Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2 Review

Author: Tyler Allen (a.k.a. Shad0wstarr99)

'You can find Tyler usually jamming out on Call of Duty Modern Warfare when he isn't grinding the decks on Tony Hawk Pro Skater...'

We've finally gotten the chance to have one of our own review this beautiful game.

Where to start for this beautiful blast from the past other than to realize how far the games, and the genre, have come in over 20 years.

Starting with the good, the thing that had me turning the game on was the soundtrack. It is a pure blast from the past, but at the same time, it throws in some modern day hits that have been charting for the last few years.

Using music from a broad range of artists like Australia’s own Baker Boy, A Tribe Called Quest, Machine Gun Kelly, and so many more. The Gameplay is very refined but at the same time still the original brilliance and simplicity that the game had over 20 years ago; showing that games like itself can live in a genre that is very much about realism. With the game releasing so close to its biggest competitor, 'Skater XL' (which was very hyped at launch) and being this successful, is almost to be expected with a game of its quality, This is a game that is very much about the realism of skateboarding and the technicality that comes from being able to catch a board before hitting the ground, and that is exactly why I fell back in love with this game.

Tony Hawk is very much bringing the nostalgia and the love of arcade-style games for me. The fact that they have every map in both the first and the second game is honestly amazing and they look great, I played THPS on a PlayStation 4 Slim, and I have to admit it looks so much better than Skater XL does on console, but I'd love to try it on PC just to see what the difference is. In saying this, some of the maps haven't aged well, like 'Mall', or have just been re-skinned and don’t look very appealing, like 'Hanger' in THPS2.

Now when I say I have bad things to say about this game do not take them to heart, I love this game, but the mechanics are super outdated and feel very sluggish from time to time, they can be great though especially when you first load into the game and reminisce while playing the Warehouse level then going to school. The nostalgia that you experience is incredible, but then you start playing and begin to realise how sluggish the game actually is.

Turning your character is either non-existent or you will instantly transition like you are a character out of Dragon Ball Z. I know that they worked hard on this game and I don’t want to talk down a great remake but it is a bit hard to, after playing games like Skater XL, where you just hold the moving stick just a little low or a little higher than full to hold a manual compared to pressing up and down on the analog sticks, up and down on the D-Pad or having jump as 'X' or when every other game is using the right analog stick doing a 'pop motion' to 'Ollie'.

Another thing that is lacking is the 'Create a Skater', there is only one body type and about 10 different faces, but if you wanted to go crazy like the old games, (like Tony Hawk Pro Skater 5) you just can’t. In saying that you are getting what you paid for; this game is about a third of the price a full price AAA game and this game is 2 great classics all wrapped up into one so honestly. If you have the 70 dollars then I say get the game just be prepared for a game that has aged not so great in some areas, but if you grew up with the game you will still have the time of your life. In the time that we are in where remakes are aplenty, this remake is one that I rate above a lot of other remakes.

If I could give the Developers one thing, it is that the Nostalgia worked. The additional pieces like the intro video and the mods being available from the first boot is also a great option for all of the young players that are coming into this game. Comparing this game with the embarrassments of previous titles in this franchise (*cough* Tony Hawk Pro Skater 5), this is a brilliant return to the franchise by Vicarious Visions.

Overall, if they could clean up a few more things, they would have had the perfect game, for those who played the original and want to relive their childhood, as well as for the new kids jumping into the game franchise for the first time. There is a large market for this sort of game, I just believe it needs a few refinements before it would be the perfect arcade-style skateboarding game.

Our score:

7/10

We give THPS1+2 a rating of 7/10, this is simply because the game, quite easily, was able to bring back so many fond memories of gaming, however, there were areas of opportunity that the developer seemed to overlook.