Activision's follow-up to Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 has finally arrived, and it looks pretty damn good on the PlayStation. Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX manages to cram an impressive amount of detail into each level with virtually no slowdown in single player mode, while the character and bike models are spot-on. Fans of the genre who want the absolute best visuals might want to wait for the Dreamcast incarnation in August, but if you wanna grind with Hoffman & co. right now, the original won't hurt your eyes one bit.

But enough about the stuff to look at. Mat Hoffman's soundtrack has something for everyone; from fresh hip hop (Jurassic 5, Deltron 3030) to 80's punk (Agent Orange, Bad Brains) to slick electronic tunes (remixes by Fatboy Slim and Grooverider), and each well-chosen track suits the action perfectly. Sure, the bike noises and painful grunts are really great too, but there's just something about pulling a 720 Rocket One Hander One Footer Toothpick Grind to the sound of Outkast's 'B.O.B' that puts a smile on my face, every time.

One word: addictive. This is one of those games. The kind that some won't expect to get into at first, but ten minutes later their best friends can't claw the controller out of their hands. It's just mindless fun, yet there's so much to do within the game that you'll take months to burn out on it all (and then Tony Hawk 3 comes out!). In Career mode, you'll have to collect various magazine covers (replacing the videotapes of Tony Hawk) in order to open up new levels, bikes, video clips and hidden characters. At the end of a run, you can check out a replay of the session at several camera angles, then save it to your memory card for future viewing. Call your buddies over, load up a particularly hilarious recording, and show the guys just how funny a backflip into a brick wall can be from a bird's eye view!

Then, give one of 'em a controller, because the multiplayer aspect of Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX might be some of the most fun you'll ever have on your PlayStation. With modes like Graffiti, Trick Attack and the classic HORSE, there's plenty to do and lots of ways to do it. The only time you'll see significant slowdown will be during a split screen match on a particularly detailed track, but it's not bad enough to get in the way of a good time -- in other words, it's nowhere near as atrocious as, say, a 4-player game of Perfect Dark on N64. Now that's bad.

If you've never played Tony Hawk before trying your hand at Mat Hoffman, it might take about an hour to get through the learning curve. Performing basic tricks and straightening out the bike to land will take newbies a little getting used to, but with such a simple (yet brilliant) control scheme, almost anyone can pull off 20-second grind strings after minimal practice.

Players only compete against other bikers in the Bluetorch and CFB Competition tracks; in every other stage, time is your sole enemy. Unless you're already a master of the Tony Hawk series, collecting every item and racking up enough points to unlock nearly everything in the game will be a serious challenge. Fortunately, the insane amount of effort required to uncover some of the secrets only boosts replay value even further, so those who can't stop playing until they've got it all won't be disappointed.

Only a few quick gripes come to mind. Mat Hoffman's biggest problem has to be clipping - an inevitable issue with the game's engine, but still not too pretty. Models constantly clip through walls and rails, and every now and then you'll find yourself stuck inside of a tight corner after an awkward bail. This proves pretty annoying when the clock's ticking down and you can't move your bike without wiping out once or twice to get out of there, but it's a rare occurrence. Otherwise, the controls are extremely comfortable and nearly everything works just the way it should, thanks to the fine programming team at Neversoft.

PS2:Wall & floor textures appear much smoother on the PS2, and the overall look of things are a tad bit sharper. FMV clips seem to play without any problems or distortion, although I had one incident with loading saved progress from my PSX memory card. After loading a second time, my completed tracks showed up and everything was fine.

Okay, so it's going to be a little longer until Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 hits the shelves. Until then, give the board a rest and strap on your helmet, 'cause Mat Hoffman will provide all the entertainment you'll need for months to come. Also, followers of Activision's alternative sports lineup should be on the lookout for the upcoming Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer, Shaun Palmer's Pro Snowboarder, and of course, Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2.