While it can often be hard to discuss a game without mentioning its competition, with a game like Grind Session, it's nearly impossible. In videogaming circles, the word "clone" is often thrown about with abandon - even when discussing two fairly distinct games such as Virtua Fighter and Tekken. With Grind Session, the word has never seemed more appropriate - it shares so much common ground with Tony Hawk's Pro Skater it's almost like the games are two nearly identical twins that were separated at birth. Despite the overwhelming similarities, though, in most areas Grind Session tends to fall just shy of the mark set by Tony Hawk. 

As in Tony Hawk, your ultimate goal is to meet certain goals on a given course to open up later courses and complete the game. Tony Hawk required you to complete tasks for tapes, while Grind Session has you skating for respect. This system is a neat innovation, as you can fall shy of a level's goals but still get partial credit for what you have accomplished, rather than the all-or-nothing rewards offered in Pro Skater. Once you've reached the requisite number of respect points, new courses will open up to you. The scoring system in Grind Session is also a bit more forgiving - the value of repeated tricks does not fade as quickly as it does in Pro Skater.  In that respect, the game actually outdoes Tony Hawk to a degree.  

The level design is very well done.  In particular, the real-life courses are notable for their entertainment value and accuracy.  The Burnside course, for example, seems closer to the real thing than the same course in Tony Hawk.  Rather than offering points for transfers, Grind Session does things a little differently, challenging the player to skate "technical lines" - essentially a certain route through a part of the course.  Instead of being worth points, these lines are worth extra time.  So if you make it through one, not only do you get the points for the tricks you may have pulled off, you also get extra time to boost your score. 

In the control department, Grind Session is good but not great. The buttons are all exactly the same as in Pro Skater, but Grind Session seems to lack a certain precision at times. The control is still fairly tight, but it could be better. The game also may be a little too forgiving when skaters land a vertical trick on flat ground, while a little too unfriendly with vertical tricks requiring a 540 degree rotation or larger.  Still, these now familiar controls are useful for an impressively long list of moves.  Where Tony Hawk limited you to a handplant and tricks that either started with air or an ollie, Grind Session offers a small variety of lip tricks as well as manuals (the skateboarding equivalent of a "wheelie") for players who want to rack up a few points before they hit their next ramp or obstacle. 

The sound effects are all well done and match up fairly well against Pro Skater, although grinds don't sound quite as good.  But when it comes to music, it's all a matter of personal preference.  Both games use well-known bands to good effect.  Do you prefer Grind Session's mix of bands like Jurassic 5, Sonic Youth and NOFX, or Tony Hawk's combination of the Dead Kennedys, Suicidal Tendencies and Primus?  Both musical rosters are strong.  

Grind Session is much better than par for a PlayStation game although, again, the game doesn't quite meet Tony Hawk's standard.  Solid Burnside course aside, the graphics just don't look as polished or consistent as Tony Hawk's, and in motion the game doesn't seem as smooth – which may be a result of the animation, a slightly slower game engine or a combination of the two.  While the camera doesn't swing around as much as it did in Tony Hawk, odd camera angles are occasionally used for no apparent reason, interfering with gameplay. 

On its own, Grind Session is a well-made game but, given its current competition, all but the most rabid skateboarding fans may want to pass on it.  In the end, the areas where Grind Session improves on Tony Hawk are outweighed by tradeoffs:  More tricks at the expense of exceptionally tight control.  A better scoring system at the expense of poorer graphics.  With Tony Hawk 2 already well on its way to PlayStation and other platforms, it's hard to completely recommend this game, despite it being above average in every way.