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Guess who’s back? Tony freaking Hawk’s back. That’s right, the Birdman has announced that his iconic skateboarding video game franchise, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, will return this year with a massive overhaul of the original series’ first two instalments. The remastered games boast enhanced graphics, all-new challenges, an online multiplayer mode and, of course, a banging soundtrack.
Are you ready to tear it up all night to the beat of Papa Roach and Dead Kennedys? If the answer’s yes, then hang tight, here’s everything you need to know about the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 remaster.
What’s the latest news?
- Skepta, A Tribe Called Quest, Alex Lahey and more added to Tony Hawk’s Pro-Skater 1 + 2 soundtrack
- A Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater documentary will be released before the remaster launches
- New Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 skaters revealed, demo coming soon
- Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater releases fully-remastered announcement trailer
What is the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series?
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater is a skateboarding video game franchise originally developed by Neversoft. The first instalment in the Tony Hawk’s series was released in 1999 and it was followed up with Pro Skater 2 (in 2000), 3 (2001) and 4 (2002). In 2003, the franchise revealed the Tony Hawk’s Underground series and later launched Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland in 2005. It also released standalone titles such as Tony Hawk’s Project 8 and Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground.
The game is played from a third-person perspective and allows players to slip into sneakers of famous skateboarders, including Hawk. The main goal of the game is to rack up points by performing a combination of skate tricks.
Who is developing the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 remaster?
In a press statement, the new and improved Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 is being “built from the ground up” by developers Vicarious Visions, the team behind the 2017 remake of Crash Bandicoot. The games will be published by California-based studio, Activision.
When will the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 remaster be released?
The remastered versions of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 will arrive on September 4, 2020. The date was confirmed in its announcement trailer in May.
A documentary that will tell the story of the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series will launch less than a month before the remaster. Titled Pretending I’m A Superman – The Tony Hawk Video Game Story, the docu will be directed by Ludvig Gür and released on August 18.
Is there a trailer for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater remaster?
Yes. The first trailer for the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 remaster dropped in May 2020. It announced the game’s release date as well as other details fans can expect from the upcoming editions, including game modes and characters. Watch it below:
What are the new features in the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 remaster?
Aside from enhanced graphics, it has been confirmed that the remaster will also include additional features that were previously not available in the original games. These include new challenges, “a more elaborate create-a-park mode where you can share custom skate parks online; and brand-new online multiplayer modes along with local multiplayer”, The Verge reported.
What platforms will the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 remaster be released on?
The remastered Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 is expected to arrive on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC at launch. There is no official word if the games would be released on other platforms or new-gen consoles later.
It is also currently unclear if the games will be released on the Nintendo Switch in the near future. But as ShackNews notes, a Switch release is highly possible as developer Vicarious Visions was responsible for bringing the remastered Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy to the console. Be sure to bookmark this page and stay tuned for more Switch updates.
Which characters will return in the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater remaster?
According to Activision Games’ announcement blog post, the “full original roster of pro skaters” will return for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skaters 1 + 2. This includes favourites like Steve Caballero, Geoff Rowley, Bucky Lasek, Elissa Steamer, Kareem Campbell, Andrew Reynolds, Bob Burnquist, Eric Koston, Rodney Mullen, Jamie Thomas, Rune Glifberg and Chad Muska.
The Birdman himself, aka Tony Hawk, is also set to return (duh!). But here’s a twist – the developers have aged the characters significantly to make sure they reflect the skaters’ age in real life.
On June 23, Activision released a trailer for the remaster which revealed new playable skaters. Among the roster of new characters are Lizzie Armanto and Tony Hawk’s son, Riley Hawk. Other characters include Leo Baker, Leticia Bufoni, Nyjah Huston, Tyshawn Jones, Aori Nishimura and Shane O’Neill. The skaters will bring their signature tricks and moves to the game for players to perform for the ultimate combo.
The original Pro Skater games also included a bunch of secret characters that required players to unlock. Some of them which we’re hoping to return are Private Carrera and Officer Dick. Also, who knows, maybe Spider-Man might make an appearance again this time.
Will the original soundtrack be featured in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater remaster?
What’s Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater without its incredible soundtrack? Longtime fans of the franchise will be glad to know that, apart from five tracks, all of the original songs featured in the games will be brought back for the remasters.
“We did fall short on a couple of them because, you know, it’s 20 years later and sometimes licencors or copyright holders couldn’t be tracked down, or there might have been a dispute as to who might have been the rights holder,” Vicarious Visions COO Simon Ebejer told Variety. “But for the most part, when [the original artists] found out about this game and us remastering it, they were excited to be a part of it.”
So get ready to do kickflips and ollies while Rage Against The Machine, Goldfinger, Dead Kennedys and other punk rock heroes hype you up.
On July 29, Activision revealed that additional songs from Skepta, A Tribe Called Quest, Alex Lahey, Machine Gun Kelly, CHAII and others will be added to its game soundtrack.
How can I pre-order Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2?
The remastered Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater games will be sold as a bundle. Pre-order links are already up on the Xbox Store for Xbox One players and Epic Games Store for the PC. An official pre-order link on the PlayStation Store is not open yet.
Pre-orders will also come with a bonus demo of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater’s Warehouse, giving fans a sneak preview of the new games. While it’s not confirmed yet when the demo will be available to play, it will be ready for fans before the remasters land. Check a trailer for the demo below.
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