It's been well into six years since Neversoft Entertainment began their victorious run over the extreme sports game market with the debut of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, which electrified PlayStation owners and soon spread onto more complex gaming machines to make the experience that much more enjoyable. Nowadays, the series is starting to show some wear and tear, but any license over a given time frame is prone to doing that. This may turn off some from playing the latest edition, Tony Hawk's Underground 2, as the game feels more like a continuation of the first game than an all-out sequel. However, that doesn't mean that the game isn't rip-roaring fun.

The plot this time around takes away rules and competitions sponsored by so many companies. This time, you really do go underground, as you're one of a handful of skaters snatched up and invited to a secret competition. It seems that MTV prankster Bam Margera, famous for Jackass and Viva La Bam, has challenged the legendary Tony Hawk in an all out World Destruction Tour, where teams of skaters compete in different competitions to prove they're the best. Win, and you'll get the glory of being the ultimate skating team. Lose, and you have to foot the bill for the entire trip.

There are a wide variety of world locations featured in THUG 2, each with their own particular levels of goals to complete. You'll start the game with a handful of goals to take down, then an intermediate level of goals will open up. With enough practice, of course, you access even harder goals to complete. The more you score, the more you unlock. New courses become available, along with a handful of secret skaters that, like previous games, offer their own techniques and style for the game.

This time around, you'll get some help from "special guests", whom you can control for particular goals or for a limited time. For instance, there's a 10-year old kid with braces and a wheelchair that's packing major attitude, and can seemingly grind and pull tricks just as well as a chump with a skateboard can. Other characters show up, but my particular favorite is Jesse James, hauling on a souped-up motorscooter that really cooks.

The game itself retains the same wild sense of humor that the first Underground was known for. In fact, the entire style of the game so closely follows the Underground formula, that it doesn't really feel like a sequel at all; it's more like a continuation or a "version two" of the first game. That's not to say it's bad, but the mixture of new stuff thrown into the game shows that Neversoft is starting to lose ideas of what to do with the series. Granted, I'm sure that a re-realization is coming with the forthcoming next-generation of consoles coming to market, so maybe they're just throwing in everything but the kitchen sink with the remaining chapters of the series for this generation.

Take, for instance, the Focus feature. Once you fill up a particular bar in the game, you can press a button, and the entire game slows down, allowing you to see your skater in slo-mo for more precision. This sounded like a good idea, but the execution isn't really all that hot, and you'll prefer to stay in normal mode, where the intensity runs high. It's the least likable gameplay element thrown into the game. However, there's a lot of new stuff that makes up for it, like the inclusion of flip moves, a Natas Spin that's pretty sick, the ability to throw projectiles (whoo!), and a Sticker Slap that's fun to use. The game also incorporates graffiti into the formula, borrowing a page from Jet Grind Radio. Not only can you design your own, but you can also spray graffiti in certain parts of a level while you're on your feet. This is a nice touch, if slightly unoriginal.

Other than that, the gameplay's about the same, which means you've got your grinds, your spins, your grabs, and your supers, and it still feels like a wonderful piece of work, allowing you to piece together great combos. You can also use the spine transfer and manual to keep the high count going, and the way that the new moves (flips, rolls) come off feels excellent, with the maneuvering of a simple double tap.

One thing I MUST mention, however, is the game's Classic Mode, which basically reintroduces the two-minute, several-goal format that the first two games made famous. There's a bunch to like here, from the return of the letter collecting (like COMBO) to the finding of some secret tapes (like through the warehouse office). It's excellent to see this is thrown in, even if we've experienced it in earlier incarnations.

Another excellent addition to THUG 2 is the game's soundtrack. In the past, the soundtrack has been known for offering some great alternate rock and punk tunes, but lately, the chapters have been throwing in more classics to incorporate with the series, like AC/DC's "TNT" and Motorhead's "Ace of Spades". This time around, the soundtrack is all over the map, with all sorts of rock, punk, hip hop, and other offerings that are unbeatable. Where else can you find Sugar Hill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" on the same page as Frank Sinatra's "That's Life"? There are offerings from Johnny Cash, The Doors, Faith No More, and plenty of new bands as well. Iif that's not your speed, you can also work in your own customized soundtrack for utter enjoyment, but do give the soundtrack at least one listen.

To wrap things up on modes, there are multiplayer offerings for two players that are still a trip, and you have customization options aplenty, just like in previous efforts. You can create your own skater, your own skating utopia, and even design your own tricks (which is a nice touch), but this department isn't really as detailed as something like the GameFace options from the Tiger Woods series. Still, there is a lot to do here, and skaters will be enthralled.

Now, for the downside, and this is a MAJOR downside. The game does not support Xbox Live. It has online support for the PlayStation 2, but Activision still refuses to show the Xbox network any kind of Tony Hawk love. This is a bummer, as this would've skyrocketed the game to uber-replay value. Lobby match-ups, versus standings, downloadable content... the possibilities would have been endless. Instead, this department has hit a brick wall and the fun is limited to offline.

So, aside from the lack of online play, some ideas that aren't quite as fresh as they were upon inception, and the general feeling that you've really played this game already, Tony Hawk's Underground 2 is still a successful addition to the series, incorporating a new versus structure that's challenging and fun and throwing in a Classic Mode that can't be beat. Gotta love that soundtrack, too; I wonder if Sinatra would have ever realized that one of his classics would end up being a fitting piece to a rail grind. If you're tired of the Tony Hawk series, this isn't about to swerve you, but if you still can't get enough of skateboarding heaven, then you'll welcome the latest cloud with open arms.