I still remember the first time I played Tony Hawk's Pro Skater back in 1999 - the feeling of landing that first 900, the satisfaction of discovering hidden areas, and the pure joy of skating to punk rock anthems. That's why when Activision announced Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 remake, I was practically counting down the days until release. The 2020 remake delivered exactly what fans like me wanted: a faithful recreation of those iconic first two games with stunning visual upgrades and buttery smooth gameplay. But here's the thing that kept nagging at me throughout my playthrough - where was THPS3?
Let me be clear - Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 was absolutely phenomenal. The developers at Vicarious Visions nailed the physics, preserved the classic level designs, and added just enough modern touches to make it feel fresh while staying true to the originals. The game featured all 19 original levels from the first two games, plus 6 additional create-a-skater levels, bringing the total to 25 meticulously crafted environments. The online multiplayer supported up to 8 players simultaneously, and the soundtrack included 37 tracks from the original games plus 18 new additions. From a technical standpoint, it was nearly perfect. But that missing third installment felt like reading the first two books in a trilogy and never getting the conclusion.
Now we have Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4, and while I've been playing it for about 40 hours already, I can't help but feel conflicted. Developer Iron Galaxy has made some curious decisions that longtime fans will immediately notice. The most significant change is the altered physics system - it's noticeably different from both the original THPS3 and the previous remake. The revert mechanic, which was introduced in THPS3 and revolutionized combo possibilities, feels slightly off in timing. The wallplant doesn't have quite the same snap it used to, and the manual balance seems more forgiving than I remember. These might sound like minor complaints, but for veterans who've spent hundreds of hours mastering these mechanics, they're game-changing differences.
The level selection is another area where I have mixed feelings. Operation Verge, one of my personal favorites from THPS4, offers 10 maps instead of the original nine, which sounds great on paper. However, some of the level layouts have been subtly altered, changing the flow of lines I've memorized over two decades. The Airport level lost some of its signature rail setups, while College's iconic rooftop gap feels slightly repositioned. These changes aren't necessarily bad - they force me to rediscover the levels - but they do distance the experience from the originals I fell in love with.
What really gets me is the exclusion of certain classic features. The original THPS3 had that fantastic career mode where you could create your own team of skaters, and THPS4 introduced the open-world style progression that changed how we experienced the games. While the remake includes the core career modes from both games, it strips away some of the secondary features that gave the originals their personality. The create-a-goal feature from THPS4 is missing entirely, and several classic skaters from the roster have been replaced with newer faces. We lost about 15% of the original content between both games, which might not sound like much, but when you're talking about games as beloved as these, every missing element feels significant.
Don't get me wrong - Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 is still an excellent skating game. The graphics are gorgeous, running at a smooth 60 frames per second even on last-gen consoles, and the level of detail in environments like Los Angeles and the Cruise Ship is breathtaking. The create-a-park feature has been expanded with over 200 new objects, and the online servers have been surprisingly stable during my sessions. The soundtrack includes 45 tracks spanning multiple genres, though I'll admit I miss some of the deeper cuts from the original games. From a pure gameplay perspective, it's arguably the best skating experience available right now.
But here's my dilemma: as much as I'm enjoying this new package, it doesn't quite capture the magic of playing THPS3 for the first time on PlayStation 2. That game represented a quantum leap forward for the series, introducing the revert that forever changed combo possibilities and refining the physics to near-perfection. This remake feels like it's trying to bridge two different eras of Tony Hawk games, and in doing so, loses some of what made each installment special. The development team made the decision to use a unified physics system across both games, which means THPS3 plays more like THPS4 and vice versa. It creates consistency, but at the cost of authenticity.
What I find most interesting is how this mirrors the casino gaming experience. Just as Tony Hawk fans have certain expectations about physics and level design, casino players develop strategies and patterns based on consistent game mechanics. When a beloved slot machine gets updated or a blackjack variant changes its rules, seasoned players notice immediately. The tension between preserving what made the original great and introducing modern improvements is something both industries struggle with. In my experience, the most successful updates are those that understand why players fell in love with the original while carefully implementing enhancements that don't fundamentally alter the core experience.
After spending considerable time with Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4, I've come to appreciate it for what it is rather than what I wanted it to be. It's not the perfect preservation of classic Tony Hawk that I'd hoped for, but it's still a tremendously fun skating game that introduces these legendary levels to a new generation. The package includes over 50 levels between both games, supports 4K resolution on current-gen consoles, and maintains that addictive "just one more run" quality that defines the best Tony Hawk titles. While I'll probably still fire up my PS2 occasionally to experience the originals, this remake offers enough quality content and modern convenience to earn its place in my regular rotation. Sometimes you have to accept that remakes can't perfectly replicate childhood memories - but they can create new ones that are just as special in their own way.