Does a timeless classic still hold in the modern era?
Intro: A Staple of my Childhood
To describe my childhood with a single game would be nearly impossible. Let's be real – I'd struggle to even remember all the games I played as a kid. The obvious ones like Kingdom Hearts and the entire God of War trilogy come to mind first, but beyond those, it's tough to pinpoint one specific series that defined those early years. And yet, one title always floats to the top: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. With its slick visuals and iconic soundtrack, it didn't just entertain me – it helped shape my music taste and introduced me to an entire subculture that I was all but blind to at that age. That was decades ago. So how does a series that peaked nearly two console generations ago hold up today? Can a remake really shine in a market filled with nostalgia fueled reboots and obvious cash grabs? Let's dive in.
Story and World: The Original Skating Experience
Right off the bat, let's set some expectations about this game and the series it falls under – Tony Hawk's Pro Skater was never about story. If you're coming in expecting narrative-driven chaos like Tony Hawk’s Underground, you're in the wrong place (though let's be honest, a remake of Underground feels inevitable at this point). Instead, this remake sticks to the original formula: straightforward, objective-based skating where you're dropped into a map and given a timer to complete a list of challenges. These range from hitting a specific score using a mix of tricks, to collecting the scattered SKATE letters, to pulling off a certain move in a specific location. It's simple, but it works.
The remake doesn't try too hard to reinvent the wheel – it just makes the wheel roll smoother. The core mechanics are still rock solid, but now they feel tighter and more responsive than ever. Skill expression is front and center, just like it was twenty years ago, and the game encourages experimentation with its robust set of mechanics. The level roster also deserves credit. From the bustling streets of San Francisco to the eerie corridors of Alcatraz, each map is visually distinct and lovingly recreated to honor the original designs. The detail is stunning, and even on my older PC, performance was flawless throughout my 15 hours of playtime.
And then there's the soundtrack – still one of the crown jewels of the Tony Hawk experience. About ten tracks from the original games make a triumphant return, instantly pulling me back to late nights spent grinding rails and failing combos with my cousin decades ago. The remake also adds a slew of new tracks that fit the vibe perfectly. Skating and music have always been inseparable in this series, and with nearly sixty songs to choose from – including a surprise appearance by DOOM's earth shattering soundtrack – the variety of artists keeps things fresh. One of my favorite moments came when Lupe Fiasco's Kick, Push transitioned into Mick Gordon's The Only Thing They Fear Is You mid-session. It was jarring, ridiculous, and absolutely perfect.
Adding to the variety is a sizable roster of real-life skaters to choose from, plus a surprisingly deep character creator. You can customize everything – shirts, pants, boards, wheels, and more – and there's enough here to make your skater truly feel like your own. It's a bit odd that the story mode from Pro Skater 4 isn't included (especially given all this customization), but it's still fun to build your own legend, even without a narrative to back it up. Unless you're deeply attached to one of the real-world pros, there's no reason not to roll with your own skater.
Gameplay: The Main Reason You’re Here
So you've got killer maps, a stacked soundtrack, and a slick character system – but how does it all play? The gameplay loop is why many of us fell in love with the series in the first place, and I'm happy to report it still holds up. Across both included games (Pro Skater 3 and 4), you'll be grinding, flipping, and wall-riding your way through free-roam challenges and time-based competitions. Free-roam mode remains the highlight, letting you tackle objectives in whatever order suits your style. Whether you’re chaining together combos or hitting specific trick targets, the game constantly rewards creativity.
The trick system itself feels as satisfying as ever. You've got full freedom to approach each challenge however you want, and the wealth of options – from kickflips and 540s to Benihanas and manuals – lets you express yourself through gameplay in a way few sports games manage. Despite being rusty at first, I was comboing through maps within an hour or two like I never left. It's surreal to return to something so ingrained in my past and have it feel this good. Every rail, ramp, and ledge reacts just how you'd expect. From a gameplay perspective, this remake absolutely nails it.
Of course, the lack of a proper story mode will disappoint some – and honestly, I get it. Underground remains the most story-rich and beloved entry for many fans, myself included. But this remake is clearly a foundation. With the attention to detail shown here, it's hard not to hope that an Underground remake is on the horizon. Until then, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 offers a polished, faithful, and modernized return to form that should hold fans over nicely.
Ending Thoughts: Give Us Tony Hawk’s Underground
In the end, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 hits that rare nostalgic sweet spot. It doesn't just repackage a classic in a way that feels cheap like other games – it refines it in ways that matter. The gameplay is tight, the visuals are slick and polished in the best way, the soundtrack is phenomenal, and the level design holds up impressively well. Sure, the omission of Pro Skater 4's story elements is a head-scratcher, but it doesn't take away from what's here. This is a return to form that feels both like a love letter to the past and a reminder that the Tony Hawk series still has plenty of life left. It's fun, it's fast, and it proves that some legends never really fall out of style.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 was reviewed on PC and released on the 11th of July on PC, Xbox Series X/S, Playstation 4/5 and Nintendo Switch/Switch 2.
