After quite some time of rumors and speculation, remakes of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 were announced to the surprise of no one during the Summer Game Fest. They look a lot prettier than their original counterparts from over twenty years ago, and that's because aimed for photo-realistic quality, using photogrammetry references for textures and assets within the environment and scanning the original skateboarders. Whether you're a new or returning fan, you're sure to find plenty to love here.
The birdman is coming back
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 are being remade and coming to current-gen consoles. With these generally regarded as some of the best titles in the series, fans are sure to have some fun. The original soundtrack will be mostly featured, but it's missing a few songs. All skateboarders have been digitally recreated at their current ages.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 Gameplay
The gameplay isn't undergoing a drastic overhaul. Speaking with IGN, Vicarious Visions Studio Head Jen Oneal said returning players' muscle memory should set in — or at least, that's the hope.
We didn't want to change anything because the reality is your muscle memory sets in, and you're automatically hitting the buttons the way you remember it. But the one thing that we did have to put a little extra attention on —because back then it didn't exist— were the analog sticks.
Oneal went on to confirm that players will have the choice between the classic control scheme or the modern one since these games were from a time before analog sticks.
Nearly everything else found in the originals is coming back, including its levels, pro skaters, tricks, modes, and songs. Each person on the roster will have their own Special Moves, some of which are new tricks being added.
Roster:
- Tony Hawk
- Steve Caballero
- Geoff Rowley
- Bucky Lasek
- Elissa Steamer
- Kareem Campbell
- Andrew Reynolds
- Bob Burnquist
- Eric Koston
- Rodney Mullen
- Jamie Thomas
- Rune Glifberg
- Chad Muska
Create-A-Skater and Create-A-Park are back, and players will have more control over customization than ever before. If you're proud of your creation, you can even share it online with your friends.
It also apparently won't have any microtransactions at launch unless fans want them, so... yay? You'll be able to unlock everything through gameplay.
The name of the "mute grab" trick will be updated to honor its creator, Chris Weddle. At the time Weddle created the trick, the skating community referred to Weddle, who is deaf, as a "quiet, mute guy." The name of the trick is now called the Weddle grab.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 Remake changes
Other than the obvious visual enhancements, you might notice a few more changes made in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2, a big one being that all of the skateboarders are now their current ages. Developer Vicarious Visions went back and digitally rescanned the entire original roster of skateboarders. That means they're well out of their prime. Tony Hawk just turned 52, and many others in the game are in their mid-forties and early-fifties.
New online and local multiplayer modes are also being introduced, but we don't know exactly what these entail yet. The original Pro Skater and its sequel released in 1999 and 2000, respectively, and featured multiplayer of their own in the form of competitive games, though only local split-screen was supported on the former.
Vicarious Visions didn't want to change too much to retain the feel of the original.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 Soundtrack
The iconic soundtrack is making a return, but it is missing a few classics. Kotaku confirmed with Activision that five songs did not make the cut, and it appears they were left out due to licensing issues.
- Cyco Vision by Suicidal Tendencies
- Committed by Unsane
- Bring the Noise by Anthrax & Public Enemy
- B-Boy Document '99 by The High & Mighty
- Out With The Old by Alley Life
Thankfully, most of the songs you remember are back in the soundtrack. Activision released a Spotify playlist with 18 tracks including songs from Papa Roach, Rage Against the Machine, Dead Kennedys, and Goldfinger, whose hit Superman became one of the defining songs of the games. A few songs not on the Spotify playlist like Vilified by Evenrude and Screamer by Speedealer are confirmed to be in the remake.
Activision also revealed that 37 new artists will be making their way into the soundtrack.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 Release date and platforms
You can hop on your skateboard starting September 4, 2020. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 are set to release for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. It will support 4K resolution on Xbox One X and PS4 Pro. Those who pre-order digitally will receive access to the Warehouse Demo ahead of the games' official launch.
A Collector's Edition will also be available for $99 that comes with the game, all deluxe content, and a limited edition full-size Birdhouse skateboard featuring a printed autograph by Tony Hawk.
The publisher made no mention of any next-gen plans for Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5, but that doesn't rule out the possibility this title could skate onto those platforms at a later time.
The birdman is coming back
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 are being remade and coming to current-gen consoles. With these generally regarded as some of the best titles in the series, fans are sure to have some fun. The original soundtrack will be mostly featured, but it's missing a few songs. All skateboarders have been digitally recreated at their current ages.
