Activision's Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series has been a fan favorite since its launch on the PlayStation in 1999. Nearly 30 years later, developer Iron Galaxy has taken up the reins of the series with Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4, a mix between a remake of the games that give it its namesake and a collection of new experiences. It's easy to be hesitant about the first new THPS levels in almost two decades, but thankfully the game sticks the landing.
The gameplay in the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series has remained largely similar since its inception -- it's an arcade skate simulator that sits halfway between realism and over-the-top arcade gameplay. THPS 3+4, like the first three games in the series, has you completing tasks and missions within a strict 2-minute time limit, though unlike the originals you can extend that to up to 60 minutes if you want, which is a great quality of life change.
The skating gameplay is the sharpest it's ever been, with tight controls that feel excellent to execute tricks. Skating is fast and fluid, and while there's a bit of a learning curve to get used to, once you've settled in there's really no experience like it. No other game has so perfectly captured the feeling of skating, and it makes you feel very cool when you pull off big tricks in dangerous situations.
The levels help a lot with that feeling, too, and there's a tremendous amount of variety. Classic levels, like THPS 3's Canada and Airport, feel exactly as satisfying as they did back in the day, while newly introduced levels feel like lost levels pulled from the archives. It's a testament to the talent at Iron Galaxy that all of these levels feel congruent with each other, although changes to the structure of THPS 4's classic levels have left them feeling a little bit muted in comparison.
Originally, THPS 4 ditched the 2-minute timer, instead offering open-world levels that featured longer, more complex tasks than prior games. In the remake, those tasks have been reworked for the 2-minute timer, so the game follows the same structure as THPS 3's levels instead. This makes it feel much smaller, and you can feel it when playing those levels -- it feels like the tasks should be doing more, and that the world should be more dynamic than it is. It's much less of an issue in the newly-designed levels, but it is a small stain on an otherwise excellent experience.
Another strong point for THPS 3+4 is the variety of skaters available as playable characters. There are the classics of course, like Tony Hawk himself, Bam Margera, and Steve Caballero, but plenty of fresh faces too. Skaters like X Games gold medalist Aori Nishimura and Asian Games gold medalist Margielyn Didal are among the roster, alongside a host of big names for the sport across decades of renown, offering a familiar jumping in point for skating fans of any age. You can also make your own character, and while the character creator is fairly limited, the unlockable clothing options are very extensive, at least.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 builds on the foundation laid by Pro Skater 1+2 before it to create what might be the best skating game ever made. It expertly mixes nostalgia-filled levels with brand-new content, all tied together with the best gameplay the series has seen to date. It's not perfect, and fans of the original THPS 4 may find themselves disappointed with changes to the game, but there's so much to enjoy that it's easy to overlook whatever flaws there might be.