Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 is yet another attempt to revive the famed Tony Hawk series. With many failures in the last decades, one might fear this could be the last chance for redemption. This time, Vicarious Visions is back at the helm to ensure the Tony Hawk property is handled with care. Although Vicarious Visions was mostly involved with the handheld adaptations of the series, they’ve been around long enough to ensure this one doesn’t get screwed up.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater legacy
More than 20 years ago, Bruce Willis was the main character in a demo of a skate game. Luckily Activision/Neversoft got Tony Hawk interested in time for the release to lend his name and likeliness to the game. And the rest, as they say, is history. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater and its follow-up games were hugely successful. The games could even be held responsible for a boost in skate culture in the early days of the current millennium. Even some of the artists on the soundtrack got their big break because of the popularity of the series. I spent countless hours in the games during my teens.
Remaking Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 sounds to me like one of the greatest ideas ever. These games were so good I even pop them in my old PlayStation from time to time. As with many remakes where the source material is so well known and loved, the expectations are way up there. With the failed attempt at an HD remaster with 2012 Tony Hawk’s Pro skater HD still fresh in my memory, I was more on the skeptical side. Having played Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 for the last 3 days, I can safely say this is the return to form we’ve all been waiting for.
New old skool
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 is a direct remake of the original two Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater games. This remake did a fantastic job of rebuilding every famed level meticulously from the ground up. I felt right at home when playing some of the famed levels like Warehouse, School II, and Venice beach. Every ramp, every grind, every kicker is placed exactly as I remembered it. All while looking stunning on my HDR-capable TV. The vibrant colors and smoothness of the remade levels augment what was already there in the first place. All while staying true to the original.
New goals, new possibilities, new skaters
In each level in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, you need to complete 10 goals. These goals range from scoring a set amount of points to smashing boxes, performing a certain trick over a gap, and of course collecting the famed secret tape. The original Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater only had 5 goals per level which means, Vicarious Visions added 5 more in this remade. These extra goals fit in seamlessly. Another addition to the original gameplay is the ability to manual in the first game – something only added with the second game originally.
The revert and wall plant which were only introduced in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 is also available. These open up a lot of possibilities to combine multiple moves in an epic combo to rack up some serious points. I personally think the addition of these moves opens up the gameplay even more. If you happen to be a purist, you have the option to choose Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 or 2 only controls from the menu. Besides all the original skaters being present in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, they’ve also added a bunch of new (younger) skaters. I liked to play with good old Erik Koston. The younger kids, on the other hand, might prefer Niyah Houston, Aori Nishimura, Lizzie Armento and many more. Or you could also try out “creat-a-skater”.
Tony Hawk’s Smooth Skater
Not only the levels look beautiful smooth… The gameplay is extremely smooth. The updated animation for each trick looks so awesome. The details in the movement make every combo look fluent. As an added bonus to make everything even more fluent, they added a new bail animation. In the original games, bailing meant you’d not only lose your streak but it would also take a few seconds to get back up. In Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 you get right back up in a sort of “rewind” animation to minimize the time spent on the ground. It’s only a small detail but it all adds to the fluency and smoothness of the experience in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2.
Challenges and build your own park
The gameplay in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 feels very familiar. The menu, on the other hand, is quite different. The biggest addition is the challenges. By completing these challenges, you’ll earn experience, unlock special trick slots and money. The experience unlocks more items to customize your skater which can be bought with the money earned. The extra special trick slots add more crazy (signature) tricks to the game to rack up even more points. Another addition is the possibility to build your own skate park and more importantly to share it with the world. I’m sure we’ll see some crazy original park designs in the near future for us to enjoy.
Online, Couch co-op
Another new addition is the inclusion of online modes. Playing Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 in single-player mode is a lot of fun but sometimes you just want to show off your skills to other players out there. Competing in the different online modes is not the most beefed out portion of the game but it’s there. Entering a skate jam is the best way to sample the different game modes since this mode rotates levels and game modes after each run. I personally liked the local multiplayer which used split-screen a bit more. I’ve played a few rounds head to head with a few of my family members and had a lot of fun while doing so.
Conclusion
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 is a remaster done to some great extent. They’ve met every expectation I had and added some nice additions to even exceed them. The nostalgic in me loved every second of this game but I’m sure new players will like it too. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 feels like a current era game while still capturing every aspect of the original. Hopefully, this marks the beginning of more to come for the series.
