The original Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater took the video game world by storm a few years ago, turning skateboarding games from a cheap way for publishers to make a buck into one of the hottest genres around. The reach of the game even extends into mainstream entertainment, as clips from it were shown on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire when Tony Hawk appeared on the show, instead of clips of him actually skating. The game was ported to various other systems, and was followed by an equally successful sequel, aptly named Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2.

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All the anticipation surrounding the release of the latest sequel in the franchise, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3, has been previously enjoyed by owners of a Playstation 2. That is until September 25, when Activision announced that they would release a GameCube version of the game in time for the holidays, probably just a few weeks after the release of its PS2 brother.

The Tony Hawk formula will remain intact. You still choose from one of a group of skaters, take them out onto a course and perform tricks in order to earn cash.

Features new to this sequel include eight different skating locations (including such exotic locales as Tokyo, Paris and Rio de Janeiro), 13 selectable skaters (including Steve Caballero, Bucky Lasek and, of course, Tony himself), an improved trick system and more interactive environments. There are now more things than ever to grind on, ollie onto and off of, and crash through. Those of you who were impressed with the interactivity of Jet Grind Radio should definitely give this game a shot.

Like previous versions, Tony Hawk 3 will feature a two-player split screen mode for friend-embarrassing purposes.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 will ship before Christmas 2001.