Review – Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2
With thanks to the folks at Activision, today I’m looking over the return of the first major extreme sports title, with the new Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2. As usual you can find the video and written review just here, with the full common sense parent’s guide.
The Basics
It was 1999 and I was just 13 years old when I first stumbled across the demo for the very first Tony Hawk’s Skateboarding. This brave new world was an entirely new experience for me, and one that I absolutely fell in love with. The franchise has come a very long way since then, including a few titles which have fallen flat in recent years, and a much derided previous attempt at an HD remaster.
While the series may have lost its way a little in recent years, this entry into the series has been rebuilt rather than simply remastered. Created again from the ground up Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 is anything but sketchy. Bringing all the advancements of the franchise, you can play from the very first Warehouse level with reverts, manuals and your own create-a-skater. It also includes a park creator so for those with the inspiration, you can create and skate the park of your dreams and share it with friends and random strangers online.
As well as the original tape challenges from the original titles, each level has new challenges built in, as well as overarching challenges based on skaters, tricks, and a whole lot more.
Parent’s Eye View
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 is rated by PEGI at 12 and above, and by the ESRB at T for Teen. The age rating here is based around language, but in honesty it’s not something which I have really noticed. Language isn’t really present in the skaters themselves, but is contained within the (amazing) soundtrack for the title.
With this in mind, and the fact that you are able to turn off some or all of the tracks in the options, This is definitely one I am going to be passing down to the younger members of the family, and I can see a good few games of HORSE in our immediate future.
Accessibility
For Accessibility, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 is getting a rating of casual. Again this isn’t to say there’s not a lot to do as the title is packed with content. However if you feel like picking it up for a few giggles, the controls are easy to get to grips with even for newcomers, and the segmented goals and levels make it perfect for those looking for quick thrills now and again as well as for completionists looking for a feature packed title.
The Run Down
Visuals – Great: Rather than simply being remastered, the visuals within Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 have been completely rebuilt from the ground up. The animations, locations and skaters within the title have been lovingly reproduced, as well as including little touches such as the mall level being abandoned and overgrown. With familiar locations back in high-definition glory, I adore the new takes on old favourites
Audio – Great: Sound effects are great. And it’s the Tony Hawk’s Skateboarding soundtrack… so I guess there’s not much more to say on that.
Narrative – Fair: I am loving the early return of create-a-skater and create-a-park to the title, but it’s not really providing much of a narrative. I do miss the player story of titles such as THUG and would love to see a return to that style. But that said, the lack of narrative is pretty fair for the genre and title, and it’s pretty much what I was expecting.
Replay – Great: It’s far too easy to mark this one for replay as it’s packed with content. The first two titles are bundled in here, as well as ranked and casual multiplayer modes, free skate, create-a-park and more challenges than you could shake a deck at.
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The Verdict
Overall the Pixel Bandits Yeah but can it do the 900 Level for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 is Grab It . If you were around for the very first game back in 1999, this one is for you. If you weren’t around and are just a young gun looking for a good time, this one is still for you. I still vividly remember the original (I was playing my own PS1 copy just a few nights ago) and this new entry provides up to date visuals and mechanics while fully honouring the spirit of the original games.
Slap your cash down like you’ve just tried to airwalk off a funbox. Do it. Now.
Pick It Up
If This one has tickled your gaming tastebuds, you can grab it on;
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