Why do we, folks in our 30s, love Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater so much? What’s the secret behind that franchise’s formula that makes me grin like an imbecile whenever I see an impossible combo being performed, whilst “The Boy Who Destroyed the World” by AFI is being played on the background? It’s one of the most perfect cases of catching lightning in a bottle in gaming history, and it still feels fresh and enjoyable today, as if we were still stuck in 2001. Activision’s first Tony Hawk remake compilation, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, was a certified banger, but the follow-up collection, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4, was the one I was really looking forward to.

The reason is simple: those two games were the ones I played the most back in the day. I actually had two copies of 3, one for the Nintendo 64 (the last game to be released for that system), and one for PC, whilst I put my dad’s old PC to the test trying to run Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 back in the day. I still know the layout of each level like the back of my hand, and boy oh boy, do I still love the songs in each soundtrack. At the same time, I was really curious (if not a bit worried) about how would Iron Galaxy, the brand new team responsible for these remakes, adapt two completely different games in terms of objective and level structure, into a single, cohesive package.

For the uninitiated, there’s a huge difference in how Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 plays when compared to its predecessor. THPS3 is what I’d call a perfected take on the original formula, comprised of two minute sessions, where you’re told to complete as many objectives, and achieve the highest score possible, in that amount of time. Of course, you won’t complete all objectives in one go – that’s the beauty of the formula. You will play multiple sessions until you complete all goals, and you’ll rarely get bored doing so, as the gameplay is just so damn pristine. To no one’s surprise, the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 part of this collection works exactly as intended. It’s a remake of the 2001 classic, with absolutely no issues to speak of.

Now, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 was a very different beast. Instead of being designed like the previous three games, each level acted more like an open hub, where you’d be free to explore the map until you’d find someone to get an objective from. THIS is when the game would give you a time limit to complete a task. As a result, maps were larger, as you weren’t exactly fighting against the clock at all times.

In Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4, those levels were recreated as they were, but they are now played in the same two-minute session from all older games. This makes them all feel… different. Would I dare to call them bad? Hell no. It’s just very odd, as these levels are just too big. The two-minute cycle just doesn’t mesh that well, as objectives are very far apart, and even the score-based objectives feel harder than they should, as the original objectives were less demanding, due to the game expecting you to perform less tricks in a smaller area. Then again, it’s nothing you can’t get used to. It is like re-learning how to play your favorite game, in a different manner. Almost like an additional self-imposed challenge of sorts.

As for the rest, it’s as good as you would expect. Park creators and skater editors are featured. The skater roster is HUGE, featuring every single classic character from back in the day (even Bam Margera, thank goodness), as well as up and coming stars. Michelangelo, the Ninja Turtle, is an unlockable. Doomguy is also an additional character you can acquire via DLC. It’s amusing for one or two rounds, but there’s something odd about playing as him, as there is this odd effect that muffles every sound effect around you, as well as the music being played on the background. Speaking of…

The soundtrack is a thing of beauty. It’s half comprised of tunes from the older games (Iron Maiden, Motorhead, Run-DMC, AFI), and half comprised of brand new additions to the library of bangers (Mastodon, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, 100gecs). Even if I miss one or two famous songs, such as “All My Best Friends are Metalheads” from Less than Jake or “Blizkrieg Bop” by the Ramones, what’s included in here is downright amazing, with the brand new bangers mixing in perfectly with the classics.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 is more of the same in a way, but is that exactly a bad thing? The previous remake collection showcased how to revive these games with a brand new presentation, and this sequel follows the same premise, whilst also trying to adapt Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 into a gameplay loop it wasn’t originally designed for. The results are still good, don’t get me wrong, but you’ll need some time getting used to its new format. Nevertheless, there’s no way I can or should complain about this lovely nostalgia nuke. Activision delivered exactly what we were hoping for, at the end of the day.

Graphics: 7.5 It looks as good as the previous remake, but that had been developed for a previous generation of consoles. It runs incredibly well, and environments are neat, but you can clearly notice how painfully dated character models are.	Gameplay: 9.5 No need to fix what isn’t broken, right? Arcadey, easy to learn, painfully hard to master, and incredibly responsive.
Sound: 10 Be it the new songs or the absolute classics from twenty years ago, the soundtrack is absolutely pristine.	Fun Factor: 8.5 It’s more of the same, but it’s more of the GREAT same. Replaying THPS3‘s levels felt like going back to your childhood home. Replaying THPS4‘s levels in a new format was as good, but also a bit odd at first.
Final Verdict: 8.5

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, PC, Switch and Switch 2.

Reviewed on PS5.

A copy of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 was provided by the publisher.