A Ramped-Up Return to Skateboarding Glory
Ahhhhhh video games. They hold the power to allow you the gift of enjoying something you would have absolutely zero chance of doing in the real world.
My dodgy balance and poor sense of direction meant skateboarding was a no no when I was a kid, at least outside the virtual world. Yet the brilliant video game series, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, allowed me to ollie, nosegrind and manual like a pro on my trusty PlayStation back in the day.
Well now the best two entries in the series, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4, are bundled together and revamped for a new generation of wannabe skaters. That means more skaters, new parks, extra modes and an updated kick-ass soundtrack.
Seamless Integration
However, for the benefit of those new to the party, let’s have a quick recap. By the time Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 came around, the formula had pretty much been perfected (in my humble opinion). Clearly the folks at Iron Galaxy agree, as the career mode from the fourth game has been changed to seamlessly integrate with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 in this remake. As a result both games are structured in pretty much exactly the same way.
Career mode gives you the opportunity to take a well known skater on tour, or create your own if you should wish. The tour consists of numerous locations which house hidden items and provide you with a checklist of challenges to complete. To split things up, every so often you’ll enter an eight way competition where tricks mean points, and points mean prizes (well, medals at least).
Skate, Score, and Compete
Each location is ideal as a skate park either by creation, or just by coincidence. You have two minutes per run to get done what you can, which ranges greatly from collecting “SKATE” letters, hitting high scores, triggering environmental events and more.
There are also collectibles hidden in seemingly out of reach places. Each competition plays out across three rounds, with you receiving an average score from a panel of judges after each.
The Art of the Combo: Mastering Tricks and Grinds
There are a wide range of classic and some new parks, with locations such as the cruise ship, airport and Alcatraz up there with the best. Oh, and the abandoned water park is a pretty cool addition too. Each is essentially a mini sandbox, meaning you can approach your to-do list in any order you like.
Skaters such as Bam Magera and party turtle Michelangelo have been added to the roster, with the Doom Slayer and the pesky Revenant locked behind the Digital Deluxe Edition. Or if you’re feeling creative, an expanded Create-A-Skater mode is available if you want to dominate the scene as someone else, perhaps yourself.
Visuals, Audio, and Bailing
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4, as you would expect with any remake, looks brilliant. The 4K, 60fps visuals bring these classic parks to life like never before, along with a wave of nostalgia. Things only got a wee bit choppy very occasionally for me, but quickly snapped back to being silky smooth.
There’s a pretty extensive moveset to get your head around, so I would recommend blasting through the tutorial first off. Things won’t take too long to click, and it all still feels intuitive whilst being easy to learn, but hard to master. Directional presses take a little time to get right, which will mix up your flips and kicks, but you shouldn’t have trouble with much else.
Your character has an element of progression, increasing skill mastery as you hunt down the emblems within each park. However, despite how good you get, bailing is a key part of skateboarding, and something which remains totally expected and yet utterly infuriating at the same time. Especially as you see that six digit combo melt away.
Nailing these trick strings is absolutely crucial in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4, even more so when you start tackling the parks later on in your career where you need to hit the highest scores. Connecting grinding and flipping with manuals will make your combo more complex, meaning your score will rise faster. Each park has plenty of unique gaps that will push this further, and if you fill your special bar and pull off some unique tricks, well that’s when the big points really roll in.
Of course, this is easier said than done. Balance is key and you’ll forever be fighting against the meter to keep your skater from bailing, whilst landing flips and kicks when traversing the half-pipes and ramps also requires skill and precision. There’s plenty that can go wrong, which makes it all the more satisfying when you nail it.
A big nostalgia trigger for me is music, and thankfully Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 keeps the vibe and feel of the original despite adding new tracks. Modern additions from IDLES, Fontaines D.C. and Travis Barker slot in perfectly alongside classics such as Ace of Spades by Motorhead. I must admit, I was disappointed when I realised Blitzkrieg Pop didn’t make the cut this time around, but most of the time the music hits the spot.
Online and Offline Fun
What is exciting is the evolution of the multiplayer offering in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4, which has come a long way from local split screen. Of course, this is still an option, however a whole new world is opened up thanks to online multiplayer which supports crossplay. You can chill out with some other skaters and go head to head through a roulette of different games, such as competing for high scores, nailing the biggest combo or tagging the most areas of the park by doing tricks against the clock.
However, my favourite is the new “HAWK” mode which is basically skateboarding Hide and Seek. Each round is split into two phases, where you will need to place your letters and then hunt down the ones your opponent has hidden. If your letters remain undiscovered, or the other player can’t figure out how to reach them, that means bonus points. This head to head mode is a lot of fun and works really well. It was great to see the servers were nice and busy too, meaning matchmaking was slick and easy.
There’s an awful lot to Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4, with speed runs, competitive matches, a free play mode and more depending on how you want to play. Create-A-Park also returns new and improved, allowing you to set custom goals, make use of smart pieces and more which when finished, can be enjoyed with friends.
You’ll also be unlocking plenty of new gear to purchase at the shop, thanks to the in game challenge system. New skaters, movie clips, board decals and even fun game mods will become available as you play.
A Revamped Classic for a New Generation
It’s clear that Iron Galaxy have worked hard to capture what made the Tony Hawk’s series so special in the first place. For me the formula peaked with the third game, so I’m not too precious about the structural changes made to the fourth resulting in the package marrying up neatly. The loss of that freedom may disappoint some, however it doesn’t detract from how enjoyable Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 is.
There’s then all the extra stuff included here, whilst keeping the spirit of the originals alive and bringing that content bang up to date with more than a spit and polish. Despite sometimes wanting to launch your controller at the wall after bailing for the tenth time, you’ll still go again for ten more in the pursuit of that sick score or hidden tape. Cowabunga dudes!
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 is a comprehensive celebration of two iconic games where the skating feels just as good as you remember it, despite a few tweaks here and there.
Important Links
Get Tricky with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 on Game Pass, Xbox, PlayStation, Switch and PC – https://www.thexboxhub.com/get-tricky-with-tony-hawks-pro-skater-3-4-on-game-pass-xbox-playstation-switch-and-pc/
Download Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 on Xbox or Game Pass – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/tony-hawks-pro-skater-3-4/9n1wk33qnsrj
Enjoy the Deluxe Edition – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/tony-hawks-pro-skater-3-4-digital-deluxe-edition/9NXDK13188ZV/0010
