Emulator settings:
- Jabo's Direct3D8 1.6
- TAS Input Plugin 0.6
- Jabo's DirectSound 1.6
- RSP emulation Plugin
- recorded with Mupen64-rerecording v8
About the game
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 is the third installment of the successful skater game and the last game released for the Nintendo 64 in the U.S.
It is the first part to include reverts, which allow to chain verts (tricks done, while vertically jumping up) to other tricks, which enables big combos netting many points. However, since verts are time consuming and points can be gathered also through other tricks, this new feature is only rarely used in this TAS. Unlike THPS 2, goals do not have a weighting. This allows to go for the fastest goals.
It is the first part to include reverts, which allow to chain verts (tricks done, while vertically jumping up) to other tricks, which enables big combos netting many points. However, since verts are time consuming and points can be gathered also through other tricks, this new feature is only rarely used in this TAS. Unlike THPS 2, goals do not have a weighting. This allows to go for the fastest goals.
Short info for watcher, who are unfamiliar with the game
- there are 8 levels: five areas with goals and 3 competitions
- to get the credits screen, the skater has to win gold in all competitions and achieve 35 of 50 goals to enter these tournaments
- performable tricks, seen in the run:
- grinds: slide along edges
- grabs: grab the board midair (grants many points)
- flip tricks: spin the board (short, but nets only few points)
- manuals: wheely on the floor (allows to continue a combo, while going)
- reverts: spin after landing a vert (chains verts with other tricks)
- competitions consist of 3 runs ("heats"), where the skater has to perform tricks to get points during a minute. After rating each heat (max. 100 pts.), the points for the best two runs are added and compared to other skaters. Each heat can be ended at any moment or skipped. Thus in this TAS, the first two heats are ended after acquiring enough points and the last one is skipped.
- combo system: the total score is calculated as "points times multiplier". Each trick adds some points the the total count and increase the multiplier by one.
About the run
- aims for fastest time
- starting a grind speeds up the skater
- combos are ended, if continuing it would slow the skater down
- tricks are varied, as they lose value each time they are used
- though even mentioned during the run, the player does not always go faster when crouching. On some occasions it is even slower
Goals of each level
Foundry (end score: 108023)
- Rather compact level, so I get 9 goals here, due to shorter ways
- High Score
- Pro Score
- find the secret tape: I get this first, due to easier access to the higher platforms early on
- grind the control booth
- Sick Score
- activate press
- collect s-k-a-t-e
- cannonball over the halfpipe: done while collecting the "S"
- valves unjammed: takes some time, but complement well the SKATE letters
Los Angeles (end score: 278271)
- Large level, so no collection goals done. 6 goals collected
- find the secret tape: Again I get this first, due to easier access to the higher platforms early on
- grind the electric rail
- High Score
- Pro Score
- Sick Score
- kickflip over elevator lobby
Competition: Rio de Janeiro
- good grinding setup. Unfortunately, I could not find a medium combo to be done twice, but a long and short one. Together they add up to the needed points
- first run: 94589 pts.
- second run: 37785 pts.
Suburbia (end score: 234186)
- Medium size. However, there are 3 collection goals, which makes exploring the map worthwhile. 9 goals are done.
- ice the ice cream man
- find the secret tape: I have to wait for the crane to fall, so I can stay in the slower manual before
- High Score
- Pro Score
- Sick Score
- collect s-k-a-t-e
- appal the appliances
- disrespect the dishes
- 360 flip the weathervane
Airport (end score: 390440)
- very long and linear. Many grinding possibilities help to get through that level fast. 7 goals collected.
- High Score
- Pro Score
- Sick Score
- grind the plane
- find the secret tape
- nosebluntslide the airport sign
- collect s-k-a-t-e
Skater Island
- First a vert with gap to get points, then chained with a revert into many fast tricks to increase the multiplier
- first run: 83547 pts.
- second run: 86247 pts.
Canada (end score: 154734)
- only the 4 fastest goals where collected in this level
- blow up the tree
- nosegrind over the tree
- High Score
- Pro Score
Tokyo
- Great skating area, but the gap over the entrance makes a perfect spot for building high point combos
- first run: 97740 pts.
- second run: 97740 pts.
Comparison issue
Ports of different consoles (like the SDA run on the Game Cube) differ a lot and have mostly different goals. Thus, runs on different systems are not comparable.
Credits
- flip: for pointing out a mistake I made in suburbia
- nitsuja, DeHackEd and co: for their work put into the development of a rerecording N64 emulator
I cancel this submission. Thanks for your time watching and judging this movie. I appreciate it and hope I can make up for this with my redone version #1733: emu's N64 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 in 14:35.22.