Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 | Xbox One Review

Third Time’s the Charm

Right off the bat, let me say I can’t stand on a skateboard to save my life without falling flat on my face. When I was a little kid, I broke my arm while skateboarding. Twenty years later, I tried again in the parking lot of a Burger King in Burbank, California (the same one seen in the opening scene of the 80’s classic Back to the Future) and sure enough I fell…hard.

It was 1999 when I first laid my eyes on Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater for the original PlayStation at a friend’s house. I immediately got myself my own copy and the rest, as they say, is history. Finally, I was able to remain in the skating scene without any risk of personal injury, instead having my digitally created avatars take the falls for me. Thanks guys, your efforts don’t go unappreciated.

But lately the series has fallen on some hard times with seemingly no hope for revival, despite numerous attempts at doing so. First there was Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD in 2012, then Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 in 2015; both titles received a lackluster reception amongst both fans and critics alike. But now in 2020, the folks at Vicarious Visions have done what others couldn’t: make a wonderfully faithful, yet updated, remake of the second highest rated game of all time, according to Metacritic. What did Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 do right that others did wrong?

The Rundown

From the developers who brought us Crash Bandicoot: N-Sane Trilogy, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 (often referred to as a remaster) is actually a full-fledged remake and love letter to the first two games in the series, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2. And it’s a well done love letter at that. The folks at Vicarious Visions have done a masterful job at reintroducing a classic franchise to a new generation of gamers and skaters who may not have the nostalgia of late 20th Century skating. Every level and objective locations from both Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 are all present and accounted for, even the secret tapes. Yes, in 2020 we’re still trying to find the hidden cassette tape! The game is split between the two titles, and it doesn’t matter which game you choose to start with since the progression from one carries over to the other and vice versa. 

Skating through these new/old courses was such a blast the first time I played. The layout of all the gaps, rails and objective locations have not moved, and are right where we last saw them 20 years ago. All pro skaters make a return (at their current ages), along a new generation of skaters, including Tony’s son Riley Hawk.

Gleaming the Cube

The basic foundations of the movesets seen throughout the series have remained unchanged over the years, only adding new abilities with each subsequent installment. This game takes only the best of these newer abilities, and allows the player to string even more insane combos and tricks in classic environments that simply weren’t possible the first time around. There’s also an option to change up the movesets to each game’s respective classic configurations, for the purists out there.

I found this option to be a nice little addition. On top of it being a nice acknowledgment to all the veteran players, it’s a nice additional challenge in trying to achieve that ridiculous high score objective without relying on the ability to string your tricks together using manuals and reverts. It also serves as a reminder that the original Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater did have its share of limitations, despite being the groundbreaking title that it was.

The game’s physics admittedly threw me off at first. Before playing Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2, I tried warming myself up with older titles. Specifically Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2x, a launch title exclusive to the original Xbox that is an enhanced port of the first two games. The physics of the old titles are ingrained into my muscle memory, so I thought for sure this new 2020 version would be the same, it turns out no though. The physics here have been reworked from the ground up, the game runs faster and smoother running at a slick 60 FPS, and thus my muscle memory and timing needed to readjust so I wasn’t constantly falling. But with a little bit of patience and perseverance I was shredding rails, tearing up halfpipes, and landing six figure high scores in no time. There’s a wonderfully intuitive tutorial mode narrated by the Birdman himself, if you need to get reacquainted with the game.

Nostalgia now in 4K

The visuals are really, really (and I mean REALLY) top notch! Each stage was meticulously remade with a level of detail that can only be described as glorious. The urban stages now look more busy and occupied, the School stages actually look like a school, and the Venice Beach stage in particular from Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 looks stunning against the backdrop of a California sunset and the walls are covered with what actually look like years worth of graffiti. The mall stage from Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater has been changed from its original sleek appearance and is now an abandoned desolate shell of its former self. The Hangar stage from Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 has been redressed looking like an Air and Space museum with glossy epoxy flooring with the walls adorned with large banners of previous game’s cover art, serving as a shrine of sorts to Neversoft’s legacy with the franchise.

I can’t forget to mention the music, a common staple of the series. Many of the tracks from the original games make their return, with more contemporary tracks added on, totalling over 40 songs. I found myself switching off the new tracks and sticking with the originals. Nothing against the new additions, but I wanted my experience to be as authentically nostalgic as possible.

Final Thoughts

So, where did Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 get right that other games got wrong? In short everything, well almost everything. One major gripe of mine is in the Create-a-Skater and Create-a-Park modes, which were limited in terms of scope and options available. 

I applaud Vicarious Visions efforts in resurrecting the Tony Hawk franchise back to its old self for a new generation. The look, feel, and sound of the game will make you forget about the dark times. I hope this means that the franchise is back and we will have new games to look forward to, or at the very least a remaster of future Tony Hawk titles. Either way, the Birdman is back.

To hear more about Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, be sure to listen to Episode 311 of The Gaming Outsider Podcast around the 45:31 time stamp.

This review is based on a purchased copy of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 on Xbox One. It is also available on PlayStation 4 and PC.