I've heard good things about Skate, but as I don't have a 360 or PS3 I haven't been able to experience it yet.
Just out of curiosity, is all the dislike of the more recent Hawk games specifically for the console versions, or all versions inclusive? And what's the basis? Is it the unrealistic elements like grinding high tension wires, sky high verts, and outrageously long combo chains? I suppose a skateboarding purist might prefer something a little more grounded and realistic, but those things are part of the fun for me. My bones aren't up to doing much in the way of real world skateboard tricks these days. I can still bust a decent manual for someone of...uh, let's just say someone of Tony's vintage. But when it comes to the video games, I don't mind a little defiance of the laws of gravity, physics, and human endurance.
I've actually enjoyed all the DS titles. I kept borrowing my kid's Downhill Jam and occasionally Sk8land when he wasn't busy with it, and decided I needed my own DS Hawk game by the time Proving Ground came out. I do have Project 8 for the PS2 and agree that it wasn't quite as fun as some of the earlier Neversoft Hawks. There were too many stop and go short tasks and not enough continual, fluid motion activities like in THUG. It was still fun to play however, and since I got it free bundled with the PS2, I couldn't argue with the price.
