Five years after a disastrous wipeout,Tony Hawk’s Pro Skateris back on its feet with a remake of the original 1999 game and its sequel. Vicarious Visions and Activision shared some of the upcoming game’s visuals Tuesday, showing off beautifully recreated versions of the school and warehouse maps that longtime fans know by heart.
Pro Skater 1 + 2is set to launch on current-gen platforms and PC in September. The game isn’t the first time Activision has returned to the comfort of the original titles - an earlier HD remake by Robomodo came out for the Xbox 360 and PS3 in 2012. But reception to that version was middling, and it was pulled from sale in 2017 after the publisher lost the license.
RELATED:Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 Will Have Most of the Original Soundtracks
Tony Hawk and Activision briefly parted ways in the meantime, with Hawk expressing a desire to move on from the series' missteps after a string of unsuccessful titles. The Birdman launched amobile game,Tony Hawk’s Skate Jam, with indie publisher Maple Media in 2018, but his series has since made its way back to Activision for its big return on console.
Rumors of the remake’s development date back to late last year, but no confirmation came from Activision until this week’s reveal. Vicarious Visions, the studio chosen to handleTony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, is no stranger to bringing old franchises back from the dead. TheCrash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogyearned rave reviews when it launched in 2017, and sold well enough for Activision to put further titles in the series into production after almost ten years.
It may not bethe long-awaitedSkate 4, but fans of skateboarding video games in general finally have a big title to look forward to.Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2may have the nostalgia factor to get fans of the classic series interested again, but the remake will have to shine on its own merits in order for the wider gaming public to take notice of it. With a fresh new look and a proven team at the helm, this bird’s looking ready to take flight.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2releases September 4 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
