There’s just something special about those early Tony Hawk games. Amazing soundtracks, a sick roster, and awesome maps kept us all entertained for hours, and now, the excellent Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater remasters are over 50% off in a new Xbox sale. If you’re bored with Skater XL or Session Skate Sim, or just waiting for Skate 4 to arrive, you need to give these games a try.
You’ll need to act fast, though, as there isn’t a lot of time left to nab one of the best Xbox games around. Head over to the Xbox store before Monday, April 29, 2024, and you’ll be able to get Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 for $15.99/£15.99. That’s essentially a 60% discount, saving you $24.00/£24.00, snagging you two new Xbox games in the process. Released back in 2020, developer Vicarious Visions were tasked with rejuvenating the franchise after a series of disappointing entries.
Remember Tony Hawk Ride or Shred? We try not to think about them. And if you played Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5, well, the less said the better. Made off the foundations of Neversoft’s code, the remasters amazingly walk the line between respecting the original games, while offering a new layer of sheen for modern day players. For those of you that joined the franchise with later entries like Tony Hawk’s Underground, one of the best games in the skating genre, then there are control options available to make you feel right at home.
Not only do these remasters look superb, with maps like Venice Beach glistening in the sun, but they feel absolutely buttery to play. It doesn’t a step out of line from their PS1 predecessors, and it’ll instantly transport back to days of sitting on your living room floor trying to collect all those secret VHS tapes.
All the familiar skaters are here, with some new faces too, and you can create your own too if you wish. Character customization isn’t quite as robust as the Underground games or Project 8, but a great selection of unlockable cosmetics keep your character looking fresh. Split screen multiplayer is available too, so you can invite a few buddies over to relive the glory days, or you can hop online to test your skills with the best of the best.
Four years later, and the Pro Skater remasters are among the best sports games out there. They’ve certainly kept us busy while we wait for the Skate 4 release date, or even the potential revival of the scrapped Pro Skater 3+4 game Vicarious Visions was working on before Activision halted production. With the studio working on all things Call of Duty and Diablo these days, we’re hoping that the Microsoft Activision merger will release the developer from its current duties in the future.
In other gaming news, Cocoon is another Xbox gem you need to check out, and this PS5 exclusive is seemingly headed to Xbox in the near future.