By comparing the first two Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater games and the remake, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2, we can make accurate guesses as to how the new Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 remakes might look. The remake of 1+2 was a hit, successfully bringing THPS games to current-gen consoles and into the modern day with updates to customization, characters, music, and more.
Today, we’re dissecting the differences between the original and the remake of the first two THPS games. We will take a deep dive in to all the elements that have changed and everything that has changed. Considering all these aspects together will give us a good idea of how the new THPS 3+4 remake will look, although there are some points we will have to wait for more announcements before they come to light.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 Remake News
On March 4, we received a release trailer confirming that THPS 3+4 would drop on July 11, 2025. The trailer showed a range of iconic locations and a teaser for the first new map in the remake series. We also saw a range of new characters that will feature in the latest game. Click here to read more about the release.
The first THPS remake came out in 2020, and since then, fans have been vocal about the successes and shortcomings of the game. On the whole, it has been positive feedback, but fans of the franchise hope that key issues will be addressed with future releases. The main requests have been for better online matchmaking (which the developers have already addressed by making the new game cross-platform), and for more customization in the Create-a-Park mode, especially with adding your own challenges.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater Vs The Remake
Let’s discuss how the remake differs from the originals, and whether this is for better or worse. We will divide this comparison into different categories, highlighting the main aspects of the game and what this could mean for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4.
Characters
First, let’s have a look at the featured skaters. The THPS 1+2 remake did not remove any pro skaters from its original lineup. It even included Officer Dick, who was an unlockable secret character in the first two games. A fun little touch to this character is that Jack Black voices Officer Dick in the remake.
Going off of this, we can almost guarantee that all of the pro skaters will return, with the notable exception being Bam Margera. Bam is an iconic name in the Tony Hawk games, especially in the Underground series. Due to a number of reasons — ranging from poor lifestyle choices to falling out with friends — we might not see him feature at all in subsequent Tony Hawk games.
There are a few clues that hint at his absence from this remake. The first is that he is not featured in the trailer at all. More importantly, in the Hangar level in the THPS 1+2 update, instead of advertisements hanging around the park, there are posters of all Tony Hawk’s games. Bam features front and center on Tony Hawk’s Underground 2 cover, and he is fully edited out of this poster.
However, Bam and Tony posted on their Instagram accounts on March 6 a clip of them doing a duo run on Tony’s vert ramp. Nothing is mentioned about the new game, but this could be a small teaser for Bam’s eventual return to the series.
In the original THPS 3 and 4, there was a wide range of unlockable secret characters. We already have confirmation of one: Doom Guy, returning as “Doom Slayer,” the protagonist of the Doom video game series. This character is unlockable by preordering the Digital Deluxe edition.
There are characters such as Darth Maul, Wolverine, and Jango Fett from THPS 3 + 4. As Spiderman wasn’t featured in the remake, we assume these characters won’t either, probably due to copyright reasons. In addition, characters like Private Carrera, Demoness, and Daisy may not make it back as Private Carrera likely didn’t feature in the remake because of its sexist depiction of women; this dated humor also goes for the character Ollie the Magic Bum.
Mike Vallely and Kelly Slater are two other unlockable characters in the previous games we would love to see back in the remakes, but there is nothing to suggest whether they will be (apart from the new map being a waterpark?). Also, the iconic Neversoft Eyeball is unlikely to make a return as the company became defunct in 2014. It would be nice to see THPS make a nod to its roots, but I doubt it.
The THPS 3+4 remake is confirmed to feature new characters such as Yuto Horigome, Zion Wright, Jamie Foy, Rayassa Leal, and Chloe Covell. These are brilliant additions that accurately reflect the modern skateboarding scene.
Soundtrack
Arguably the most iconic feature of the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series is its soundtrack. It was the first game to combine skateboarding’s diverse musical influences into a soundtrack everyone can enjoy. The soundtrack alone is the most nostalgia-inducing element of this game. Because of this, people are adamant that they want the same soundtrack in the remakes.
THPS 1+2 did a great job of including the entire soundtrack apart from 3 songs. These tracks were excluded due to licensing issues:
- “Committed” by Unsane from THPS 1
- “Out With the Old” by BlackPlanetMusic ft. Alleylife from THPS 2
- B-Boy Document ’99 by The High & Mighty ft. Mos Def & Mad Skillz from THPS 2
In addition to the full soundtrack from the first games (minus the three we mentioned above), THPS 1+2 features a range of new music that brings the playlist to 59 songs in total. So, it more than doubled the soundtrack to keep up with the wide and varied game soundtracks we are familiar with in the modern day.
The new playlist features various old and new music across different genres. We have hip-hop classics such as A Tribe Called Quest’s “Can I Kick It” and British grime like Skepta’s “Shutdown.” Fans of the franchise are not as bothered about the new additions but love that they have kept the old tracks. Also, the THPS 1+2 remake features a playlist you can edit, so you can turn off all the new tracks if you want.
Like the first remake, there will likely be licensing issues with music from these two games. Also, they may not want to include specific songs. For instance, THPS 4 featured three Muskabeatz songs (Chad Muska’s rap persona), and I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t make it. I think it’s more likely we will see more tracks that don’t make it into the new remake and a range of new ones in their place.
I really hope we will get Alien Ant Farm’s “Wish”, The Ramones’ “Blitzkrieg Bop”, and Gang Starr’s “Mass Appeal” as these were personal favorites from the original playlists. Thanks to the trailer, it is confirmed that Motörhead’s “Ace of Spades” will be in the remake.
Locations
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 featured every main location from the first two Pro Skater games. There were additional levels featured on GBA and N64, but these were due to the inability to support specific levels from the original lineups.
The transformation of these locations is nothing short of incredible. Thanks to the rendering distance, we are able to see so much more, which makes a big difference when planning our lines. In addition, the extended rendering distance allows the locations to be fully realized in their environments by including unreachable forests or towns in the backdrops. The level of detail is to such a high degree.
It doesn’t seem like the developers departed from the original creative visions. Instead, they used modern technology to bring these visions to the modern day. For example, the “Mall” level seems completely different in the remake, with a decrepit feel to it. But if you look at the details in THPS 1, we can see that the stores are closed, and there are sale banners all around, signaling that Neversoft would have made it feel much more abandoned if the technology had been available.
All the short animations are also completely redone, giving way to additional features. For instance, the helicopter that takes off from the Hangar now flies around outside when you’re in the secret area.
The release trailer shows that ten different levels are confirmed to be featured in the THPS 3+4 remake. These are:
- Foundry (THPS 3)
- Canada (THPS 3)
- Rio (THPS 3)
- Airport (THPS 3)
- Los Angeles (THPS 3)
- Tokyo (THPS 3)
- Cruise Ship (THPS 3)
- College (THPS 4)
- San Francisco (THPS 4)
- Alcatraz (THPS 4)
In THPS levels like Downhill Jam and Mall, immediately end the session once you have reached the end. This was changed to just teleport you back to the start of the level in the latest remake. This feature had already been introduced in THPS 3, so levels like Airport will definitely have the same system involved.
Tricks
The trick selection in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 is more reminiscent of later Tony Hawk games than the first two originals. Fans do not mind this feature at all because the game would have felt like it lacked the refinement of the later versions.
The most important additions to the remake are tricks that provide better movement and ways to link combos. Better movement comes from transfers between transitions and “acid drops,” where you can jump into a transition. Acid drops were only added in Tony Hawk’s Underground, but they make a huge difference to how we interact with the map.
A key technique to keeping combos when coming out of transitions is a revert. Reverts were introduced in THPS 3 but are in the THPS 1+2 remake. The revert is another key element that wouldn’t have felt right if they didn’t include it in the game. Movement features like this do not have any fans saying that it takes away from the nostalgic experience. Instead, it enhances the experience and amalgamates the THPS series nostalgia into one. We also love the inclusion of the wallplant, which was introduced in THPS 4.
There are not many tricks or movement features that have been left out of the 1+2 remake that we want to see in the THPS 3+4. The only features I can think of are double-tap grind and moonwalk manuals. Double-tap grinds are similar to double-tap manuals (which are in THPS 1+2). They allow you to switch up your manual trick easily. Moonwalks are the only trick that allows you to extend your manual speed once you are brought to a halt. So, these are great for extending combos.
Gameplay
In the THPS 1+2 remake, the “tours” are split between three options: THPS, THPS 2, ranked, and free skate. Dividing up each game into its own sections is nice, as it helps convey the difference between the two games in the remake.
One big gameplay difference is how you have to complete the game. In the original series, you would have to complete every task with every different skater to complete the game fully. This is disbanded in the remake, and you can use any skater regardless of your progress in the game.
The Stat Points do not carry over between each skater. So, if you want to progress a particular skater’s ability, you must revisit each map to collect the same Stat Points. The Stat Points are placed where Bonus Points were in the original game. Stat Points are a great addition because they give the game some replayability without having to grind the entire game for each character.
You will also notice a new Speed Mode, where the timer counts up instead of down. This timer will run until you have completed every task in each level. This feature is perfect for speedrunners or challenging your friends to see who can get the fastest times.
THPS 4 was the first game to feature sessions that were not timed, so we are unsure exactly how they will be approached in THPS 3+4. The THPS website mentions that all levels will include “streamlined goals in a two-minute format.” So, we assume the THPS 4 section will follow these rules. Fans of the franchise may not be happy about this, but we may see a creative approach to being able to play these levels like they were previously.
Challenges
The biggest difference in gameplay comes from the Challenges section. There are an overwhelming number of challenges that reward you for everything you do, from completing the game to specific combos. You will even find there are player-specific challenges.
The Challenges section is a brilliant addition to the series and transforms the game into a much more rewarding experience. The start can feel overwhelming as you’re unlocking a lot of new items all the time, but this settles once you get into the game.
We expect these challenges to return in THPS 3+4 as they greatly enhance the game’s replayability.
Customization
Another huge overhaul comes from the ways we can customize our characters’ looks and apparel. Skateboarding culture thrives on being able to express yourself through your clothing and deck setup, and the THPS 1+2 remake does a great job of giving us as many options as possible.
The original games gave us a limited selection of board setups and clothing options, so it’s great to see this developed into what you would expect from a modern video game. The THPS 3+4 remake will definitely continue with this approach, as it is beneficial for both the players and skateboard brands’ awareness.
Multiplayer
One of the biggest additions to THPS 1+2 is the fact that we can now play multiplayer game modes with our friends online. The remake also included split-screen, even for PC players. There would have been an absolute uproar if they hadn’t included this, so we can guarantee we will see the same in THPS 3+4.
The biggest downfall of THPS 1+2 online is that the online was separated between each platform. THPS 3+4 has already been announced as having crossplay, which resolves this issue.
The remake also featured all multiplayer game modes from the originals, including trick attack, graffiti, slap, and HORSE. I am sure we will see all these same game modes return in the latest remake.
Create-a-Park
THPS 2 was the first game to feature a Create-a-Park mode, which has been featured in most subsequent games. It returns better than ever in THPS 1+2, giving us a whole new range of tools to build custom ramps. These custom ramps are excellent and allow us to get as creative as we like.
The main request from THPS 1+2 players is that we want to make our own challenges inside the maps. Allowing us to place our own SKATE or secret tapes would be so much fun. It’s such a shame this is missed out, as it feels like the game could be endless if you were able to download and play different people’s maps along with their own set of challenges. This would add a completely new dimension to the game and make it much more communal.
Another point we would like to see more of is the wide variety of ramps and obstacles. More obstacles mean more choices. Therefore, we would have the tools to push our creativity.
Other Noticeable Differences/Similarities
The gritty reality of slamming in the original THPS games was a USP that its fanbase loved. Blood poured out of our character every time we hit the floor. This has been removed from the THPS 1+2 remake, which instead features an animation where the character glitches and goes back to standing.
My biggest issue with this is that the glitch animation makes it clear that we are playing a video game. The reality of a slam adds to the realistic feel of THPS (even though it is so far from a realistic skate simulator). The developers have removed the blood animations to appeal to a wider audience. I understand this approach, but as a fan of the old series, it does feel like a lot is lost in this small detail.
I am sure THPS 3+4 will also contain the latest glitch animation instead of returning to their bloody roots.
It is also worth mentioning that each trick’s speed, timings, and trajectories are matched perfectly with the old games. If you had any particular combo runs or areas you used to skate, you can perfectly replicate them in the remake of THPS 1+2. The developers won’t change anything about this in THPS 3+4 as replicating our old runs is crucial for the nostalgic effect of a remade game.
Published: Mar 12, 2025 6:48 PM UTC