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.
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
Wouldn't it have been faster to skip one of the collecting goals in Suburbia and do the Flag goal in the airport instead, or do you need all those goals to access Airport?
Suburbia is has three collection goals, with one only requiring to collect 3 things ("disrespect the dishes), making it feasible to stay in the level longer. Plus they can be linked in a very fluid path; so taking one out won't save much time.
"Taking the flags" is indeed a considerable goal, but during test runs, the collection procedure needed comparatively much time. I might be wrong about it though.
(Accessing the airport due to number of goals would not have been an issue)
As previously stated, a 100% run is unfavourable, as it should include also all gaps (plus the ones from the bonus levels)
Probs a silly question. Why would that be a bad thing?
Anyway, meh vote for same reasons mentioned, and agreed a 100% run (Whatever that may be.) would be favorable.
It was really quick though.
A consensus of the run, some of you propose would be "complete 100% of the game except the gaps and with one skater only, completing as fast as possible but skating the full minute in the competitions and allowing to sacrifice speed to chain combos, not doing the same combo again, even if it takes longer for the same benefits and not jumping so often while grinding." :)
What defines 100% is always a matter of debate. Not everything that's listed somewhere in some statistic has to count (just like a 100% GBA castlevania run wouldn't pick up all items or level to 99).
There is an unassisted THPS 2 speedrun that gets all goals and all the pickup money, but not the gaps, so following that example is a non-arbitrary option. THPS 2 even had the "100% goals and cash" message to support the definition, no idea about THPS 3 though.
I'd propose these three goals, in order of importance:
* completes all goals
* does not end competition runs early (but skips the third)
* Aims for fastest time
Those goals are simple, clearly defined and much less arbitrary than your example. A run following that goals will show pure speed on the regular levels and huge combos on the competitions. That way the run won't be as short as this and it'll show more variety.
Everything between time attack and 100% tends to be arbitrary and a bad basis for obsoletion.
An obsoletion would have to improve the regular level times and the competition scores, no problem there.
If a future run decides to end competitions early, it's still possible to compare the regular level times.
(I haven't played THPS3 in a while, have I missed something? Additional pickups, skater-specific goals, ...?)
(I haven't played THPS3 in a while, have I missed something? Additional pickups, skater-specific goals, ...?)
After a quick look at GameFAQs I believe there is a secret level unlocked upon your 3rd gold medal called downhill which features no goals but has 10 stat points to be picked up.
In addition to what everyone else said about a 100% run, I'd also like there to be some supers used as well. I'm voting no on this due to ending both the levels and competitions early.
I don't know - maybe not even a 100% run. I think this is the sort of game that's better played like Mortal Kombat. Just show off as many of the game's insane quirks as fast as possible.
Joined: 5/27/2005
Posts: 465
Location: Turku, Finland
Wow! I honestly didn't believe it was possible to finish this game under 6 and ½ minutes, even with TASing capabilities.
The run kept me entertained the whole and most of the time I was able to follow where emu was skating. A very nice N64 add to TASvideos' archive, if you ask me.
(Yes vote from me)
Joined: 11/18/2006
Posts: 2426
Location: Back where I belong
Having played this game a little bit (but playing THPS 1,2 and 4 until my thumbs bleed), I can't say I wasn't entertained, but I thought that it was too short and hyper. Short levels are great, but those "loading" scenes where there's 5-10 seconds of dead space make this a pretty disjointed run. I think if you added more goals (possibly all gaps), and it would be a much more fulfilling run to watch, and help make the waiting times not as noticable, at least for fans of the series. I give it a meh.
Joined: 2/28/2006
Posts: 2275
Location: Milky Way -> Earth -> Brazil
Yeah, that song is great, indeed.
And, yeah... the more you repeat the same trick, the less points you get.
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