I love Tony Hawk’s pro Skater games. I’ve always done it, from the moment I first played the demo on my Dreamcast (Yes, the first two games appeared on Dreamcast.) And even though I stopped playing new episodes after American Wasteland, I never stopped going back to the old ones. I’ve long wanted to see a representation of the series on modern consoles, and now that Tony Hawk’s pro skater 1 + 2 is completely revamped here, I can’t take it off anymore. I could end the review right there, but I feel like some people may need to be a little more convincing.
While I see that this game is officially called “Remaster”, to me it looks more like a Remake. The controls and Gameplay are still familiar, but everything has been modernized. It’s a faster and heavier version of the Pro Skater gameplay you know and love. Coming back, I think you’d be surprised at how slow the original titles were. If you drop the floating physics and increase the speed, you will feel so much more when you nail a sick suit, which will help the different movements feel different. It’s an update the series needed, but it’s not such a big change that it’s going to confuse long-time players. I also appreciate the inclusion of most of the maneuvers added in after games, such as Reverts and double Tap tricks; Although they can upset the puffs, they really open up a lot of possibilities for new ways to explore the stages and keep your Combos running. And if this really bothers you or if you want the extra challenge, you can switch the mechanics between this default mode, THPS1 mode (including not-found manuals) or THPS2 mode. It was a great choice; there are ways to make everyone happy.
Speaking of stages, all of them come back from Pro Skater 1 and Pro Skater 2, although the additional levels of Pro Skater 2X are unfortunately not included. Nevertheless, everything else is here, which solves one of the biggest problems with Tony Hawks Pro Skater HD. Each park has a completely new coat of paint that massively transforms the original, relatively generic environments into places with real personality and charm. The layouts haven’t changed, which is important for Puests, but some of the steps still feel almost new. The wooden neighborhood pipes in Roswell are now made of smooth metal, The classic warehouse actually looks like an deserted warehouse, etc. Pro Skater 1+2 is a beautiful game. You will want to spend more time in these places, and the Remaster also has your back there: there are a lot of new challenges outside the classic missions for each level.
So, he feels good and looks good; what could be wrong with that? Well, I would have liked to have seen a little more content, and the creative options are dull. When it comes to creating a skater, you don’t even need to choose a body type or adjust the face. There aren’t many options for equipment either; even the things you’ll unlock after in the game by completing challenges come down to simple everyday clothes. It’s consistent with most series, I realize, but there’s so much more you could have done with this mode. The content is also limited by other means; the pool of possible special tricks is small, and there are unfortunately no guest skaters (unless you count Jack Black).
That being said, this is finally a Remaster of THPS1 and THPS2, and that’s all I can wish for from it. For those who like Tony Hawk games, it’s a breeze. This is a great update for the originals and it has enough to be worth the $40 price tag. And if you’re a little new to the series or haven’t tried it since the PS1 days, this is a good place to jump in. Although it’s a lighter package (matching the price, I guess), Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 is a return to form for the series after a lackluster run of games, and I really hope we see another brand new game in the series soon. Or if it’s not, at least a few new steps for that. For now, I’ll see you at The warehouse.
