CIB - Disc, Cover & Book
Goal-Oriented Progression: The main objective is for the player character, starting as the 200th ranked skater in their town, to complete various challenges to work their way up to the top 8 and join Tony Hawk's elite "Project 8" skate team.
Gradual Exploration: Unlike the full open-world design of the PS3/Xbox 360 versions, the PS2 version features separate, distinct levels (such as Suburbia, Main Street, and the School) that are manually selected, with new areas unlocked as the player progresses.
"Nail the Trick" Feature: A new mechanic allows players to enter slow-motion mode and use both analog sticks to control their character's individual feet, enabling the creation and execution of complex, custom flip and board rotation tricks.
Variable Goal Difficulties: Most goals in the game can be completed at three difficulty levels: Amateur (Am), Pro, and Sick. Achieving higher difficulties allows players to climb the rankings faster and adds replayability to the challenges.
Classic Feel: The gameplay engine and physics on the PS2 version are considered to have a feel closer to the classic Tony Hawk's games, focusing purely on the core skateboarding experience.
Character Customization and Pros: The game includes a character creator and features a cast of real-life professional skaters like Bam Margera, Bob Burnquist, and Daewon Song.
Multiplayer Mode: The PAL version includes a local split-screen multiplayer mode for two players.