Unlike previous Tony Hawk games, American Wasteland ditches the globe-trotting, level-based gameplay for a single expansive Los Angeles environment, from Hollywood to East LA. Additionally, developer NeverSoft is giving players the option to ditch the boards for BMX bikes so they can play through the entire game with a bike-specific control scheme and set of goals.

A collector's edition of the game, in special packaging, will also be released for the PlayStation 2 at the collectible price point of $59.99. The extra $10 will net gamers a pair of exclusive classic-mode levels, two exclusive secret characters, a "Making of" feature, an art gallery, retrospectives on the franchise and its soundtracks, and E3 event footage.