Tony Hawk

Sometimes it is a benefit for millennials. Of course, many of us may never own a home and are full of student loan debt, but anyone born in the early 1980s and mid-1990s was lucky enough to witness and experience the incredible evolution of video games and skateboarding.

I remember my first time playing Tony Hawk’s professional skater. It was Christmas 2001, when I offered the Pro Skater 3 for GameCube, and my first skateboard ever (World Industries Flame Boy Deck). I was obsessed with playing Pro Skater 2 on the N64 with my gaming buddies and eventually had to grab my own dungeon. Not only did the professional skater inspire me to explore the world of skateboarding more, leading to the raging X-game and convinced my parents to take me to Tony Hawk's boom boom hum huck jam, but it also allowed me to explore more of the Southern California punk punk stage, which basically became my main playlist for the next 20 years. Those years were crucial to developing my personality, and although I stopped playing in the series after Pro Skater 4 and Underground, I often proposed that these early THP games shape my 35-year-old Dorky Punk today.

Going forward quickly for many years, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 remake was released and essentially turned the series around after the failed Pro Skater 5. When I heard about a Tony Hawk group's Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 remake finally had a new studio in a new studio, Iron Galaxy previously worked with Aggressive and Vicarious On the 1+2 Rermake, how that's how it was handled. Will my muscle memories come back or will it feel like learning a brand new game? Will it keep the same stupidity and passion as the original work, or off track? After having the opportunity to explore a few hours of remake, I just said: Savage, skating 12 years old I can't be happier.

Our childhood has been transformed

Before I decide to immerse myself in the new features, I need to regain my muscle memory and impress the feeling of nostalgia by launching Classic Pro Skater Level 3 The Foundry – the iconic factory is a meta-orbital paradise for players, so it would be interesting to see the Iron Galaxy decide which situation (if any) to change.

In the Pro Skater 3+4 remake, Iron Galaxy recreates the old map from the ground instead of simply remake it. The new engine feels fresh, but still fits in the original design. Just passing through those vibrant fiery vents and annoying all the factory workers still feel the same unless it's so crisp now that you can almost feel the heat of both. I haven't experienced this level in over 20 years, but I immediately felt like I was back in junior high school, blew up Affiliate's “The Boy Who Destroyed the World” and put the pipes and guard rails like Rodney Mullen.

Dipping into my grooves wasn't a challenge for me, as the controls felt so flowing and released, which made it into the comfort routine of practicing nose grinding and finding creative ways to maximize their function. At some point, I felt invincible and hit a 50-70k combo within an hour of screwing up. During the preview event, there are some professional players showing their skills to show how the game plays. One player specifically continued to combine 1-25 million points to make it look so seamless, further showing the beauty of the controls. Even if you have never played Tony Hawk's games, you've never been proficient and it's easy to ride on the board, explore maps and practice.

Although I like to restore my childhood with better graphics and gameplay, there is a controversial Iron Galaxy in the remake. Rather than offering Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4's Freerider career mode, the Iron Galaxy decided to return to the first two-minute timer of the first three professional skater champions. Many fans were skeptical of this decision, including me, but after spending hours trying to check each challenge within a stressful time limit, I realized: something immediately appealing about that two-minute timer. For me, the initial momentum and constant rebooting and mastering the repetition mode to ensure memory of a particular run was a nostalgic challenge for me, like trying to run without bumps or testing new weapons with a tough boss fight.

Game Director Kurt Tillmans told the group that the idea behind brings back a two-minute timer to create “a cohesion product that won’t overwhelm new players” and believes that the Pro Skater 3 format best represents the series’ roots and gameplay. They did mention that players can choose longer time limits, but they encourage everyone to start with two minutes. I would love to know how long-term fans and new players will react when the game is released.

Rough new stuff

It's been over a decade since Tony Hawk's Pro Skater added a new map, so I had to check out the most anticipated remake so far: the abandoned water park.

This park really represents everything about Tony Hawk’s professional skater: a fun, exploratory map filled with silly Easter eggs, seemingly endless and obscure ways to attract new and creative combinations. The moment you start leveling, you can be above the water slide, perfectly designed to test some new tricks and present a stunning view of the map, which I can only describe as a skateboarder’s Disneyland.

Without the iconic soundtrack, you won't be able to have Tony Hawk's game, but this remake can do it by adding a lot of amazing new songs to a variety of fan favorite classics. Aside from some of the hits in the series, like Motorhead's Ace of Spades and CKY's “96 Bitter Creatures” (both of which shape my anxiety, teenage years), we have “Year of Dog” with urinate, like “Year of Dog” and Danny Brown. I almost forgot how satisfying it was to ride in the suburbs when I exploded the Bodyjar's “different”, which immediately restored my memory of many of my failed attempts to flip the storm.

I usually stick with the OG Pro I grew up with like Rodney Mullen, Eric Koston or Bob Burnquist when it comes to skater selection in the Tony Hawk series, but when I hear Bam Margera and Andy Andy will be on the roster, I'm glad to test their gameplay. Bam Margera has been expected by fans since his appearance in Pro Skater 3, and this is another professional skater I grew up with. When interviewed about joining the 3+4 remake, Bam replied, “I had to let myself play video games again because it was worth it.” Andy Anderson, on the other hand, is a new skater known for his unique blend of classic and modern techniques and always wearing a helmet. In my interview with Andy, he mentioned that he grew up in Tony Hawk's game, and the American Wasteland was his favorite, so it was a dream. Andy said when he saw himself as a playable character, he could only think: “Damn man, from every perspective, this is actually me.” We haven't seen how BAM plays, but Andy Anderson's character seems to be almost perfectly taking his style.

I'd love to know how online multiplayer will work, as this is a question for the past Tony Hawk champions, who have game restrictions. According to Iron Galaxy, THP 3+4 can support up to eight players with cross-platform games, so hopefully there will be more variety in online games and we won't have to deal with those long loading screens.

A beautiful sandbox

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 remake is a beautiful sandbox for classics and new players. Stunning new maps, huge skater lineups and incredible playlists squeezed into the game, which makes me express high hopes for the Iron Galaxy. The remake manages to feel new, while also respecting the roots of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and making it one of the most unique and most popular video game series of all time.