This eighth instalment in the hugely popular skateboarding series, and the first built specially for the Xbox 360, is the best and most realistic by far. Because I skateboard a lot myself, it annoyed me in previous Tony Hawk games that your character would jump in the air, and his board would just travel up with him and automatically spin into a kickflip. In this game, if you look at how the character’s feet move, it is a textbook demonstration of the technique behind the trick. This is particularly evident in the main new feature, a special mode called “nail the trick” where the game slows down while you’re in mid-air.

In the career mode you have to complete challenges from famous skaters, picking up sponsorship along the way. There are dozens of skate companies involved, each giving you two-minute previews of their latest skate video, which is cool, but you wonder how much money the makers of the game are getting. Still, it’s a win-win situation: the sponsors and the pros get publicity, and make the game even more realistic and enjoyable.

THEO WELLS