Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 Review (Switch 2)

Ollie, Ollie, Ollie, Oi, Oi, Oi!

I have to admit, I was really nervous about Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4. I played the first ‘1 + 2’ collection back in 2021 and absolutely loved it, but my early teenage years were shaped by the Birdman’s third and fourth console outings. So to say that a lot was riding on Iron Galaxy’s remake would be an understatement, and early concerns regarding THPS4’s shift in structure definitely rattled me.

Thankfully, I can wholeheartedly say that this latest nostalgic revisit to what I would argue was the peak of the Tony Hawk’s series is a success – albeit with a few caveats.

So let’s start with the pink elephant in the room. Pro Skater 4 has been drastically altered to fit more in line with Pro Skater 3 (and THPS1 + 2, for that matter). So instead of roaming about each level at your own pace and triggering missions by speaking with the local citizens, you’re instead racing against the two-minute clock, with missions completed organically as you make your way around.

It’s a bitter pill to swallow for veterans hoping for a more 1:1 remake of the original, but I have to admit that it still works pretty well as is. Yes, the levels in THPS4 are much larger than those that came before, and so tasks like collecting the S-K-A-T-E letters might prove more difficult with the ticking clock. But having the entry align more closely with the third does make for a more cohesive experience; one I’m certain newcomers will appreciate.

Speaking of cohesion, despite development moving from the now-defunct Vicarious Visions to Iron Galaxy, THPS3+4 feels instantly familiar to those who played the original games and the 2021 remake of 1 + 2. It plays exactly how you’d want, with slick, responsive controls, outrageously over-the-top combos, and heaps of potential when it comes to player and board customisation.

You’ve got a really solid selection of skaters to choose from, including Hawk himself, Zion Wright, Chloe Covell, and more. Unlockable characters include Bam Margera and TMNT’s Michelangelo, while if you opt for the Digital Deluxe Edition, you can also play as DOOM Slayer and the Revenant, with additional bonus music tracks included.

Each skater has various advantages and disadvantages, but by collecting stat points hidden around each level, you can boost everything from speed to lip balance. The good news is that if you switch skaters, you can immediately apply all stat points previously collected, so there’s no need to go through the motions again and again.

As for the levels themselves, they’ve been absolutely wonderfully recreated. Unlike the first two entries, 3 + 4 really leans into the whole MTV / Jackass influence and includes some truly ridiculous missions that make use of the additional NPC characters located throughout each stage. So, you can ‘Bury the Bully’ in Canada, ‘Stop the Pickpockets’ in Airport, and ‘Photobomb the Tourists’ in Alcatraz. Some missions have been altered somewhat, so don’t expect to see Ollie the Bum hallucinating pink elephants. They’re still around, but the context has been switched up a bit.

In addition to the familiar favourites, Iron Galaxy has also seen fit to create a few new tracks of its own, and I’ll be honest, they’re awesome. Waterpark in particular is a true highlight, with the myriad waterslides and empty pools making for a proper skateboarding playground begging to be combo’d into oblivion. It gives me hope that Activision could soon green-light a brand new Tony Hawk’s game, but I’m not going to hold my breath.

One thing I do want to call out, however, is the music. And to be clear, the soundtrack here is banging; really good stuff. You’ve got Iron Maiden’s 2 Minutes to Midnight, Sex Pistols Holidays in the Sun, Mastodon’s Precious Stones, and so much more. The problem, however, is that music is a powerful source of nostalgia, and the majority of the originals’ tunes have been left out, with only six tracks represented from THPS3, and four from THPS4.

I want to reiterate that the soundtrack is really rather good, and ultimately many newcomers will discover some life-long favourites here, just like I did back in the early 2000s. But why couldn’t Iron Galaxy appeal to both crowds? I broke into a massive stupid grin when Bodyjar’s Not the Same kicked in for the first time, and I just wish that the collection included a few more nostalgic hits.

Moving onto multiplayer, you’ve got a few options to keep you busy once you’re done with the single-player portion. One of the highlights is the new ‘HAWK’ mode, which sees you hide H-A-W-K letters around levels before riding around to locate your opponent’s letters. It’s a cool little mode, and it’s nice to see something that’s not just 'see who can score the most points'.

That said, while multiplayer works well, actually finding a match can take a little while. It’s early days, in one sense, but if the game’s struggling to find matches at launch, then I dread to think what it might be like in a year or two.

In addition to the standard multiplayer, you’ve also got the Create-A-Park mode. Here, you can try out custom parks from a hefty selection, though it’s safe to say that some of the early designs leave a bit to be desired. Heck, I can’t talk, I wouldn’t be able to do much better, but I’m definitely looking forward to seeing a few creations that don’t just rely on silly gimmicks.

The actual creation tool is pretty fun and intuitive, with assets selected with the D-pad and placed on the ground with the analogue sticks. You can rotate pieces, zoom in, pan the camera around – all sorts. It’s a neat little tool if you’ve got a flair for park creation, but ultimately I can’t see myself using it that much.

Finally, looking at how the game runs on Switch 2, I’m mostly very impressed. In handheld mode, there can be a little bit of aliasing, but by and large the game is remarkably on par with the likes of the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, hitting what feels like a solid 60fps with some gorgeous reflection technology on display with puddles.

The lighting looks great in levels like Tokyo and Foundry, and pop-in is thankfully kept at a minimum. Some of the NPC characters can look a little goofy at times, sure, but if anything, this felt like a callback to the original games. That’s my excuse at least – deal with it.

Finally, you can view some of the scenery with the game's photo mode, which works really well and adds in a number of cool little filters and effects for good measure.

Conclusion

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 is another welcome return to the franchise's glory days, presenting the third and fourth entries with revamped visuals across the board while retaining the same slick gameplay. Some folks might be unable to get over the structural changes to Pro Skater 4, and I have to admit to being a little disappointed at the lack of classic music tracks, but overall, the positives absolutely outweigh the negatives.

If you're looking to inject a hefty dose of nostalgia into your life, or you simply want to see what the Tony Hawk series was like at its absolute peak, then this should prove a fine addition to your Switch 2 library.