Forget the bizarre peripherals, unhealthy sequels, and questionable ports that outlined Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater within the sequence’ later years. Instead, bear in mind the glory days of the late ‘90s and early ‘00s, because that’s the place you’re going with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and a pair of. By returning to the primary two games within the franchise and modernizing them with adjustments massive and small, developer Vicarious Visions reminds us why we fell in love with this sequence within the first place.
The total construction stays utterly intact: You choose ranges based mostly on numerous areas across the globe, then hop in your skateboard to finish aims like getting the excessive rating earlier than the time restrict expires, gathering letters to spell out “skate,” and doing tips over particular areas. Vicarious Visions retains the most effective components of the game largely intact, however numerous enhancements, together with a bigger arsenal of tips, lifts these classics to new heights. Stringing collectively tips feels wonderful because of smoother controls, and the fashionable visuals look nice in movement.
While these games are enjoyable impartial of nostalgia, as a fan of the unique games, I cherished how this launch offers continuous nods to the traditional variations. Featuring each single real-life skater from these first two games, an enhanced create-a-skater mode, and practically each tune from the traditional soundtracks, it is a crowd-pleasing remaster bundle. Stepping again into the footwear of Tony Hawk and crushing a halfpipe as Goldfinger’s “Superman” comes over my audio system introduced a smile to my face. However, this bundle additionally provides a number of current-day skaters and an enormous choice of new songs. By masterfully mixing previous with new, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and a pair of lands on a candy spot.
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All the degrees from the unique games are additionally obtainable, full with stunning makeovers for the present expertise. I used to be regularly impressed by how beautiful these new environments look. The levels really feel devoted to the variations you performed 20 years in the past, whereas concurrently that includes the look of recent creations. Perhaps most shocking is how nicely the degrees maintain up in the present day; skating by way of the streets of San Francisco and New York nonetheless feels nice, and the timeless designs of Warehouse, Hangar, and the Chicago Skatepark have me returning repeatedly. The ranges function enjoyable paths on which you’ll be able to chain collectively large combos, in addition to monumental ramps to launch off, numerous rails and edges to grind on, and loads of objects to smash by way of. The solely draw back to those levels is that a number of the objects you’re alleged to destroy, like the varsity’s bells or the “No Skating” indicators in Minneapolis might be harder to identify since there’s much more happening with the visuals now.
If you’re on the lookout for new locations to skate, you’ll be able to design the park of your goals. With a large set of parts select from, together with good objects you’ll be able to curve at a number of articulation factors, the intuitive creation instruments make it simpler than ever to transpose the park out of your thoughts to the display. Once you end, you’ll be able to add your creation to share with different gamers. I cherished exploring the neighborhood function; my favourite created parks ended up being the zany concepts, like an automatic rollercoaster so that you can grind alongside, reasonably than the extra conventional skateparks. Unfortunately, I typically acquired caught within objects in created parks because the items don’t match collectively as completely as they do within the developer-created ranges.
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Outside of sharing your parks, you too can bounce into on-line matches. In the frantic and enjoyable on-line classes, you compete in a randomized goal playlist of quick-hit matches the place eight gamers vie for the highest spot. These aims are so simple as getting the most effective rating throughout the time restrict or touchdown the most effective single combo, or as off-the-wall as graffiti mode, the place you attempt to tag as most of the objects as doable by performing tips on them. I really like the way you’re basically into the following match as quickly as you end the one earlier than it, with gamers in a position to seamlessly be a part of and drop out with out everybody else needing to return to a foyer. While I benefit from the construction of the net play, the expertise wears skinny quick as a consequence of repetitive aims and an incapability to play a number of the native multiplayer choices like H-O-R-S-E- and Tag on-line. Despite incomes money to spend on cosmetics within the skate store, I didn’t really feel motivated to stay round for various rounds at a time.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and a pair of makes the expertise of enjoying by way of these games once more really feel contemporary and present. With modern visuals, clean gameplay, and the enduring soundtrack you bear in mind, the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater franchise might as soon as once more have a brilliant future because of this terrific blast from the previous.
Score: 8.75
Summary: This bundle of two of probably the most beloved skateboarding games of all time successfully recaptures the magic of the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater franchise.
Concept: Serve up trendy variations of the primary two Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater games, full with new and returning skaters, the total suite of ranges, and on-line multiplayer
Graphics: With overhauled visuals, these 20-year-old games look proper at house on present consoles
Sound: Skating to those iconic soundtracks once more feels nice. The large choice of new songs match proper in with the established vibe
Playability: Stringing collectively flip tips, grabs, grinds, and manuals has by no means felt higher because of tweaks that make the gameplay smoother
Entertainment: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and a pair of is the easiest way to expertise these two traditional titles
Replay: High
