Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 Review: Infectious Nostalgic Fun

After its golden age during the PS1 and PS2 era, Tony Hawk’s skateboarding series faced years of decline. This dry spell finally ended with Vicarious Visions’ outstanding remake of Neversoft’s PlayStation classic, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2. Despite the critical acclaim and success of Pro Skater 1+2, Vicarious Visions shared Neversoft’s fate after merging with Blizzard Albany. Activision then handed the reins to Iron Galaxy, the studio responsible for the Windows port of Pro Skater 1+2 and the recent PC port of The Last of Us Part II.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4, released in 2025, is a skateboarding video game developed by Iron Galaxy and published by Activision. Like its predecessor, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 by Vicarious Visions, it remakes Pro Skater 3 (2001) and Pro Skater 4 (2002), originally created by Neversoft. It was released on July 11, 2025, for Steam, Xbox Series S|X, PlayStation 4 & 5, and Nintendo Switch 1 & 2.

Welcome to Your Tape

Like its predecessor, Pro Skater 3+4 holds up really well in replicating and refining the nostalgic feel and core gameplay of the PlayStation originals. Like 1+2, you have multiple skateboarding arenas with a set number of goals that you need to achieve within 120 seconds. Aside from setting a high score by performing cool tricks, multiple quirky goals make each arena a unique playground.

But all that can be quite overwhelming if you are a newcomer to the Tony Hawk series. This is why the game encourages you to go through its tutorial mode, which features a sprawling cityside arena that walks you through all the tropes of a skateboarder. From simple ollies to executing special tricks for each skater that you select, everything you need to learn is on the tutorial tapes.

As you achieve more goals, you unlock additional arenas and earn collectibles like stat upgrade points and in-game currency to purchase new gear for your custom character. Alongside the 33 skateboarding legends, such as Tony Hawk and Aori Nishimura, each with their unique moves and signature style, Doom Guy makes a comeback, adding a hellish twist with his distinctive flair.

Break My Fall

If you’re new to the Tony Hawk series, getting started can feel a bit daunting. Even the tutorial demands a good amount of practice and patience to get through. There are plenty of moves to master, and building the necessary muscle memory takes time. Tricks like airborne ollies, wall-hops, grinding on rails, and launching off ramps into aerial maneuvers like the nosedive or ‘madonna’ are simpler to pull off but require precise timing and smooth landings.

The key to mastering this is ensuring you break your fall so that your skateboard always lands pointing forward. If you land on the side, a fall is inevitable. Once you get the hang of it, it’s all about charging the special meter. When it’s full and turns amber, you can perform signature moves based on your chosen skater. This involves pressing buttons in a sequence after launching off a ramp, which seems nearly impossible at first but eventually becomes second nature. Overall, the experience is incredibly satisfying and fun. It’s so nostalgically enjoyable that it might even inspire you to try skateboarding in real life, where there are no assists or instant recoveries from falls.

That’s not all—the game encourages players to use vehicles by skitching rides and discovering “gaps.” Gaps are designed for the pros and must be found by executing moves across connecting structures. The number of tricks performed without touching the ground boosts score multipliers. In multiplayer, competing on the leaderboards is key, as no in-game assists are allowed in the online arenas. Plus, it supports cross-play, which is an added bonus.

What’s Missing

While Pro Skater 3 is an excellent and faithful recreation of the original, the same can’t be said for the Pro Skater 4 section of the game. When it was first released, Pro Skater 4 marked a major shift in the series by introducing a longer time limit and a career mode with free roam, setting the stage for future entries like Underground, American Wasteland, and Neversoft’s final project, Proving Grounds.

Sadly, the free-roaming Career Mode in THPS4 has been swapped out for the classic two-minute time-based format. Several levels, like Sewers, Little Big World, Carnival, and Chicago, are also missing. On top of that, some unlockable skaters, including Darth Maul, Wolverine, and Kelly Slater, are missing from the skaters roster.

On the bright side, much of the fantastic licensed soundtrack remains in the game, showcasing why its timeless compilation of songs stands out. It’s easily one of the best collections of late ’90s and early 2000s classic hits with rebellious vibes all in one place. The PC port of the game is one of the best on the platform, needing only a modest GTX 660 to run. On my 3050 Ti with its humble 4GB memory, I was able to run it at 1440p on high settings at 60 frames per second. In 2025, that’s nothing short of a dream come true.

Real Talk

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 is an impressive follow-up to Vicarious Visions’ swan song. The exhilarating skateboarding mechanics remain as fun as ever, demanding skill to execute showcase-worthy maneuvers. Despite some content being trimmed from its Pro Skater 4 counterpart, it delivers a solid, all-in-one package with stunning visuals and an excellent soundtrack.

FINAL SCORE: 90/100