Hello ladies, gentlemen and those of a non-binary nature, my name is Daibhi and this is the Gamerhub. With the news of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 breaking the internet over the weekend, we at Gamerhub thought we’d give you a hand and let you know exactly which games in the franchise are worth playing, and which ones to avoid. For that reason, I have put myself through gaming hell and played through a great deal of them for you. It’s because we’re nice like that, here at the Hub, and also to give you a flavour of the previous franchise. There are some masterpieces on that list (nearer the bottom) and some that suck more than the probability that Bam Margera probably won’t be in the next instalment. So here is the bit of admin for this ranking. There are some games on this list where there are multiple entries on different consoles. This is because while Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater on PS1 rocks, the GameBoy version sucks more than the controls for Tony Hawk’s Ride. The other thing to mention is that I’m going to try and keep the snarky jokes to the minimum. That’s largely because the rumours surrounding the upcoming game sucks, and we sincerely hope that the news isn’t true. On with the ranking.
20- Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5
(available on PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One family of consoles), 2015
Oh man, where do I begin with this game? The awful reception that this hot mess got from just about everyone? The buggy graphics and endless glitches? The fact that our own Galadrius The Mighty pointed out that “nearly a year after Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 was released, Robomodo (the developer of this and a couple of other clunkers) went out of business”? Wel, let’s start at the beginning. We don’t dunk on our contemporaries here at The Gamerhub, and we won’t start here. The folks at Destructoid and other gaming websites have some brilliant people working for them, and they all gave this game bad reviews. Metacritic, the aggregator website, gave this game an average of 39%, and having played this game for you this weekend past, I agree with them.
While THPS5 tried very hard to recapture the magic of previous games by returning to the format we all know and love, this game was a graphical and gaming nightmare. The bugs and glitches made this game nigh-on unplayable, the soundtrack sucked more than most games with licensed soundtracks, and don’t get me started on the control scheme. Oh, you want me to talk about it? Okay. The control scheme is a turgid mess, with buttons doing things you really don’t expect. It’s not just Robomodo’s fault, but these games condition us to a control scheme we get used to. Reinventing the wheel for a game that was supposedly a return to the classic genre really wasn’t the best of ideas here.
19. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater (2000), Game Boy Color
Don’t shout at me for this one folks, it’s not this game for every console on the list, just the god-awful mess that we got on the Game Boy Color. Fun fact, little me had this on Game Boy Color the first time around, and the resulting mess of a game little me endured meant that I saved up my pocket money to get the PlayStation One version. So me ragging on this game is part nostalgia, part bad memories, and part me in disbelief that this version of the game ever got made. Not every port of a game is made equal and the original Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater made for the PS1is amazing. Sadly, the Game Boy Color version of this game is about as well-received as a wet fart in an elevator, and I can see why.
Natsume made this game, and while their output was usually brilliant, it’s clear to me from the moment you start playing this game that they didn’t quite understand the assignment. That is to say that they didn’t truly understand how to port the legendary 3D game onto a 2D landscape, and playing this game again as an adult really was an exercise in patience. There are by and large two different modes in this game. The half-pipe mode really drew my ire as you simply coast between two vert ramps in a half-pipe configuration, performing tricks under a time limit. There is an admittedly good racing mode, but that isn’t exactly what I wanted to do when I play a Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater game. If, like me, you want to play the racing mode, be prepared for one very steep difficulty curve, and keep an eye on who you play as.
18. Tony Hawk’s Motion (2008), Nintendo DS.
I feel bad for ragging on this game, but in my eyes, it’s the start of something that gamers would come to hate in this franchise: The use of gyroscopic controls predate the use of hardware (and I’ll get to that in a bit). Developed by Creed Studios, this game was a Nintendo-only game, and that was before “Nintendo-only game” meant quality. This game is a dud. To play this game, you need to have a DS with the Game Boy Advance slot, as it comes with a cartridge to give the game’s titular motion. There’s a few problems with this but… primarily, it’s the game’s gyroscopic controls working infuriatingly slowly and it being the only way to control the direction of your skater. It’s incredibly hard to focus on two screens when you have to focus on the screens while tilting them around with your hands.
I’m being a bit harsh- this game allows some innovations I like. The graphics are decent for the time it was made, and there’s very little in the way of bugs and glitches. There’s also the inclusion of snowboarding as an option. In my head, I theorise that this game might have been a test and a precursor to snowboarding games that ultimately never got made. Thank the Flying Spaghetti Monster for that. Don’t bother with the hidden game though, unless you’re a fan of Splatoon. This game feels more like a demo, with it seeming like the game came out unfinished. Maybe that’s why I feel bad about dunking on it.
17. Tony Hawk’s Ride (2009) PS3, Wii, Xbox 360.
This is where I’m really going to go to town on stinkers in the Tony Hawk franchise. I don’t care that the Birdman himself appeared in the adverts, nor that this game had a shoddy peripheral that didn’t work, this game was shit. I get the point of this game, they were going after people who wanted better immersion in the game itself, and it would have worked if the peripheral had worked. Sadly, the fact it’s at 16 and not 6 on this ranking probably gives you some idea about how well it worked (it didn’t). This game had everything going for it before launch. The peripheral looked cool, the showcase at events showed it working, it came out during the height of Guitar Hero mania and it had been backed by some very serious people. And then we played it.
I’m not going to undersell you this when I tell you that this game got very poorly reviewed. For me, personally, this spelled the beginning of the end of my childhood with teenage me leaving the franchise behind at this point out of sheer disappointment. But how bad is the game to play now? Fucking dire isn’t coming close, so let me explain why. The graphics really haven’t held up badly, but the gameplay is atrocious. For a start, one of the joys of the previous games in this franchise was the exploration. From exploring Alcatraz in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 to getting the secret tapes in the first 4 games, the exploration was half of the fun. There’s a lot less of it in this game, and the game modes don’t encourage you to do it either. Slalom is fun, if you can get the board to work and steer properly, but don’t hold your breath on that one.
16. Tony Hawk Shred (2010) PS3, Wii, Xbox 360
It’s another shitty game made for the peripheral that feels like something you could have picked up in a charity shop, but at least there’s a logical alternative mode here: Snowboarding is involved here, and this game is somewhat more bearable as a result. It’s the direct sequel to ride, but with more stuff added and a different design for the big bit of plastic. I have to admit, this game wasn’t anywhere near as frustrating to play, largely due to the different calibration of the board, as well as some quality adjustments. Tony Hawk himself appears in this game to help you with the tutorials, and snowboarding on this plastic board with no wheels felt a bit better.
Graphically, this game got a bit of a boost, but if you’re a Wii player, you’ll barely be able to notice this as the game seems to be just messed with. However, this was the game that put the franchise into a 5 year hiatus, which ended with the rage-inducing fiasco that was Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5. I want to have a séance with Robomodo, if only so I can contact the studio from beyond the grave and ask for my money back.
15. Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam (2006), PS2, Wii
Okay, before I start going through this critically, this is the game that I wish I still had a copy of, because honestly, it’s not that bad. All of the entries from here to the number one game are going to be positive to be honest, folks. It might have been developed from an idea in the earlier Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater games, but this game really isn’t that bad. This game was made by the geniuses at Toys For Bob, and it was launched to coincide with Project 8, and whilst Project 8 gets a higher standing than this game, it isn’t to be sniffed at. Simply put, I love this game.
Unlike most game in this franchise, Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam focused on racing as a main gaming mode, but it worked well. For fans of the SSX games, this game had very similar mechanics. However, unlike other racing modes in other games, this game gave you speed boosts for tricks you pulled off as you raced against various very aggressive opponents. Pushing other racers to the kerb isn’t just encouraged, it’s a lot of fun and is, more often than not, giving you the same level of dopamine boost as playing Burnout Takedown. To get that sort comparison from me is really saying something, and I’d encourage you to play it, if not for the simple fact that this is a great party game as well as a good game in its own right. Enjoy pushing people out of the way as you race down the streets of San Francisco.
14. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 (2000) Game boy Color
Finally, a game for the Game Boy Color that wasn’t a fresh, steaming pile of dog mess. This game was a side-scroller, again made by Natsume. It’s fair to say that Natsume had learned their lesson from the first game, however, as this one is a lot more fun than the last. I’m actually quite sorry that I didn’t own this game the first time around, as this game was a joy to play as an adult who likes himself some retrogaming fun.
This game has two types of gaming environment, and I’ll go through each. The first is a simple, run-and-gun style mode with your skater going through a series of enivronments. You can’t stop, you can only skate with a feel similar to Contra in that sense, with all the fun and frustration of Flea.
The second type involves more of a Streets of Rage feel to it, as your skater moves up and down the screen looking for ramps and objects to pull sick tricks off as you try to get all the SKATE letters in a time frame. They both have their strong points and I like them both. So much so that I spent a couple of hours on Etsy looking for a reproduction of this game so I could give it to ZenBloke.
There’s a lot to chew on here, and I genuinely think I would have enjoyed this better than the first game as a kid, and it’s definitely the best skateboarding game available on the Game Boy Color. I won’t give this game more than 3 Joysticks, but I genuinely enjoyed playing this game for you.
13. Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground (2007) PS2, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360
Let’s get the elephant in the room dealt with first people: We know that the box art was both crap and uninspiring. But don’t let that game art on the box put you off playing this game. It’s not going to win any awards any time soon, but it is a good game. The last game made by the guys at Neversoft, yes, but it’s a lot better than people gave it credit for at the time. The game is bigger, it feels more involved than half of the games I’ve spoken about before now and I genuinely loved playing it. The camera receives a much needed update, and the graphics hold up surprisingly well, which was a welcome surprise.
There’s a lot to like in Gameplay too: This game has three modes, namely Rigger, Career and Hardcore. Personally, I love all three, but critics at the time hated Hardcore mode. Why? I guess it might have been a case of not having the allotted time to review the game and “get good”, but it genuinely makes the game a satisfying and frustrating experience. Career gives you free roam around the 9 maps, completing increasingly difficult challenges to the Tony Hawk crew. Rigger gives you the time attack mode- 2 minutes to pull off the sickest combos and great high scores over 9 maps. Then, there’s the Hardcore mode. Bail once, and you have to start the 10 challenges in a map all over again. I really enjoyed this bit.
There were several things the critics didn’t like. The Hardcore mode was seen as needlessly difficult, and the lack of customisable options and poor licensed music choices sank this game, but I have a solution. Get this game, put in your wireless headphones and play it with the soundtrack from Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4. You’re welcome. Also, the Skate franchise somewhat overshadowed this game. Sad times, because this game is a solid game.
12. Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam (2006) Nintendo Ds, Game Boy Advance.
This was the version of Downhill Jam that did best commercially and critically, and it’s not hard to see why. The guys at Vicarious Visions made this game, and considering their plethora of games, that should have been the first sign that this game was going to have a much higher quality than the PS2 and Wii versions. A better soundtrack? Check. Better gameplay? Check. The amount of great visuals available on this game is fantastic as you feel breathless as you fly down the streets. The increase of vibrant colours, the breakneck pace of this game is phenomenal and this is a game you can pick up for 30 minutes and find yourself still playing two hours later.
This game keeps the traditional game mechanics of which buttons do what, as well as great use of the D-Pad for directions, and a great mechanic I wish we had on more modern games- the Combo buffer. If you miss your option to keep the combo, you have a little under three seconds to pull another trick and keep the combo going. Sadly, due to the fact that Nintendo no longer keep the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection going, I can’t tell you from first-hand experience what this game was like to play online, but the Discord community who helped me play this game inform me it was more-or-less seamless.
11. Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland (2005) Gamecube, PC, PS2, Xbox, Xbox 360.
This was the first game in the franchise to have one big, open-world area instead of multiple explorable skateparks, but put down your torches and pitchforks, gamers, this one isn’t bad. This game got badly advertised, as this game promised one giant level as Los Angeles and provided several gigantic areas with long bland tunnels replacing loading screens. But don’t let that fact put you off, this game genuinely isn’t too bad to play. The BMX additions give this game some much needed depth. It’s not the first time we’ve seen BMX stuff added into a Tony Hawk game (Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 sends it’s regards), but this adds some great stuff to do, and if you’re going through the tunnels to the next area, doing so on a BMX makes this go much more quickly.
The Story mode involves a redemption arc as your character tries to get stuff to build a new skatepark, which works as your level progress checker. Also, this story was a bit ahead of it’s time with the main villain being a cartoonishly evil capitalist landlord, wanting to redevelop the titular wasteland to build apartments. In 2025, this game’s plotline has aged like a good Scottish whisky. It’s just a shame the graphics didn’t follow suit.
10. Tony Hawk’s Project 8 (2006). PS2, PS3, PSP, Xbox, Xbox 360
This is a game that I have loved from the moment I first picked it up. Project 8 is the eighth title, but don’t let the name pun fool you. The titular project is all about proving your skills skateboarding until you get into the Project 8 itself, which is a competition between the 8 best skateboarders (insert Jeremy Clarkson’s voice) in the world.
Tony Hawk creates a team of the best in order to make it into the ranks, and this game had a new engine on the higher tier consoles of the time. This engine actually gave us a real and seamless open world, with all the bells and whistles that entail from that moment forward. We also got a “Nail The Trick” feature, which seems to have been borrowed from The Matrix games. Hitting that mode effectively slows time and allows you to pull off some sick combos using the analogue sticks, and it’s really good fun. Critics at the time called it jarring, but on reflection, this mode just enhances your gameplay. Why? Getting that mode to trigger is really difficult at times, and it’s an incredibly rewarding experience to get when you master it. Great for showoffs, as well as new players.
9. Tony Hawk’s American Sk8land (2006) Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS.
This game isn’t just a pun for the name, this game is a brilliant handheld one. Don’t bother with the GBA game, and sadly, I was unable to play a GBA version of this game without shelling out money I didn’t have for it. However, the DS version of this game rocks. This had the same sort of sountrack, characters and locations as the version available on bigger consoles, yes, but with a unique visual perspective.
The cell-shaded graphics as well as this game’s own version of “nail the trick”, slowing down time when you jump big gaps between objects, made this game really quite addictive. This game gave an authentic feel for the controls, with the DS’s second screen being fully utilised to add extra tricks and tips. Honestly, I love Tony Hawk’s American Sk8tland on the Nintendo DS and I really do recommend playing it if you can get your hands on it. Being able to throw a tantrum when you bail was hilarious fun.
I really love the recording ability they put in this game to record your own sounds when you bail, but shouting “fucksake” every time you fall off your board is only funny for a short amount of time. The better point here was the ability to design your own board, which many people did for great effect. Personally, I kept trying to draw a Heartagram (any other fans of HIM here?), but I can only imagine what other people drew.
8. Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground (2007), Nintendo DS.
Poor Game Boy and Game Boy Advance Gamers. We really didn’t have it easy as far as skateboarding games come, did we? Fortunately, the DS got a lot of good handheld games in this genre. This game had more fun packed into a cartridge the size of a postage stamp than the home based consoles did on a disc, and this game is living proof of this. For the collectors among us, be prepared to shell out if you want this game, but damn, it’s good. We got gigantic maps, a better difficulty settings, and more modes than you can shake a skateboard at.
We got a decent career mode, a great time attack mode, more designs, more creation and even a “build your own skatepark” mode, albeit that the latter was pretty poor. Where people absolutely loved this game, however, was the online mode. Sadly, I didn’t experience it at the time, but several critics and skateboarders alike praised it for the 4 player multiplayer as well as being able to share all of the custom designs. It didn’t add too much to the gameplay, but it’s by far a solid game to play, and well worth your time playing.
7. Tony Hawk’s Underground 2 (2004) Gamecube, Game Boy Advance, PC, PS2, Xbox.
This is one of the games on this list where sourcing it didn’t take too much trouble, and I’m grateful for that. Unlike most of the games on this list, this is one I enjoyed both as a kid and as an adult, playing this on my PC. Created by Neversoft as the second part of the Underground series. This game was well received by the target audience of the time (who listened to Limp Bizkit and probably enjoyed watching Jackass), but it feels dated with the humour.
However, don’t let outdated toilet humour throw you off- The gameplay and story mode is fantastic, even if the plot doesn’t make a lick of sense. The main reason to play this game, in my honest opinion, is the gameplay itself. Earn points by skateboarding across the maps, which are huge, and perform stunts to outplay the NPCs. The game’s tricks lack a certain panache, but don’t let that put you off. It’s a good game, even if it’s not as good as the first game in the Tony Hawk’s Underground series.
6. Tony Hawk’s Underground (2003), Gamecube, Game Boy Advance, PC, PS2, Xbox
This game is a solidly good game, regardless of which console you play it on. This game gave you a number of firsts in the franchise. The first time you could dismount your skateboard and climb the environment? Check. Grittier environments? Sort of. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 did it first, but yes, this game properly did it. The one innovation this game made, however, was the thoroughly detestable rival. Move over, Blue/Gary from the Pokémon franchise, this game has the rival who both figuratively and literally kicks your character between the legs. I am, of course, talking about that scumbag C***** B***** [Editor’s note- Daibhi, making jokes about Tiger King is getting old]. Sorry, I mean that backstabbing sack of wind called Eric Sparrow. Honestly, I think I hate him more than the dog from Duck Hunt.
Under no circumstances do you trust this t***
The story sees you trying to become a pro skateboarder alongside your best friend Eric. As you progress through the game, his sneaky and paranoid behaviour increases, leading him to a heel turn worthy of Austin shaking hands with McMahon [Editor’s note- this references a moment that lives in Pro Wrestling infamy, but we allow Daibhi one of these references a week]. He betrays us with a Russian tank. But ignore the plot, the maps are awesome, the mechanics are amazing and the game really has aged well, and I’d recommend it for anyone picking up skateboarding games for the first time.
5. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 (1999) Dreamcast, PS1, N64, N-Gage
The game that started this all off. Mixing skateboarding with great music and 3D graphics that most people hadn’t seen before determined that this game would be a runaway hit, and they were right. There’s a lot to love about this game, so much so that it got a remaster treatment a few years ago. This is the game that everyone had, or wanted to have on their consoles, and it’s spectacular. It’s accessible, and was the revolution of skateboarding games. Easy to pick up, difficult to master, and with more easter eggs than you could shake a stick at, this game was no shortage of fun from beginning to end.
It even held up on the ludicrous gaming console/ mobile phone hybrid that was the Nokia N-Gage, with this being one of their best sellers on their platform. This wasn’t the first game on the PS1, or the first skateboarding game ever, but this set the world on fire, and yeah, it earned all the praise and attention it got. The risk vs reward gameplay made this game one of the most addictive ever made, and the local multiplayer was amazing to do. Reviewers loved everything about this game, unless they got the N-Gage version.
4. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2
A lot of people will claim that this is the best game to ever come out for this franchise, and I completely understand why. This was the most consistently good one between all of the different consoles, and when I did my research for this ranking, was the one that people loved the most. This one can turn any conversation about skateboarding into a full fledged conversation about gaming and nostalgia. It’s certainly the best received across the Metacritic aggregator. This game really is the bees knees.
From elevating the recipe to adding extra bits and better music, but the gameplay rocked in this, allowing manuals to keep you playing combos, adding cash to help you unlock more skates made this game addictive, this is the game that had and still has everyone talking. Well, almost, but be patient, we’re nearly there. Suffice to say, if you have a PS1 or PS2 knocking around at home and you want to spend some money on a retro game, this is the one you’ll find topping the eBay charts.
3. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 (Far too many console releases here, 2001)
A lot of gamers say that this is where the Tony Hawk franchise went downhill, but I beg to differ. This one claims to be the GOAT, but I like it. It’s a great game throughout, and is the joint highest-rated game for the PS2. This was and still is a bloody good game, with the new additions to the game allowing for some amazing gaming experiences throughout. From the revert trick allowing skateboarders to keep that combo going just that little bit longer, to the online play modes, allowing gamers to finally test their skills against someone not sharing the same room as them, there was a lot to like about this game, and honestly, there still is.
Graphically, this game is broadly similar to Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4, the soundtrack rocks, the maps are huge, and the game is still both accessible and fun to play. There’s no career mode, but the Xbox version got an exclusive map with an oil rig, and honestly, I struggled not to put this game in at the number 2 spot. If you want to have me switch these around, you’re wrong, but I’ll understand.
2. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4
Man, this game brought the previous games into the modern era. A thoroughly great game, moving away from the traditional format but with plenty of combinations between old and new. To complete each level, you have to do all of the challenges, which go between basic (like the Combo and Skate letter challenges) to difficult (the sick score on Chicago sends its regards) to the downright nuts. Be it being chased around a funfair by a zombie, or skitching onto the back of a car as it skates around a college campus. There’s no end of fun antics, and foreshadowed a lot of what was great about the next few games in the franchise. The game had some truly great graphics, some really fun soundtracks, but honestly, the only reason this doesn’t get more love from people these days is nostalgia. This game does everything the previous 3 games do and adds more fun for your money. It’s one I’m glad is getting the remastered treatment, and you can read about it here.
1. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 Remastered
This is by far the best game to play today, but to explain why, we need context. Context is for kings, and this one rightfully gets the crown. Why? Let me take you back. In 2020, the year Satan himself spat back out, we found ourselves locked back in our houses while a deadly virus rampaged our planet. It was terrifying for some, and boring for a lot of us. In this time, we were looking for a great game to keep us entertained for hours, and boy, did this game deliver.
This game works as both a reboot to the franchise and a remaster, with all of the maps (just like the skateboarders from the first two games) being visibly aged. However, it wasn’t a straightforward remaster as new songs, new creations, new skateboarders and new brands got added. It became less of an “old boys’ game” and more of a game everyone picked up. So much so that it still dominates gaming charts for sports games nearly five years later and it doesn’t matter if you’re on Switch, Xbox or PlayStation, this game adds everything in. Plus, there’s no limit for the games as to tricks. Remember not being able to spine transfer or acid drop in the warehouse? Fear not, you can now, and it’s glorious.
So, that’s our ranking of the franchise from all of us here at Gamerhub. Did you like it? Did you hate it more than you hate Eric Sparrow? Let us know on our socials or in the comments and we’ll be more than happy to respond.
For the Gamerhub, I’ve been Daibhi and you are all legends.
See you at the skatepark.
