‘Jump the shark’ - a term referring to the point when something has reached its peak, and desperate measures are taken to keep it from slipping downhill, usually involving something completely over-the-top and utterly ridiculous (http://www.jumptheshark.com). It originates from an episode of the sitcom Happy Days where, in an attempt to battle a slump in viewing figures, the makers had The Fonz - quite literally - jump a shark in a daredevil waterskiing stunt. Although there was a rise in viewers, it was short-lived.

With the announcement of Tony Hawks Underground (THUG) it was Tony who was gearing up for the jump - surely a walk in the park for the man who landed the first 900 in the history of skating? There was no escaping it, Underground was an obvious, but completely unashamed, attempt to inject life back into the ailing franchise. For the most part it worked, but in the process the series went completely off the rails, like a hyperactive child on a diet of Pringles and Sunny D. No longer was it based purely on the art of skateboarding, it had evolved into a slightly loopy skating adventure, which although was fairly entertaining in its own right, didn't really live up to the legacy of the Pro Skater heritage. Now, just when you thought it was safe to get back in the water, Tony is coming around for another pass – but can he pull it off a second time?

In a move to push the series forward, Neversoft has taken a step back – right back to the beginning. As requested by long-serving fans, one of the more significant additions to this instalment is a classic "Tony Hawk Pro Skater" mode, harking back to simpler times of sick scores, ‘collect S-K-A-T-E’ and searching for that elusive video tape.

The main crux of THUG2, however, is still a story-based affair. Your digital persona has been roped into taking part in the Destruction World Tour - a globetrotting event that involves two teams, headed by Tony Hawk and Bam Margera, going head-to-head to see who can create the most havoc in the world's most famous cities. Unless you’re a big fan of the show Jackass, its ‘kick to the balls’ slapstick humour can be a tad cringe-worthy, the cutscenes especially (which can be skipped… thankfully). In keeping with this theme, it even warns would-be daredevils not to try any of the stunts depicted in the game - which maybe says something about its intended audience.

To help dish out all this mayhem and destruction, the player can now hot-swap characters during play - from real-life pro skaters to historical figures - each with their own unique set of goals. What's more, they're not always riding a skateboard either. Quite a few of the characters have their own modes of transportation, anything from an electric wheelchair to a turbo-charged Segway (no cars this time), all of which are capable of reaching vertigo-inducing heights. With the original moving further away from its skating roots, Neversoft has wisely ensured that this time these more tangential aspects are merely just fun diversions, not distracting too much from the main focus of the game.

Furthering the anarchic vibe players can now leave their mark where ever they go. Graffiti has now become an integral part of the game, with each level having at least one kind of spray paint-based challenge. This could be anything from simply painting over other people’s tags, to lobbing spray cans at the heads of rival graffiti artists. Also, taking a leaf from the gospel of Jet Grind Radio, budding artists can also design their own tag with the Create-a-Graphic mode.

The basic core of the game has remained relatively unchanged. There are a few new tricks thrown in for good measure, but the handling is as familiar as it has always been. This is no bad thing - if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The only noteworthy addition is the ability to ‘Focus’, which lets the player slow down time to perform some of the more complex tricks without fumbling for the buttons. This is the great thing about the Tony Hawk games; the trick system offers massive scope for mastery, whilst at the same time remaining completely accessible to newcomers - a fine balance that most developers find hard to nail. To add to that, not all the goals need to be completed to move on to the next level, so that challenges can be cherry-picked to suit the player's skills, cutting down the frustration factor.

The one thing that is guaranteed to change with every instalment is the line-up of levels. There are half-a-dozen or so new locations featured in THUG2, along with the welcome return of a few old favourites to accompany the Classic mode. As superbly designed and polished as any of Neversoft’s previous efforts, these micropolises are jam-packed with tricking opportunities and combo lines. Some of the more destructive goals will alter the layout of the environment, opening up previously inaccessible areas and in turn increasing combo prospects.

Despite its obvious appeal to kids who like doing devil-horn gestures with their hands, THUG2 still manages to be a fairly entertaining game - more so than its predecessor. This isn’t the result of any of the new features, or even the change of direction the series has taken, but purely for the fact that the game still sits on a firm foundation comprising a perfectly crafted combo system, wrapped around gameplay that promotes exploration and experimentation. Looks as if Tony has survived to skate another day, but that shark is still snapping at his heels.