VIDEO REVIEW 'Underground 2' lets gamers freak out over skateboard antics

The game is packed with new stunts and incredible tricks.
By MATT SLAGLE
ASSOCIATED PRESS
There's only one thing better than riding a halfpipe ramp in "Tony Hawk's Underground 2" -- doing it in real life. Since I'm pretty sure that's never going to happen, I'll keep on defying gravity in this new video game from Activision.
This sequel is actually the sixth game in the line of skateboarding games bearing the name of alternative sports superstar Tony Hawk.
It's packed with customization options, crude humor and, of course, lots of incredible tricks.
The controls are superb once you master them, and there are some neat new stunts, including one where you can spin around atop trash cans. The levels are set in Boston, Barcelona, New Orleans and elsewhere and are bigger than before.
There's a story mode, where you rise from skating rookie to take part in a "Word Destruction Tour." It pits Hawk and other professional skaters against a band of malcontents led by Bam Margera, star of MTV's pain-inflicting humor show "Viva La Bam," in a globe-trotting quest to wreak havoc, such as hurling tomatoes at pedestrians.
On and off the board
The emphasis on off-the-board action is an odd decision, considering this is a skateboarding game. I preferred the included "Classic Mode" and its emphasis on pure skating.
I used the new freak-out feature often. When you miss a jump and come smashing to the ground, press the buttons quickly to fill up the freak-out meter, sending your character into a board-smashing rage.
This T-rated game is available for the GameCube, PC, PlayStation 2 and Xbox.
One feature I was really looking forward to was missing in the Xbox version I played -- support for online multiplayer games. It's quite an oversight to put it on the PS2 but not Microsoft's very popular Xbox Live service.
This is surely the most thorough skating game ever, and perfectly captures the acrobatic thrill of the sport. But I wonder if there's enough new stuff for fans to pony up yet another $50.
Unless you're a die-hard fan of last year's "Tony Hawk Underground" and feel slavishly compelled to own the sequel, you might want to rent first and make sure it's really worth the money. Or better yet, put the money toward a real skateboard.