As you might have noticed, Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland came out on every current-generation console in mid-October. What you’ll also notice is that there is no name change between the current-generation and Xbox 360 consoles. Yes, in every way these are all the same game. Well, aside from the extra $10 you’ll pay for the Xbox 360 and only very marginally improved graphics. Honestly, if you bought one of the other versions in October and then managed to land yourself that shiny new Xbox 360 in late November, there is no reason to trade it in to get the Xbox 360 version. There is just not enough improvement to make it worth the extra money.

Tony Hawk fans will probably find Tony Hawk's American Wasteland a must-buy, but I really think the franchise is starting to get as overexposed as Mega Man. (Okay, maybe not that bad.) The yearly grind of releasing yet another title in the series is taking its toll. It’s time to bump things up a notch. And if that means 2006 is a year without a Tony Hawk game, so be it.

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