Once upon a time, the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series was on top of the gaming world. When it stormed onto the scene with its 1998 PlayStation 1 debut, it brought in a certain attitude to compliment the tight controls that developer Neversoft came to be known for. It successfully captured the skater scene in all its glory and distilled it down to a game that was incredibly fun and addicting. After over a decade of middling to bad attempts, publisher Activision has enlisted Vicarious Visions to develop the best entry the series has seen since its glory days.
Story
While no real “story” is found here, fans of the series will feel right at home. Players simply choose a skater from a list of classic and new school greats such as Rodney Mullen, Tyshawn Jones, or Tony himself. Once a character is selected, you’ll dive into insane levels that still hold the same goals as you remember from back in the day. Vicarious Visions also toss in a nice create-a-skater feature which, when created, carries his or her unique challenges the player can unlock. Both online and asymmetric leaderboard-style modes pad out the original 2 game’s offerings. The total package gives players plenty to dig their teeth into and at only $40, the price is right.
Gameplay
As alluded to above, the Tony Hawk series has had its struggles over recent years and no game has since been able to capture what made those original games great. Thankfully, Vicarious Visions has masterfully rebuilt every facet of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 and it feels like the best entry since Tony Hawk’s Underground days. It feels so true to the originals that my muscle memory kicked in (I had to use the D-pad) and it just felt wrong to play any other way. Pulling off grabs, grinds, and nailing the perfect combo is just as rewarding as before. Nostalgia is present and accounted for since all of the main game’s goals are true to the source material, but there are also tons of new challenges for every skater. These challenges pepper the game and truly make up the meat of what you’ll be doing. Completing challenges unlocks new apparel, boards, trucks, wheels, and so on.
The aforementioned online modes are a lot of fun and help round out the package. Players can hop in a lobby and compete with others to see who can get the best combo, or see how many ramps and rails you can “tag” with graffiti. Toss in the leaderboard style modes and local split-screen options and you’ll find yourself with quite a lot to do. I’ve got an outstanding number of challenges still to finish after putting in some 25-30 hours into the game.
Audio/Visuals
Activision has done a fantastic job recently in bringing its old franchises to life for a new audience and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 continues that trend. The visual upgrades, while nothing mind-blowing, are significant and welcome. Every level had a familiar yet new flavor to it. Certain lighting and particle effects especially stood out as I kickflipped my way through the levels. Old-school fans will also feel right at home with the game’s soundtrack, which made its way over from the original games almost entirely. Punk, ska, and hip-hop are the name of the game here with tracks from Lagwagon, MxPx, and, of course, Goldfinger. The soundtrack perfectly compliments the entire vibe which is the bedrock for the Tony Hawk series.
Conclusion
After several missteps, Activision has finally realized that sticking with what got you here is perhaps the best route. A reinvigoration of the Tony Hawk franchise was needed, and Vicarious Visions wonderfully delivers on that. The game is not only welcoming to new players but also scratches the itch for old-school fans of the series. Tony and the other skaters control as good as ever and it’s all driven home with the right vibe and that killer soundtrack. Whether purchasing now or waiting for a sale, you’ll find one of the best Tony Hawk games in over a decade.