Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 has been out for a little while now, but it suffered from a few issues at launch that hampered the play experience. With assurances that updates were on the way, we opted to hold off a few weeks on our review. As an added benefit, it gave this reviewer a little more time to shake off over twenty years of rust and really immerse myself in Tony Hawk’s world once again. This was a release I was looking forward to ever since Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 came out, and I’m glad it finally happened. In a way, it might be better that it took this long because it means we got a native Switch 2 port to enjoy.
It really is a sight to see in action, too. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 on the original Switch ran at half the framerate of other versions of the game. It was something I was able to tolerate because the original games were first released on the PlayStation 1 and ran at even worse framerates, but I’ll admit it felt a lot more deluxe to play that release elsewhere with smoother performance. In the case of the third and fourth Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater games, the lead platform back in the day was the PlayStation 2. The games flexed that new tech in a lot of ways, and that included a zippy 60 frames per second. I’m not sure how I would feel if Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 did anything less.
Fortunately, the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 takes proper advantage of the new console. It feels far more in line with other platforms, and perhaps more importantly it’s in line with the speed of the original releases from back in the day. If you’ve been experiencing these reissues exclusively through Nintendo’s ecosystem, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 on the Switch 2 is going to feel like a huge graphical upgrade over the last game. Indeed, it’s probably the biggest and most noticeable advancement.
In other respects, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 simply carries on the fine work of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2. Since that release had already brought in just about all of the new tricks and moves from Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4, having things like the revert or spine transfer in your toolset are to be expected. Many new skaters have been added, the licensed characters from the original releases have been cut, and most of the original levels are here looking shinier than ever.
There is a situation that needs to be addressed with regards to Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4, though. The format used for remaking the first two games could be applied to the third easily enough, as those games were all structurally similar. A list of goals, a two-minute timer, and you just need to get as much done as you can. Every few levels, you participate in a tournament where you’ll have to compete for a medal. The fourth game mixed things up back in the day, however. The timed run set-up was ditched in favor of larger, open levels where you could interact with NPCs to get goals to shoot for. It was a big shift for the series that subsequent entries build on further.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 takes as much of the stuff from Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 as it is able to hammer into the classic two-minute run format. If you’re looking to see what was done with the first three games applied to the fourth, you won’t find that here. This huge change means that a couple of levels from the original game couldn’t be brought into this one, but some new ones have been created to take their place. Personally I’ve always felt that Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater works best in its original form, so I actually appreciate getting this alternate take on Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4, but I also respect that fans of the game are likely to be disappointed at this choice.
One thing I’m more mixed on is what has happened with the soundtrack. With Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, Activision did everything it could to get as many of the original songs back, and only a few ended up not making it. Some new music was added in, but if you had happy memories of the music in the original games, chances were good that your favorite tunes were there. Things are very different in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4. It has a few key tracks from each of the original games, but the overwhelming majority of the music has been swapped out for new songs. Sometimes from the same bands, which makes me think this was a deliberate choice rather than something forced by licensing issues.
Now, to be fair, the new soundtrack is great. Lots of awesome music that fits the series well, and it brings back that aspect of the series where you could find new bands or songs through the games. Still, I wish we could have had our cake and eaten it too with this aspect. No Blitzkrieg Bop in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 just feels wrong. What am I supposed to do, fire up YouTube? Hm. I guess this isn’t as big of a problem in the modern age as it would have been at one point in time, but I think it’s another controversial decision.
If we set aside those nostalgia-based nitpicks and take Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 for what it is, things get a lot sunnier. You’re basically getting a bunch of new levels to play in that same excellent engine that powered Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2. There’s a powerful arcade appeal to the classic Tony Hawk games, but it manages that while also giving the player a lot of freedom in how they want to spend their two-minute run. As you play the game and develop your skills at chaining tricks together, it almost feels like your hands are picking up a whole new language. No matter how good you get, there’s always that lure of pushing your trick just a little farther to get just a few more points. It’s a Siren’s call that often ends in tragedy, but one that pushes you to keep on trying.
Like before, you can head online and play with others. Goofing around skating with other human players brings the games and their levels to life in a whole new way. Whether you’re picking up tips or learning just where you stand in the great scheme of things, that human element mixes in perfectly. Since the online mode is cross-platform, it’s not too hard to find people to play with. And hey, it’s a good excuse to put some work into your created skater. Get them out of those default duds already. Live a little, spend that cash you’re piling up, and get a new shirt.
Taken as its own thing, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 is an amazingly fun game that I’d recommend even to people who have no particular interest in skateboarding. Those seeking the nostalgia trip are going to have to deal with a wildly different take on Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 and a mostly-new soundtrack, but these titles still play just as well as they always did. The fresh coat of paint is all the excuse needed to dive back in and remember what made this series one of the biggest of its era. The Nintendo Switch 2 version doesn’t have to make nearly as many compromises on the technical side as the original Switch had to with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2. Time has been kind, and so has this port.
Version Tested: Nintendo Switch 2
Review copy provided by Activision
