The answer to the question, can you improve upon perfection is Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1&2. Counted among the best games in any genre since its original release in the 90’s Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 transcended its disc to become an ambassador for skateboarding and little known third wave ska bands. Activision’s remake could have followed the current trend of the AAA gaming industry and given fans an undercooked bird stuffed with monetization. Instead, we got something incredible!
TONY HAWK’S PRO SKATER 1&2
Developed by: Vicarious Visions, Beenox
Published by: Activision
Available for: PlayStation4, Xbox One, PC
A remake of anything should walk the line of eclipsing the original while remaining true to what fans loved. Replicating the impact THPS had on pop culture isn’t something achievable, to understand what that means you should watch the documentary I’m A Superman: The Story of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater available on-demand services. The impact the remake has will be one based on how it shows you don’t have to stop at good enough when it comes to bringing an old thing into a modern era.
From the moment the opening video rolls with the old footage of pro skaters doing street tricks, you’re eased into the old-to-new transition by the incorporation of HD footage featuring younger skateboarders added to the game. In-game, visually everything has been rebuilt from the ground up. Skaters near photo resemble their real-life counterparts. Looking at Tony Hawk’s model is clearly distinct from that of Chad Muska or Bob Burnquist. Every skater in the game is now someone you’ll want to play as, before the limits of the tech could only really differentiate skin color to create a difference between characters. The remake feels like the melting pot that skateboarding as an industry is.
The near twenty levels you can play through remain true to their mapping and geometry. If you remember the school, mall, or warehouse then it all feels familiar to you. I even used an old strategy guide to recall how to reach parts of the levels and it was about 95% still true in the remake. Where THPS 1&2 improves this is in the art team. Levels like the mall transform from being plain saltine in aesthetic to an abandoned setting full of textures and grit that give you a feeling like this place was hit by a hurricane. Every level in the game gets a similar treatment with the result being you want to spend more time in every one of the settings rather than simply bulldoze progression.
THPS 1&2’s greatest illusion is that it will make you remember just how bad you can be at these games. After bone-crunching falls, I was about ready to write it off as something I will break my TV over. This is when I discovered the game’s accessibility options. For novices and those who simply want to get to the next thing, the game can help you by turning on options that will allow you to keep automatically balanced during grinds and self-fill your special meter for enhanced tricks. It’s a welcome touch when you’re 3 or 4 goals from the next park and you haven’t been hitting the high scores.
There’s little denying the later Tony Hawk games of previous generations tried to do too much leaving the fun diluted. I’d been skeptical after playing the demo about choosing a control set in line with games like Tony Hawk 5 where moves were done via Street Fighter-like inputs. Though you can change the option to classic-style controls, the game also improves on the response to button-pushing which means with just a little bit of practice and muscle memory the tricks are easy to master.
Which is great because the game has a vault of tricks to pull from every game which range from simple ollies to complex feats of gravity defiance such as Tony Hawk’s signature 900.
For the price of admission, the game comes loaded with multiplayer mode, leaderboards, character customization featuring real products from major brands such as Element, Independent, Grizzly Grip, etc. Best of all “Build-a-park” mode is back where players will be able to create their most city ordinance defying skateboard dreamlands.
Then there’s the return of the game’s soundtrack. A carefully curated collection that remains one of the best playlists of any media outside of music. Hearing Goldfinger’s “Superman” at the title is one of the most needed warm hugs of 2020 and to hear Dead Kennedys “Police Truck” again is a personal chef kiss moment for me. Just as with everything else about the game there are new things here to discover as well from modern artists such as Machinegun Kelly. None of the music feels out of place which THPS still holds the formula for not simply selling music ad space like Madden or The Show do yearly.
2020 has been a great year for gaming despite the world sinking into chaos. We’ve had three must own at all cost titles released: Ghosts Of Tsushima, The Last Of Us Part II, and now we add Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1&2 to the list. Not only is this the best an example of great behind the scenes decision making, but it’s also a new standard in reinventing a classic.
We’ll post a video on Monday about just how bad I skate but for now (enjoy the BTS vid below), don’t wait to pick up this game.
