Another year, another Tony Hawk...or is it? Notwithstanding the age of the series (nine years) and fierce competition from EA (the addictive Skate), Activision and Neversoft take yet another page out of the playbook with Tony Hawk's Proving Ground.

Nail the Trick returns with two modifications -- Nail the Grab and Nail the Manual. You now have the ability to perform a more elaborate grab move and also fine-tune your manuals. Although they sound like they're merely tack-ons, they actually make Nail the Trick feel more complete. Also new is the Aggro Kick and Push, which gives a speed boost in order to clear gaps and reach higher areas. Other than that, the gameplay feels familiar. Bowl carves, grinds, manuals, reverts and other moves come off with mere button presses. It continues to be very manageable, but has an old-school essence when compared to Skate's analog stick innovations.

With Career, you have three options -- Rigger, where you use props to demonstrate your skate skills, Career, which earns you cash on a professional level and Hardcore, where you complete tasks merely for the love of the board. All three have diverse events and goals, although an assortment of line, grind and combo challenges are available no matter which path is taken. These really add to the replay value, even if some of the tasks do tend to be on the dull side.

Luckily, more options are available through Xbox Live. You simply log in and skate up to people in real time, then issue and receive challenges. These range from fun little mini-games to all-out point competitions. The online versus action is fun, but the real treat comes with customization.