Skate 2 Hands-On Impressions (Joystiq, MTV)

"A new button has been added (RB on 360; R1 on PS3) which is the "hand" button. This is used in tricks to hand plant (which can be tweaked with the right analog stick, and you can take a foot off the board during them as well) and to interact with movable objects. That last bit is the game's other major advance."

"There are no major revelations to the core “Skate” gameplay in the sequel. It’s an evolution. People at the event seemed jazzed about the ability to get off the skateboard. A few non-”Skate” players I mentioned this to wonder if that’s what made “Tony Hawk” jump the shark, but I don’t think that’s the case here. It’s meant to allow players to navigate the environment more easily."