When it comes to games from the late 90s and early 2000s, they hold a special place in most gamers’ hearts. Because of this, developers and publishers have been bringing beloved titles to modern consoles. Some would argue that these remasters and remakes are more of a cash grab or a way to keep the license rather than to create a new fan base; however, there are a few remakes/remasters that exceed expectations and revitalize the franchise while creating a new experience.
In 2020, Activision and Vicarious Visions released Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2; back then, our reviewer Fingal gave the game a 9 out of 10. Now, almost five years later, Activision has released Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4. Twenty years have passed since the original two games were released (2001 + 2002). How does this remaster/remake hold up, and what changes have been made to the game? Did Bam Margera make the cut? Find out in our review!
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4
Developer: Iron Galaxy Studios
Publisher: Activision
Platforms: PC (Steam), Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, Switch 2, PS4, & PS5
Release Date: July 11th, 2025
Players: 1 to 8
Price: $49.99
Like the original remaster of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 separates the two games in Career mode, allowing the player to choose which game they want to start off with. After trying out the tutorial, the player can select between 30 different characters and start either on the Foundry or the College level. Bam Margera is available as an unlockable character like Michelangelo (TMNT), Birdman (Pinball Unlock), and Officer Dick (Jack Black).
Unlike the original Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4, the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 variation abides by the same rules as Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, with players only having two minutes for each run. This run speed can be changed in the game’s settings, allowing the player to adjust it up to an hour; in the original game, the timer would only start once the player had accepted a mission.
In each level, the player is assigned a variety of goals, ranging from getting a high score, collecting S-K-A-T-E, or even knocking the Caps off of guards. In addition to completing these goals, players will need to gather stat points, cash, a secret collectible, and a hidden deck. Once the player has completed enough goals, they unlock different maps to skate on. Once a map has been unlocked, you can free skate or complete speed runs on those levels. Speed Runs require the player to complete all the level’s goals within one playthrough session.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 offers a wide variety of unlockable content, such as clothing, boards, wheels, characters, filters, and special effects. Completing the goals and finding special items makes them available, but you must still purchase them in order to unlock them. The game does give you some free accessories, but any sponsored or branded items must be purchased. The game is full of branded advertisements (Redbull, New Balance, Skull Candy, Taco Bell, and more); some of these sponsorships make sense based on their connection to the sport, while others do not (Yeti, Electrolyte, and more).
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 offers a wide variety of settings to make the players’ experience enjoyable and meet their needs. In the sound options settings, players can adjust what songs are played, apply Streamer mode, change the sound level for music, SFX, and voices, add subtitles, and adjust the voice chat options for online play; despite not turning on Streamer mode, none of the DMCA songs were audible while streaming the game through the Xbox.
In the Gameplay options, the player can turn off vibration, invert the sticks, alter the HUDs, turn off scores, and disable crossplay. With display options, you can change the HDR Calibration, the Safe Areas, and choose between Fidelity or Performance. Finally, players can modify their experience by turning on assists; these assists can make it so you have perfect Rail, Manual, Lip, or Skitch balance. Outside of making the game easier, you can adjust it so that you always have Special, never bail, recover quickly, alter the game speed, change the run timer, or increase the base score.
When people ask, is Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 a remake or remaster? The answer to this question is that it is both. The game contains a bunch of new characters and songs that were not in the original game. The blend of new characters introduces players to new skaters while allowing fans to use some of their favorites still. The game’s soundtrack is enjoyable with the new songs (Including the Doom Premium content), but it feels like it is missing some of its charm from the original games. The stream-friendly songs are decent, but they get old fast.
In addition to new skaters and songs, the game does feature new maps alongside visual enhancements to older maps. The skating in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 feels just as smooth asTony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, but improves on some gameplay aspects that fans did not like in the original remaster. The sticks feel a bit sensitive, but that very easily could have been our controller.
When playing through Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4, we still get the same nostalgic adrenaline boost that we got while playing the original games. Yes, the game might be slightly different, but the goals and experience mostly remain the same. The new levels within the game change up the experience so that they have a different feeling, rather than feeling like almost the same thing every single time. With the new upgrades and mechanics come new/altered goals that can be frustrating to different players.
After spending hours with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4, we can honestly say it’s one of the best, if not the best, skateboarding experiences out there. Yes, the developers have changed a few things, but the core experience remains the same. Now, we can’t say the game is perfect because it does have its occasional flaws (misregistered inputs and landings), but it still provides an experience that many will love.
Despite some of the more popular songs not returning to the remaster, Iron Galaxy Studios has still put together a fairly decent soundtrack that will keep you jamming out while vibing with the skateboarding action. We would have liked to see the game introduce different controller layouts for gamers to use, but keeping things consistent makes it so that there is no confusion with the tutorial or describing the tricks.
If you are considering playing Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4, but are on the fence, then you should either play the demo or download it through Xbox Game Pass. Whether you choose to buy it outright or play it through Game Pass, you will enjoy your experience so long as you know what you are getting into. We are glad to see that Bam Margera was added to the game, even if it was a last-minute input, and hope that he continues on his path of redemption.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 was reviewed on the Xbox Series X using a code provided by Activision. You can find additional information about Niche Gamer’s review/ethics policy here. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 is now available on PC (Steam), Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, Switch 2, PS4, & PS5
