Growing older all the time, feeling younger in my mind.
It’s hard to believe it has been over 20 years since the original Tony Hawk game was released. I remember thinking to myself “why would this be fun?” when I picked up the game for the original PlayStation. This is of course an absurd statement today. The Tony Hawk games have not only been good, the second game is considered one of the best video games of all-time.
That said it wasn’t hard to be skeptical going in. Activision has already tried to reignite the series with a “remake” of the originals a few years back on downloadable services. They tried to bring it back with a numbered sequel that was atrocious. Thankfully, that is all forgotten as Vicarious Visions delivers one of the best remakes ever conceived.
MSRP: $39.99
Platforms: XB1 (reviewed), PS4, PC
Price I’d Pay: $39.99
The first thing that jumps out is how much this remake captures the feel of the originals. All of the levels and skaters are here, along with some updates and of course new faces. The controls are like riding a bike. My muscle memory immediately kicked in and I was transferring from flip tricks, to grinds, to manuals in zero seconds flat. Of course, my 40-year old hands didn’t cooperate as much as I would like, but after a few hours it once again became second nature.
The amount of content here is staggering. As mentioned, every piece of content is here. The levels are what I remembered, but with some additions. New goals for older levels as well as each stage capturing the original feel while also adding plenty of nods and improvements.
The game is broken down into sections based off of each title. There are two career paths that lead down each game and can be completed in any order. Earning more goals unlocks new levels and each skater has their own upgrade path. The overarching progress system keeps things fresh with XP and a leveling system that unlocks new customization items. It is a nice carrot-on-a-stick that kept me going. My obsession with clearing every goal before moving on slowed my progress, but not once did I not have a good time.
The controls immediately felt good. Vicarious Visions did an amazing job of capturing the feel of the original games. I love that they left in the option to customize the controls to each game. Players have the option of including all the updated features such as reverts and manuals, or playing the games with legacy controls to mimic the original games. Everything is customizable and there are even accessibility options for players not as skilled that offer things like infinite balance and no bails.
The soundtrack continues to be a staple of these games. Activision has managed to get almost every track from the originals and even added a bunch of new ones for good measure. The playlist can be fully customized, and tracks can even be skipped at will by simply clicking in on the right thumbstick. It is incredible to me that some of these songs absolutely drive home nostalgia for me. The fact that the main menu blares the Goldfinger classic ‘Superman’ immediately took me back to 1999, which for some of you reading could have been before you were born. I am definitely an old man.
One nice touch is that the skaters are not their original counterparts. Instead Vicarious Visions modeled them after their current selves. Meaning that we have 50+ year old skaters out there. It makes it that much more hilarious when they bail on a trick. The visuals are crisp and the HDR support is very nice. This is not the most incredible looking game of all-time, but it has its moments. The levels are gorgeously detailed and some like The Mall now feel even more impressive than before.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 is one of the best remakes of two of the best video games ever made. For fans like me who grew up playing it, this is what we have wanted since the series started its downward spiral in its later years. It feels like Tony Hawk is back for the first time in a decade. For those not familiar this is the best way to jump into the action. This package is incredible, and I hope Activision expands it with DLC for Tony Hawk 3+4 at some point down the line.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.