Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 - Sega Dreamcast

Pro Skater 2 is 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 Baker

Pros: Create-a-Skater option lets you decide on everything from the tricks you use to the shoes you wear Easy-to-use park editor allows for complex creations Beautiful graphics and smooth animation make this one of the best-looking sports games on any platform Cons: Getting the hang of manuals takes some time, but once you do, watch out