When Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 dropped back in 2020, it felt like a triumphant return to the golden era of skateboarding games, delivering nostalgia wrapped in modern polish. Fast forward to 2025, and the release of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 promised to continue that momentum by bringing together the third and fourth installments of the beloved series. But does this new package skate smoothly, or does it falter under the weight of expectations and design choices? Let’s dive into the highs, lows, and everything in between.
At its core, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 melds the gameplay mechanics of both titles into a single, cohesive experience. Players familiar with the earlier collection will find themselves right at home with the familiar trick system, scoring objectives, and the iconic two-minute timer applied uniformly across all parks. This includes the third game’s eight parks, each filled with objectives like hitting high scores, collecting the elusive SKATE letters, and park-specific challenges such as grinding around the pool or lava in Foundry.
One notable addition is the classification of some parks as Competition Parks, where players compete in a series of skates, aiming for the highest cumulative score. This mode adds a competitive edge, comparing players’ performances and crowning winners based on their skills. However, this new Competition mode comes with a trade-off: it removes the original objective-based tasks from these parks, leaving only a time-based score attack. While this might streamline gameplay, it also strips away some of the variety and charm that made the original levels memorable.
Speaking of charm, the third game’s content largely holds up well, maintaining the faithful feel of the original. Yet, the fourth game’s content has been a point of contention among fans and critics alike. The original Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 was praised for its open-world-style parks and an engaging career mode where players could skate freely, interact with NPCs, and complete dynamic goals. Unfortunately, this remake ditches those expansive, open-world elements in favor of a more constrained, menu-driven level selection system that mirrors the third game’s objective structure.
Many of the THPS 4 parks have been trimmed down in size, with fan favorites like the Zoo being converted into Competition Parks, thereby losing their unique objectives and interactive elements. This shift results in a gameplay experience that feels disjointed and somewhat lifeless compared to the original’s more immersive design. The imposition of the two-minute timer on these larger, more sprawling parks further exacerbates this issue, making the gameplay feel rushed and less meaningful.
Player selection also suffers in this iteration. Unlike the original THPS 4, which featured a substantial roster with individual progression paths and campaign modes, the remake offers a more superficial approach. Skaters come with unlockable cosmetics and signature moves but lack any real progression system or character-driven narrative, reducing motivation to experiment with different characters beyond aesthetic preferences.
Graphically, the game shines. Both skaters and levels have received significant visual upgrades, boasting detailed models and impressive lighting effects that enhance the nostalgic appeal without losing the essence of the originals. Iconic characters like Tony Hawk and Bam Margera return as their older selves, alongside secret skaters such as Michelangelo from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, unlocked through in-game currency.
The game also offers a robust skatepark creator, allowing players to craft and share custom parks across platforms. This feature, combined with online multiplayer supporting up to eight players and cross-platform play, adds a layer of community engagement and replayability. Classic modes like Trick Attack, Score Challenge, Combo Mambo, Combo Challenge, and Graffiti are all present, alongside a new Hawk mode that challenges players to complete as many goals as possible within the two-minute timer.
However, no discussion of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 would be complete without addressing the soundtrack—an element that has historically defined the series’ identity. Here, the game stumbles. Only ten tracks from the original games make it into the remake, a decision that has left many fans and critics disappointed. Tony Hawk himself claimed to have personally selected new songs for the soundtrack, including bands like Fontaines D.C., IDLES, and X-Ray Specs, as well as alternative tracks from artists already featured in the game.
Yet, this shift in musical direction has been met with skepticism and frustration. The original soundtracks were more than just background music; they were cultural touchstones that defined a generation of players. Tracks like “Ace of Spades” by Motörhead, Del The Funky Homosapien’s contributions, and The Ramones were deeply intertwined with the experience, creating powerful sense-memories. Their absence feels like a hollowing out of the game’s soul.
The likely culprit behind this musical purge is licensing issues—a common headache in game preservation. Drawing parallels to the MTV animated show Daria, which faced similar challenges when its DVD release replaced original music due to licensing constraints, it’s clear that these problems can significantly impact the authenticity and appeal of beloved media. While Tony Hawk’s explanation attempts to soften the blow by emphasizing personal taste and new additions, many players feel the original essence has been compromised.
Despite these setbacks, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 remains a solid skateboarding game. It’s fun, polished, and packed with content that will satisfy those looking for a nostalgic skate session or a casual multiplayer romp. The inclusion of new levels like Waterpark and a secret Pinball level adds fresh excitement, and the game runs smoothly on platforms like the PlayStation 5 Pro, free from major bugs or frame rate issues.
At a starting price of R1,099 and available across PC, Switch, Switch 2, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X, the game offers accessible options for a broad audience. Developed by Iron Galaxy and published by Activision, it’s clear that the team aimed to deliver a comprehensive package that honors the legacy of the series while introducing some modern touches.
In the end, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 feels like a mixed bag. The third game’s faithful recreation and competitive modes provide plenty of skating fun, but the stripped-down fourth game content and the soundtrack changes leave a bittersweet taste. For fans yearning for the full open-world career mode or the classic tunes that defined their teenage years, this package may fall short. Yet, for those eager to jump back on their boards and shred through updated parks with friends, there’s still plenty to enjoy.
The skateboarding action is very much alive and kicking, even if some of the soul has been traded for streamlining and licensing compromises. Whether this collection will carve out a lasting legacy alongside its predecessors remains to be seen, but it undeniably keeps the spirit of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater skating forward into the next generation.
