Sean Mekinda
The Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series were THE games of my childhood. I’ve been chasing that high for the past 20 years, searching for a worthy successor. 2015’s Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 was an absolute nightmare. 2012 gave us Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD, a buggy, issue ridden game that I still logged 60 hours in (at least until it started BSOD-ing my computer). Next year we have SKATEBIRD. But this year, we have this:
#THPS is back! Break skateboarding boundaries with the fully-remastered Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 collection. Available September 4, 2020 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. Pre-Order Now. pic.twitter.com/RaZQrXSNgP
— Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 and 2 (@TonyHawkTheGame) May 12, 2020
And good lord does it look gorgeous. The few levels shown off in the trailer look lovingly restored and upgraded, almost identical to their low-poly counterparts. But, of course, Pro Skater games are way more about the game feel than the aesthetic. It can look as good as it wants, but if it doesn’t handle like a THPS game, it’s going straight into the bargain bin alongside 5.
Thankfully, the remaster is being done by Vicarious Visions, the same folks who worked on the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, and that game feels exactly like a PSX game updated for the modern era, so I have high hopes.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 is slated for a September 4, 2020 release for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, via Epic Games Store.
(There’s also a collector’s edition that features a full-size skateboarding deck and—as much as I hate collector’s edition trash—I guess you can call me a garbage man for this one.)
