Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3

This summer I've dug out my Gameboy Advance and it's rewarded me. The DS was a console that I've never really clicked with for a few reasons. I'm left handed and thus the stylus system felt really awkward to use, the 3D graphics are, for the most part, shameful, quite a lot of the games I've played have been too reliant on gimmicks and well, to be honest, the Super Mario Brothers game apart, I've found very little that I'd actually want to play the whole way through, let alone repeatedly. I'm certain that I've missed out on some gems but for the moment I'll stick to the previous gen.

I hammered Super Mario World like I was a 6 year old all over again and it's still the finest platformer ever made. In fact I'd rate it as my favourite game of all time. Everything about it is perfect. But that's for another day. I've also been tearing into my ancient copy of Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening which has been a treat. I've nearly completed it this time without using the cheat that made it so easy (press 'select' just before you move into a new screen to skip it entirely). And yes, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3.

Despite being unable to skateboard in the real world (one of my rare attempts ended with me splitting my knee in half and weeping) I'm a dab hand it at virtually. The second instalment on the PSOne was my entry point to the series and I've been playing that too. But 3 on the GBA is where it's at. It's insanely easy. You can literally complete the career mode with a character in half an hour. I like easy games. I don't like buying a new game, getting that rad excited feeling all the way home, tearing off the cellophane, pouring over the instruction booklet, slapping the CD in the drive, playing the opening level, thinking 'Yes! This is a satisfactory purchase! I am a success,' getting an hour in and then realising you're crap at it and that in actual fact you could have spent the money on something else and sinking into a very mild, but real, depression.

THPS3, for me, is all about button bashing your way to insane 400,00 point combos with Bob Burnquist that basically involve you grinding a plant pot for 2 minutes. It's insanely addictive, to the point that my fingers now hurt all the time, but an oddly hollow experience. I get no joy from scoring 600,000 points or from setting off an earthquake. I get the feeling I'm wasting my time.

Just look at that intense pool of magma!