Vicarious Visions have done a superb job of developing one of the biggest game releases of September and breathing life back into a franchise that was on the brink of collapse. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 is a massive success and the best selling game of the series thanks to its faithfulness to the original and some classy new tweaks.
However, though it seems like THPS1+2 is a home run, a slam dunk, or a 900 (Tony Hawk’s signature vert trick,) there are quite a few instances where Vicarious Visions have under-delivered, as some of the new additions feel hollow and only there to pad out the game, rather than to serve any substantial purpose.
10 Love: Soundtrack
The nostalgia fuelled soundtrack was one of the biggest reasons fans were looking forward to the game, and it delivered more than fans expected. Not only did Vicarious Visions get the licensing rights for all but three of the original two games’ songs, but there are several additions to keep it from getting stale too.
Though A Tribe Called Quest’s “Can I Kick It” has only been synonymous with Pro Skater for the past month, the game and the song feel perfect for each other.
9 Don’t Love: Create A Character
As the create a character game mode didn’t feature in the series until later Pro Skater entries, players should be grateful that we have the mode at all. However, the mode is extremely limited. In create a character, there are only a handful of preset faces and only one body type, and though there might be a ton of unlockable branded streetwear, they are a grind to unlock and they aren’t remotely customisable.
8 Love: Easter Eggs
As was tradition with the Pro Skater games developed by Neversoft, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 is filled to the brim with Easter eggs and hidden details behind every corner. Players should keep their eyes peeled as they skate passed every wall, as the tiniest bit of graffiti may have some kind of relevance. There are references to how Pro Skater 5 ruined the franchise, and keeping up with the series’ morbid humor, there’s an animation where a custom sKate’s turns to bones when players delete them.
7 Don’t Love: Barely Any Unlockable Skaters
Unlockable characters have been a staple of the series since its inception, and throughout the franchise’s history players have been able to choose playable sKate’s such as pirates, ninjas, Dragon Ball Z characters, and many more. Unfortunately, THPS1+2 only features two playable characters, with the first being Jack Black’s character of Officer Dick, and the second being the Area 51 alien, continuing the series long tradition of being obsessed with outer space. There’s a lot to be desired, but there’s always a possibility of VV adding more in the coming months.
6 Love: Split Screen
It’s rare when new releases come with local multiplayer, or what it was known as back in Pro Skater’s heyday, split screen. Though there really is no excuse, these days not even the arcadiest of games come with split screen, as developers assume everyone plays online. Thankfully, all of the split screen game modes have been faithfully restored, including the fan favorites, Tag and HORSE.
5 Don’t Love: Lack Of Online Private Lobby
The online mode is one of the worst things about the remake and even though the game has clearly had a lot of love and care put in to it, the same can’t be said for online gaming, as it feels rushed and missing several key elements. First of all, there is no option to choose a specific game mode, as every round is chosen at random and most of the time it’s the first to get a high score. But most importantly, there is no private lobby where players can play with only their friends for a quick game of HORSE.
4 Love: The Addition Of Reverts And Manuals
The Pro Skater games have undoubtedly influenced a series of games that were released in its wake, and in an Inception-like turn of events, that list of games now includes the original Pro Skater. The manual wasn’t introduced until Pro Skater 2, and the revert wasn’t introduced until Pro Skater 3, but now they have been included here, and it has given old fans of the game new ways of looking at the maps and string Goliath combos together.
3 Don’t Love: Too Easy And Lack of Replayability
Now that Pro Skater 1 and Pro Skater 2 have been combined in to one game, by the time players start the second game, their skate stats will already be maxed out, making the whole of Pro Skater 2 a doddle. And on top of that, it isn’t possible to replay the game as a different skater, unlike the original. There might be a ton of challenges that VV have created, but even for two games worth of content, it has been stretched incredibly thin.
2 Love: Pays Tribute To Neversoft At Every Chance
When kickflipping and nosegrabbing their way through the levels, it’s impossible for players not to notice the resounding amount of nods to Neversoft there are in the game. Whether it’s from the skate bowl in Burnside, which is painted like the iconic Neversoft eye, or The Hangar, which has become a Neversoft shrine with billboards and posters of all the developer’s past games, VV hasn’t forgot who made Pro Skater so great in the first place.
Almost as great is the fact that there isn’t a single reference to Robomodo, the developer who ran the series in to the ground and almost destroyed Hawk’s legacy with novelty and terribly buggy games. The developer has been completely ignored.
1 Don’t Love: Lack Of Photo And Replay Mode
For a game as beautiful as Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2, the fact that there is no photo mode is a complete disservice to how the game looks. There is a photo mode in just about every game now, regardless of the genre. And on top of that, a replay mode is missing too. Lightning doesn’t strike twice, and neither does pulling off a million point combo in the bull ring, which should be captured and saved forever. There was even a replay mode in the first ever Pro Skater game over 20 years ago, so there’s no excuse for THPS1+2 to be missing one.