The moment that skateboarding fans have been waiting for is almost here, with Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 & 2 hitting PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC tomorrow.
Originally released in 1999, the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series continued for years, not only becoming a mainstay within the gaming industry, but also having a major impact on the resurgence of the extreme sport during the mid-90s. The franchise eventually got in over its head when skate and snowboard peripherals were introduced a bit too early for their time, but there’s no denying how special and iconic the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series remains.
In my preview of the Warehouse Demo, I couldn’t help feel incredible amounts of nostalgia as I skated throughout the remastered level, complete with the game’s revolutionary soundtrack. I was expecting great things from the remastered game, and it turns out that it has delivered. The embargo has just lifted for the game, and already sitting at a Metacritic score of 92, it’s clear that Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 & 2 has put its best foot forward (even for those of us who ride goofy stance).
Here’s what critics are saying so far:
VG247: 5/5 - “Vicarious Visions has managed to salvage Neversoft’s old code and import it into the new engine and that shows, because the game is almost uncannily similar to what you remember. Muscle memory that’s been dead some 20 years will wake up in your hands, and you’ll be a slave to its undead twitching.”
GamingTrend: 90/100 - “The Tony Hawk series has returned to its former glory.”
IGN: 9/10: “Vicarious Visions has successfully brought Neversoft’s esteemed classics back to life, allowing old and new fans alike to experience these masterpieces through a modern lens while remaining entirely respectful to the moves, the maps, and the music that’s been seared into the brains of millions since the turn of the millennium.”
GameSpot: 9/10 - “It's a special series that is infinitely playable, and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 captures that nearly perfectly.”
GamesRadar+: 4/5: “Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 is a well-pitched palette cleanser for the series. It's both a nostalgic love letter to some of the best skateboarding games ever made and an exhilarating reminder that Tony could still have plenty more to offer than just trips back to the past.“
Destructoid: 8/10 - “Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 isn't going to blow people away, but it preserves the original experience with a few modern conveniences. It's a win.”