Nostalgia is a superb factor, particularly when it includes Tony Hawk.
Followers of the professional skater turned online game icon rejoiced in 2020 with the launch of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2, a remake of the beloved PlayStation titles that outlined a technology.
It was solely a matter of time earlier than the second set of video games on PlayStation 2 acquired the identical remedy, and on July 11, 2025, the latest bundle was launched.
Developed by Iron Galaxy (changing Vicarious Visions (*3*), with a rating of 83 primarily based on 28 critic opinions.
Critics had been cautious as as to if Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 might recapture the magic of the unique video games, however as The Guardian’s Keza MacDonald famous, as quickly as Motorhead’s ‘Ace of Spades’ kicked in they had been instantly transported again to the early noughties.
“It is virtually insulting how simply this remake pushes my millennial nostalgia buttons,” wrote MacDonald, who gave the sport 4 out of 5 stars.
“The second that ‘Ace of Spades’ comes on over a montage of skaters on the title screen, I’m forcefully yanked again to the early ’00s, after I spent untold hours enjoying one Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater recreation or one other within the gross bedrooms of my teen-boy associates.”
MacDonald felt that Pro Skater 3+4 adopted the identical system as Vicarious Visions’ reimagining of the primary two video games, in that the titles expertly utilise “constant controls [with] a brand new look that preserves the grungy really feel of the unique.”
Nonetheless, Game Informer’s Wesley LeBlanc identified that although the remakes are innately trustworthy to the originals, it doubtlessly comes on the detriment of introducing new gamers to the sequence.
“It is virtually insulting how simply this remake pushes my millennial nostalgia buttonsKeza MacDonald, The Guardian
“A part of the enchantment of Pro Skater has all the time been its ease of entry into skateboarding tradition, the best way MTV and Jackass influences it and vice versa, and the best way it formed music and trend sense for gamers world wide,” LeBlanc wrote in his overview, scoring the title an eight out of ten.
“Regardless of having fun with the gameplay, I struggled all through my time with the sport to see that approachability. Should you aren’t already conscious of the sequence’ place in popular culture, this remake does nothing to deliver you on top of things. I would argue a remake, particularly, would not want to try this, however provided that Iron Galaxy has included extra, extra trendy songs, up to date manufacturers, new skaters and extra, it is clear it desires [the remake] to suit into 2025.”
He continued: “Regardless of together with these touchstones of contemporary tradition, they really feel like an inclusion constructed on model offers and fast visits to shops like Vans and Zumiez relatively than a deeper understanding of a as soon as alt-culture’s rise right into a worldwide phenomenon, or why these video games had been so impressionable within the early aughts.”
However, (*4*) Kara Phillips thought of that the remake was developed with individuals unfamiliar with the sequence in thoughts against lifelong followers.
“In a method, it appears like Pro Skater 3+4 has been designed round new gamers, relatively than honouring the experiences held by outdated ones,” Phillips wrote. “One factor that made the remake of 1+2 so profitable was the nostalgia issue, however with 3+4, it undoubtedly feels just like the novelty of that has worn off.”
Talking of latest gamers, Junkee’s Lia Kim acknowledged that whereas she by no means performed the originals, the dearth of nostalgia did not take something away from the expertise.
“It did remind me that there are numerous [games] I’ve but to play – and important gaming abilities I am low-key missing,” Kim wrote. “However hey, diving right into a remake of one of the vital profitable online game franchises of the early 2000s that continues to have an extremely devoted fanbase is a fairly good technique to repair that.”
She added: “After ending Pro Skater 1+2, I had a newfound appreciation for the sport – and excessive hopes for 3+4. And it felt good. The controls had been comforting and acquainted, whereas the vary of parks had been utterly contemporary to my eyes.”
The extent designs in Pro Skater 3+4 had been a serious spotlight amongst reviewers, with Inverse’s Trone Dowd calling them “the star” of the sport.
“Whereas the primary remake featured ranges that had been constructed round a a lot easier, restricted scoring system, Pro Skater 3+4 had been made for large elaborate combos,” Dowd famous. “It appears like the total potential of how these remakes play has lastly been realised. Even the brand new unique ranges created by Iron Galaxy, like Film Studio and Waterpark, match this model of gameplay like a glove.”
Nintendo Life’s Ollie Reynolds agreed, appreciating how Iron Galaxy “leans into the entire MTV/Jackass affect” to incorporate “some actually ridiculous missions that make use of the extra NPC characters”.
“It provides me hope that Activision might green-light a model new Tony Hawk recreation, however I am not going to carry my breath,” he wrote in his eight out of ten overview.
Reynolds additionally counseled the sport’s efficiency on the Nintendo Swap 2, with the remake being one of many newest third-party releases for the brand new console.
” how the sport runs on Swap 2, I am principally impressed,” he wrote. “In handheld mode, there is usually a little little bit of aliasing, however by and huge the sport is remarkably on par with the likes of PlayStation 5 and Xbox Sequence X|S, hitting what appears like a strong 60fps with some attractive reflection expertise on show with puddles.”
“It appears like the total potential of how these remakes play has lastly been realised”Trone Dowd, Inverse
As for general gameplay, The Guardian’s MacDonald highlighted that whereas it could possibly take some time to construct up a selected set of digital skateboarding abilities, the payoff is price it.
“My first few hours with these video games had been a humiliation, as I grappled with the controller and baled again and again making an attempt to fulfill even the minimal required scores for every two minute run,” she recalled.
“There are extra complicated strikes and traversal tips to bear in mind right here than there have been in Pro Skater 1+2, which is a extra arcadey expertise, and a greater place to start out for those who weren’t there for these video games the primary time round.”
One of many main criticisms with the remakes, nonetheless, is with how Activision Blizzard and Iron Galaxy approached Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4.
In contrast to the earlier three video games, it took the franchise in a special route by ditching the two-minute session time restrict and letting gamers skate the streets to finish missions from NPCs.
However within the remake, this side of Pro Skater 4 has been changed with the time restrict to seemingly join the 2 video games as a bundle, as PC Gamer’s Phillips realised.
“I benefit from the seamless transition between the 2 video games and never having to log a whole new set of strikes every time I need to skate round a special location,” she defined.
“I perceive that having this timeframe provides you the required push to finish targets and challenges you are set […] however free roaming was one of many predominant appeals of Pro Skater 4. With such a restrictive time restrict now, it makes the remake really feel like a bolted-on map pack relatively than its personal expertise.”
“The compromises made as a way to cram Pro Skater 4 targets into the Pro Skater 3 format let all the expertise down,” Phillips concluded.
Inverse’s Dowd felt the identical method, noting that the choice to vary the system was “daring” and that whereas Iron Galaxy did a “first rate sufficient job at translating” a number of the NPC quests, the outcomes had been finally “awkward”.
“A few of the ranges are just too huge and never designed with two-minute periods in thoughts,” he wrote. “The disconnect between stage design and profession mode causes an odd divide within the remakes’ general package deal.”
Recreation Informer’s LeBlanc had related ideas, writing that whereas the choice “makes for a greater recreation” in some methods, it is unclear whether or not it made for a greater remake.
“Homogenising Pro Skater 4 strips away what made it totally different,” he wrote. “Whereas it’s simply a greater expertise to play within the remake with its extra streamlined focus, it feels extra like a Pro Skater 3 add-on than a remake of the fourth recreation. This isn’t a contemporary technique to play Pro Skater 4; it is a totally different technique to play Pro Skater 4.”
“That stated, turning Pro Skater 4 into basically a stage pack for Pro Skater 3, one of the best within the sequence, is extremely satisfying from a pure gameplay standpoint,” LeBlanc countered.
“The 2-minute run model of those video games is one of the best ways to discover and be taught these ranges, and new collectible placements, secret decks, secret store unlocks, and skater stat boosts hidden all through every breathe new life into these acquainted hangs.”
Nintendo Life’s Reynolds stated these modifications had been “a bitter capsule to swallow for veterans”, however felt that it did make for “a extra cohesive expertise; one I am sure newcomers will respect”.
One other level of competition critics had with the remake was cuts made to the sport’s iconic soundtrack.
“Homogenising Pro Skater 4 strips away what made it totally different” Wesley LeBlanc, Recreation Informer
In Pro Skater 1+2, solely three songs had been omitted from the unique soundtrack attributable to licensing points, with a further 37 new tracks for gamers to hearken to. Whereas in Pro Skater 3+4, 46 songs from the unique soundtrack are lacking throughout each video games.
Responding to followers on Instagram, Tony Hawk stated it was his selection to incorporate quite a lot of songs by the identical artists, relatively than the identical tracks featured within the unique video games. “I am hoping that the invention is half the enjoyable, and an enormous motive that these soundtracks resonated within the first place,” wrote Hawk. “So pay attention and benefit from the journey.”
However as Dowd notes, it does detract from the expertise for returning gamers.
“When a lot of the unique recreation’s identification was tied to its revolutionary soundtrack, it is a disgrace that these new tracks do not get to exist alongside all of the classics followers will bear in mind.”
Reynolds echoed Dowd’s sentiments: “I need to reiterate that the soundtrack is actually relatively good, and finally many newcomers will uncover some life-long favourites right here, identical to I did within the early 2000s. However why could not Iron Galaxy enchantment to each crowds? […] I want that the gathering included a number of extra nostalgic hits.”
Except for these criticisms, critics praised Iron Galaxy’s adaptation of the unique video games. Nonetheless, as Dowd famous, Pro Skater 3+4 has “simply sufficient compromises to maintain it from reaching the identical legendary heights of the video games it is primarily based on.”
“The top product remains to be loads of enjoyable, particularly for many who did not expertise these video games 23 years in the past. And it is clear Iron Galaxy understands the sequence sufficient to hold on Neversoft’s contact. However a number of of the cuts and modifications are too deep to contemplate this a definitive model of the video games I like.”
Recreation Informer’s LeBlanc additionally praised the developer’s dedication in adapting Pro Skater 3 and 4 to a contemporary viewers, however felt Iron Galaxy might have completed extra in retaining the sport’s nostalgia.
“The Pro Skater sequence formed my music style, trend sense, and extra whereas additionally delivering an extremely enjoyable timesink on my PlayStation 2,” he recalled. “An ideal remake of those video games would do the identical all these years later, or no less than remind me why they had been so impressionable whereas I used to be rising up.
“Whereas Iron Galaxy has excellently modernised the gameplay and graphics of those classics to really feel proper in 2025, I want it had completed a greater job of highlighting the affect these video games as soon as had of their heyday.”
The Guardian’s Keza MacDonald and Junkee’s Lia Kim had extra optimistic outlooks of the sport’s general affect.
MacDonald drew comparisons to the true sport, noting how “it is all about perseverance and repetition”.
“When the combos began to circulate once more for me after a number of hours, it felt so liberating,” she wrote. “I nonetheless do not suppose there’s a greater skating recreation on the market than old-school Tony Hawk’s even in spite of everything this time – and there is definitely no higher time capsule of this pivotal second within the sport.”
Whereas Kim concluded that Pro Skater and related titles make her really feel assured in studying and adapting to gameplay mechanics she’s unfamiliar with.
“I am extraordinarily grateful for video games like Pro Skater that make me really feel like I can be taught some tough gameplay abilities in a low-stakes surroundings,” she defined. “On prime of that, it is also embedded in a tradition that values failure as a part of the method. With that data in hand, I am feeling extra able to tackling any gaming title that tickles my fancy, and never feeling prefer it’s not ‘for me’.”