There was a time when sports gaming was full of amazing experiences and there was something for every kind of fan. Now, although the graphics and animations of sports games have made a big leap, the amount of games being made has dropped dramatically.

However, we’re starting to see classic sports games make comebacks. First, we got the amazing Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 remake in 2020, which won Sports Game of the Year at The Game Awards that year.

Fast forward four years and we see College Football 25 make its triumphant return and win Operation Sports Game of the Year in 2024 while being a finalist for Game of the Year at the New York Game Awards.

Now, in 2025, two legendary skateboard series are releasing games at the same time. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 is coming in July and will try to follow up on the success of 1+2. Not only that, Skate is coming back as well, becoming available in early access sometime this year — and some of you may have even played it during some of the ongoing playtests.

However, there are concerns. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 will not have the original untimed career mode that was iconic in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4. Instead, goals will be more streamlined, but we don’t have full details on how exactly things will be done. As for Skate 4, there’s been some concern about the free-to-play model and how much impact microtransactions will have. So far, it sounds like microtransactions will simply be for things like clothing and nothing more, but we shall see when it drops.

Despite these concerns, there are still a lot of people excited about both of these games. But with neither of them available yet, so what else should you play for now? Here are some options.

Session: Skate Sim

One of the most challenging but also one of the more satisfying skateboard games ever, Session really does live up to the “Skate Sim” in its name. Instead of hitting buttons or using one stick to pull off tricks on your board, you’ll need to use both analog sticks to do something simple like an ollie. This is because both sticks represent your skater’s feet, so moving one stick one way and the other another way will let you pull off certain tricks.

Once you get it down though it’s a lot of fun and you can go into the replay editor and create some really cool footage. Session also has a very laid back vibe despite its challenging nature. There are no scores or anything. Just you, your board, your imagination, and some lo-fi hip hop beats playing in the background.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2

Hey, while waiting for THPS 3+4, why not hop back into 1+2, right? It’s arguably one of the best remakes ever, and still a lot of fun to play. Although sadly, the servers have been having issues, so it’s really hard to get online games at times. So, if you can’t get any online games, then you can always just try to beat your highest scores across each beautifully remade level.

You can also do what I like to do and just head into free skate and simply enjoy skating each map untimed. It’s a pretty chill way to cleanse the mind as your skater rides around and does tricks at high speeds. Also, hopping back into this game is a great way to prep for 3+4, as the gameplay is confirmed to be basically the same as 1+2.

Riders Republic

Riders Republic is a huge extreme sports playground that continues to get updated with new sports and activities. Dirt bikes will be the latest huge addition, and those are coming in September. But one other sport that was added a while back was skateboarding. It got the red carpet rolled out for it too, as it got its own career and a massive skatepark built just for skating (although you can also ride your bike and other gear there too, of course).

The skateboarding in RR is very well made and a lot of fun, although it might take you time to get used to the controls if you’re used to games like Tony Hawk or Skate. The huge skatepark is nice too, as it’s actually multiple parks in a single area, each with its own unique layout.

Skate City: New York

The first Skate City was a bite-sized adventure of skateboarding fun on your mobile device and eventually on consoles. The game featured beautiful visuals while being from a side camera angle, as you would skate your way through different world-famous cities. Skate City: New York is the one-city focused sequel, and it’s even better and smoother than ever. The catch is that New York is exclusively on Apple Arcade currently, but don’t worry, the OG Skate City is available on all platforms, as we mentioned, and is great in its own right.

Skater XL

Skater XL is the game that came before Session: Skate Sim, and they both have their similarities. But one thing that Skater XL has that Session doesn’t is online multiplayer. Session, for the most part, gets more praise for gameplay, while XL gets its praise for having online gameplay. So, if you’re looking for a multiplayer skating experience outside of Tony Hawk 1+2 (which, as we mentioned, is having major server issues), then Skater XL is a solid choice. And, if you play on PC, the game has a ton of great mods you can download to take your experience up to 100 and change the way you play and see the game.