The wait for the long-anticipated remake of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 is finally over, and with the final beloved games from the Tony Hawk’s initial line now refreshed for the modern generation it’s a great time to look at the many early hits, and the many later misses, that the franchise has brought to the table. These are all the games in the Tony Hawk’s line starting with the best, then moving on to the rest.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater Line
There are few gaming series names that carry more gravitas than that of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater which stands out not only as a line that (nearly) never missed, but also one that created and then continued to revolutionize and entire genre of extreme sports gaming.
- Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2: While it would seem like the best bet for the premier version of a line to be either the first (not quite) or last (not at all) game to hit shelves, for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater a hotly contested battle goes the way of THPS 2 for us, edging out its follower and its remake partner. The game was universally beloved on all console versions and gets the nod over the original by introducing the level editor which let players create their own dream parks.
- Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3: Also just about pipping the original is the third installment of the game. While any of the first four could be argued for any position on this list, its claim to being the last game of the N64 era (link to iconic games piece) gives just enough of a bump to move up into the second slot behind its predecessor.
- Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater: The OG, and no-doubt the number one with a bullet on many digital skater’s lists, THPS created an entire generation of games trying to replicate the magic it offered. Through the decades, only its own successors have really stood much of a chance of accomplishing it. While it may be less polished than the games that followed, it arrived as an already incredible game that withstands the test of time.
- Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4: The final Pro Skater game produced by Neversoft, THPS 4 saw a slight start to the declining quality in the series, but that is not to be mistaken with thinking the game was anywhere near bad, as they remained fairly reliable stewards of the brand for the duration of their run. It’s no surprise to see THPS 4 included in the remake game while its follow-up is left to disappear from the collective memory as fully as possible.
- Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5: Every great series needs an oopsie, and that’s what THPS 5 is. Coming on the back of a run of unsuccessful follow-ups in the Tony Hawk’s covered below, even returning to the iconic series was not enough to make up for a rushed game made to beat an expiring license deadline that looked and played so poorly it would ultimately be developers Robomodo’s final game before folding.
The Successful Follow-Ups
Discussions of the best Tony Hawk’s series games tend to start and end with which Pro Skater is the best, but that doesn’t mean that the good games were done coming out when Neversoft moved on to new series. These games all had great to good reception and made many fans happy with their fun gameplay and twists on the genre.
- Tony Hawk’s Underground: Perhaps the one game outside of the Pro Skater line that will have defenders as a GOAT contender, Underground changed the script by focusing more on developing a career for your created skater. It also was the first game to allow you to hop off your board like a real skater to get around the environment, which could be extremely handy when looking to start a run from a particular point that is hard to reach on the roll.
- Tony Hawk’s Underground 2: Understanding that more of a good thing is never bad, THUG 2 took advantage of legacy levels from the prior games to give players some nostalgic pop alongside new levels and the same engaging gameplay. While not considered to be as flawless an entry as prior titles, it still holds a warm place in many players’ hearts.
- Tony Hawk’s Project 8: A game most notable for being the game that saw the series jump to the next generation with Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 both getting the game in addition to their prior generation ancestors. Project 8 is among the collection of later Neversoft games which are simultaneously often afterthoughts in the series while also being excellent in their own right if you don’t have the opportunity to play a THPS or THUG game in their stead.
- Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland: The big standout from American Wasteland was the implementation of an open world setting, which was taking off in gaming at the time. This meant that players could freely navigate the world from location to location without dreaded loading screens.
- Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground: It’s a testament to the work Neversoft did on the series that even its worst entry still ranks above most anything done by those who took on the series after. While gamers looking to get into the series after the fact would be advised to pick anything higher on the list as an entry point, at the time it still provided plenty of fun for fans of the series.
- Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam: A unique game among all Tony Hawk’s games, Downhill Jam doesn’t place tricking and high scores as its first priority. While they remain present and fun, as the name implies this is all about getting where you’re going the fastest for an enjoyable change of pace from its peers.
The Norm Breakers
For a sport that is all about breaking from tradition and societal norms, games that break the script might seem like excellent contenders for top options in the series. As it turns out, sometimes formulas and norms exist for a reason.
- Tony Hawk’s Vert: The only game in this section to receive anything approaching positive response from gamers, the move to mobile required a scaled back approach with the game taking place, as implied, inside the vert. Within the restrictions of mobile gaming in 2009 this halfpipe ride was a respectable showing, even if it pales in comparison to its console peers.
- Tony Hawk’s Skate Jam: The series returned to mobile in 2018 with Skate Jam and the more powerful phones at the time meant a deeper game, albeit one that still didn’t translate flawlessly with smooth controls a must for a skating game and an area Skate Jam struggled.
- Tony Hawk’s Motion: Now we enter the territory of failed attempts to revolutionize with peripherals. Tony Hawk’s Motion used motion tracking in the game mechanics which might have been a fun tweak if only it worked properly.
- Tony Hawk’s Ride: Released during a generation where everyone was trying and failing to replicate the Wii’s breakout success, Ride used a skateboard peripheral ala the instrument controls of Guitar Hero and Rock Band but rather then the next must-have pricey piece of kit it became just another example of how following for the sake of following is a recipe for disaster in game development.
- Tony Hawk’s Shred: What do you do when your skateboard peripheral flops? Double down! Unfortunately for Activision and developers Robomodo, all this game managed was killing off console releases in the franchise for half a decade before the not-so-triumphant THPS 5 solidified the series as one that was done with new hits.
- Tony Hawk’s Shred Session: Bordering on not even worthy of mention, Shred Session was only a game in more than theory for the select folks who got in on the soft launch that preceded a worldwide release that never came for this endless runner turned non-starter.
Few franchises manage to run off an endless chain of successes, and on the balance the run Tony Hawk’s games put down for nearly a decade under Neversoft’s stewardship is one of the most impressive in gaming history. Do you agree with our choice for #1, or do you think we missed the mark by not choosing a different Pro Skater, or even an Underground?
