The originalTony Hawk's Pro Skaterwas so close to  perfection that the idea of dramatic improvements in the sequel seemed  pretty far-fetched, butTony Hawk's Pro Skater 2offers so much  more that it almost puts its predecessor to shame. The graphics are  vastly improved, there are tons of new tricks to pull off, and the game  has more secrets than the CIA. Even if you played the original to  death, there's enough new stuff here to keep you occupied for months to  come.Pro Skater 2is all about customization. You can still play as  one of the real-world skaters represented in the game, such as Steve  Caballero, Elissa Steamer, and Mr. Hawk himself, but the real fun comes  from creating your own skater and rising up through the ranks. As you  conquer the massive skate parks included in this release, you rack up  cash to be spent on pumping up your stats or adding new tricks to your  repertoire. You can specialize in verts, concentrate on your street  skills, or take a more balanced approach, and the addition of manuals  will let you string together tricks from either category to rack up  some amazing scores. The custom options extend to a complete skate-park  editor that is easy enough to use that we were creating basic arenas in  less than 15 minutes. It's a thoughtful addition to one of the most  purely entertaining games ever released.--T. Byrl BakerPros:Create-a-Skater option lets you decide on everything from the  tricks you use to the shoes you wearEasy-to-use park editor allows for complex creationsBeautiful graphics and smooth animation make this one of the  best-looking sports games on any platformCons:Getting the hang of manuals takes some time, but once you do, watch  out