ASH PLAYS: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 Remaster

1999 gave us the first look into the world of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater via gaming, for anyone playing this around the late 90s/00s it was truly revolutionary for it’s time. High score time trialled task based levels and addictive competitive couch gaming, not to mention the strongly picked playlist from various artists (DEAD KENNEDYS, GOLDFINGER and more), this was a real good look from the outside that really showcased how a skating game could be.

Shortly after in 2000 only a year later the second instalment arrived, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 pretty much delivered a replica with ironed out touches and, yet again, another flawless soundtrack.

But why did we need THPS 1+2? Well for myself, I bounced back and forth between 1+2 playing different locations and turning the TV up to blast the soundtrack. I think this game brought forward skate/streetwear culture or at least was a helping hand as time went on, I’m almost certain the soundtrack opened a lot of doors for young people.

2020, a long 20 years later and numerously asked for by fans, we finally got our complete remake of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 and did it meet our expectations? It certainly did, concerned if the developers would tamper with the gameplay and controls but pleased to say that wasn’t the case at all! It’s a complete replica with a new life and that is all fans wanted, playing on PlayStation it was a second nature to use the D-Pad immediately, I felt the nostalgia run through me.

Here is where it gets interesting, they’ve added new skaters such as Lizzie Armanto, Leo Baker, Leticia Bufoni, Riley Hawk and more, the original skaters from the series have been given an aged touch to replicate how they look to today which impressed me that they’re looking at the finer details 20 years on, likewise to the soundtrack, all original plus more such as AMERICAN NIGHTMARE, MACHINE GUN KELLY and SKEPTA.

I can’t express how it’s an old game with a new life, bringing in an online mode has only benefited the game greatly. Casual jams or competitive classic modes like Graffiti, Trick Attack, Score Challenge and more, it truly brings back those memories of spending days on end playing with a friend but now it’s multiple, and yet again has expanded on that area. You are still able to do classic coach multiplayer which I’m grateful they didn’t skip as that was half the charm to the titles.

I can not praise this remake of two incredible games put into one, I can not express how the developers have kept it true to the original titles and 20 years later, it felt like I was picking the same game up and nothing had changed apart from visually improving to a high standard! The unlockables, customising, ranks and collectibles keep you on your toes for hours on end. This is exactly what everyone wanted.

Rating: 10/10

And that rounds off our next guest column from Ash! Be sure to follow Ash on his socials and stay tuned to Distorted Sound next as we bring our next column in our Ash Plays series!