On Friday, Long Beach rapper Vince Staples voiced his distaste for Nintendo's premier console, tweeting, "Ya'll need to put some Tony Hawks on this trash ass Nintendo Switch." Although many might disagree with the outspoken rapper, who is best known for challenging societal and political norms with his signature nasally flow and technical lyricism, he is certainly entitled to his opinion, and to be honest, he might have a point. It would be pretty damn cool to see Tony Hawk games on the Switch.
The Tony Hawk franchise has historically provided some of the most entertaining, lucrative sports games that we've ever seen. Best known for its over-the-top skateboarding gameplay, sense of humor, and iconic soundtracks, the series has seen a ton of financial success and popularity. Although it has been some time since there's been a noteworthy title. 2015's Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 was a critical and financial dud compared to the rest of the series, and the franchise has barely made a sound on this generation of consoles.
In a second, more explicit tweet, Staples mentioned how he used to love playing a few of his favorite Tony Hawk titles, including 2003's Tony Hawk's Underground and 2005's Tony Hawk's American Wasteland. The two story-based titles, although a bit different from their classic Pro Skater counterparts, were just as popular, giving gamers a compelling story along with the series' signature skateboarding gameplay. It would be a great surprise to see either of these titles come to the Switch, giving us the chance to finally play them on a handheld platform, and the move would surely excite more than just Vince Staples.
The Nintendo Switch, which was the best selling console of the past few years, is far from "trash," giving us the capability to play massive games like Skyrim, Dark Souls, and the upcoming The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt on a handheld platform for the first time. That said, any game from the Tony Hawk series would be a blast to play on the Switch, effectively giving the franchise a sort of renaissance, and Vince Staples wouldn't be the only one with a smile on their faces if it were to happen.