, which makes exploring the map worthwhile. 9 goals are done.
ice the ice cream man
find the secret tape: I have to wait for the crane to fall, so I can stay in the slower manual before
High Score
Pro Score
Sick Score
collect s-k-a-t-e
appal the appliances
disrespect the dishes
360 flip the weathervane
Airport (end score: 390440)
very long and linear. Many grinding possibilities help to get through that level fast. 7 goals collected.
High Score
Pro Score
Sick Score
grind the plane
find the secret tape
nosebluntslide the airport sign
collect s-k-a-t-e
Skater Island
First a vert with gap to get points, then chained with a revert into many fast tricks to increase the multiplier
first run: 83547 pts.
second run: 86247 pts.
Canada (end score: 154734)
only the 4 fastest goals where collected in this level
blow up the tree
nosegrind over the tree
High Score
Pro Score
Tokyo
Great skating area, but the gap over the entrance makes a perfect spot for building high point combos
first run: 97740 pts.
second run: 97740 pts.
Comparison issue
Ports of different consoles (like the SDA run on the Game Cube) differ a lot and have mostly different goals. Thus, runs on different systems are not comparable.
Credits
flip: for pointing out a mistake I made in suburbia
nitsuja, DeHackEd and co: for their work put into the development of a rerecording N64 emulator
Joined: 8/1/2004
Posts: 2687
Location: Seattle, WA
A decent run. One of the better looking N64 games, at least. I would have preferred a 100% run, since it wouldn't be that much longer, but oh well.
Giving this a Yes vote only because of this song being played so many times.
Joined: 11/11/2006
Posts: 1235
Location: United Kingdom
I actually found this borderline fun to watch. It was right on the edge due to the many loading screens and things ending way too soon. I mean there wasn't even enough time to play the whole of "Ace of Spades" :(
That said though, it looks well put together and done, so I'm voting yes.
<adelikat> I am annoyed at my irc statements ending up in forums & sigs
What was the reason for choosing the Tony Hawk? I see he's tied with many for speed, but what else was there?
Tony Hawk is picked for two reasons:
1. the weak ollie is never a problem, as a boneless was always enough to get the needed height. Smitch can be compensated by grinding or simply avoiding and rail balance is not important in a TAS. His other attributes are good for making points in competitions and speeding through the levels.
2. Switching the character takes about half a second each. In the worst case I lose 4 seconds, which is unlikely to be compensated by a minor stat change.
EDIT: crappy youtube video of the run
Well, I certainly expected a Tony Hawk TAS to contain more action and impressive tricks.
I'm not sure that fastest time is a good goal for this game. It doesn't really let viewers see the levels, or any of the tricks. I'd much rather see a superplay than a speedrun, where this game is concerned.
Maybe if you did 100% of the goals on each level, with as large a trick chain as possible, even if it was slower, that might be entertaining.
This... wasn't quite. It's just on the "no" side of the border between "meh" and "no". Sorry.
How fleeting are all human passions compared with the massive continuity of ducks.
The run certainly seemed quick but to me its more important to get high scores even if it sacrifices a little, you rarely appear to use manuals so the end level scores are often low. I'm not sure if THPS2 might have been a better choice. I'm gonna hold back my vote for just now.
Thanks for the youtube video, it wasn't too bad quality (for being youtube). I was disappointed that the movie was so choppy, meaning, it didn't flow well. This was not just because of the competition rounds, but just the overall feel of the run. Yes, I understand that the choppiness was necessary due to you getting the highest speed
I really believe this movie is better suited to a concept demo, getting high scores, doing a lot of the secret bonuses (blue things), etc. But then again, score attack videos are available on you tube. It would have to be some balance of tricks/style, with speed not as the primary objective. I just believe the game is not that suitable for TASing.
I vote no, but am impressed with how fast the movie is.
Joined: 5/2/2006
Posts: 1020
Location: Boulder, CO
I liked the run, so I think Ill vote yes, but if someone made a 100% run, or a run that somply tried to max out points with the time allowed, it might make a better movie in the end.
I liked it, and I'm guessing that you managed to produce the run pretty quickly, so it's a yes from me.
Having said that, since it was so fast it seemed like 70% of it was just loading screens, and I noticed in your earlier Wip that you had perfect balance, yet you didn't in this movie.
I really think that a better goal for a Tony Hawk run would be as many goals as possible in the time alloted. Basically, you go through each level once, but complete as many goals as you can. This would be more interesting to watch and would contain more oportunities to impress. This might be more true for THPS 2 than 3, though. In 2 it's probably impossible to 100% the levels in the time given.
As it stands, the movie doesn't really impress me that much. The levels go by too fast and you spend most of the time waiting for the next level to load. Contests are especially boring. Skating for one second then quitting out is not fun to watch. So while the run may be optimized, I'm going to have to vote "no" on this one.
I like how there are 3x as many displayed frames as there are frames of input. That's a ridiculous discrepancy. Anyway I was entertained but was also expecting more from a skate game TAS. My meh/yes borderline vote will lean towards yes though.
I enjoyed the video. Your gameplay level was high and I enjoyed seeing all the tricks you could do.
I will make this note: I'm voting yes, however if somebody does a 100% run, I want that to obsolete this run. This is one of those games that needs everything done, not just some of it, since it's so short.
That was a lot worse than I expected. The biggest problem in my mind is the identical input on the heats in skater island and tokyo, but it was just a mess all throughout, really. a 100% run or a no ending levels early run or something with more entertainment would be much better, i think.
I have never played a skateboarding game in my life but wouldn't a run aiming for score consist of one trick being done over and over again? Or does variety give you more points?
I have never played a skateboarding game in my life but wouldn't a run aiming for score consist of one trick being done over and over again? Or does variety give you more points?
Submission Text wrote:
tricks are varied, as they lose value each time they are used
How fleeting are all human passions compared with the massive continuity of ducks.
Amazing run, its rather entretaining, so if i could vote i´d do it as a Yes. Even tough, i believe more objectives, and score would also be appreciatted.
Whoever that played the game, or the GBC one knows why i thought "CERDOOOO" while i was watching the run, xD.
P.S.: Cerdo = pig in spanish =3
I am not a Taser, i just needed to vote...i do visit the site =P
Thanks for you fast responses and explaining your opinions about the run. I appreciate that.
As previously stated, a 100% run is unfavourable, as it should include also all gaps (plus the ones from the bonus levels) and probably be completed with all characters (plus bonus characters) and still have the same competition runs, if that should be done in the fastest time.
Everything between time attack and 100% tends to be arbitrary and a bad basis for obsoletion.
A consensus of the run, some of you propose would be "complete 100% of the game except the gaps and with one skater only, completing as fast as possible but skating the full minute in the competitions and allowing to sacrifice speed to chain combos, not doing the same combo again, even if it takes longer for the same benefits and not jumping so often while grinding." :)
However, I do understand your concerns about the run, mostly the way upthorn described it.
OmniLiquid wrote:
The biggest problem in my mind is the identical input on the heats in skater island and tokyo, but it was just a mess all throughout, really.
That where the combos with the best point/time ratio, I could find. In a time attack, it would be contradictory to do another combo for the same amount of points, but taking longer.
What do you mean with a mess? That the route planning and execution was messy or that you personally just did not like watching this game being time attacked?
