REVIEW — Even though the franchise switched developers (maybe it shouldn’t have), the remaster of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and 4 mostly (!) hits the mark, though it’s not perfect. Still, it leaves the disastrous, forgettable THPS5 from 2015 in the dust, and hopefully means we’ll finally see a proper new entry — because there are still plenty of skaters who love to land outrageous combos.

The revert move finally completes the trick arsenal, patching the holes left by the second (and especially the first) game’s movement system.

Kickflip, Melon, Revert, Manual

Developed by Iron Galaxy rather than the now-defunct Vicarious Visions, THPS3+4 isn’t a carbon copy of the originals. The first flaw is in the soundtrack: not all of the classic songs return. The second issue is how THPS4’s gameplay was changed. In the original, you could freely skate the maps and collect missions from NPCs (or from the pause menu) instead of being forced into two-minute rounds. That’s gone — replaced by the THPS1-3 approach, which feels a bit off. These choices cost THPS3+4 a top score, and even the missions themselves have been tweaked. For example, in the London level’s Free Stompy the Elephant mission on PS2 (not present on PS1, but let’s skip those details…), you used to destroy traps ahead of the elephant — now, you’re messing with both sides of a car. There are also new levels in THPS4: outside of the final secret park, there’s Waterpark and Movie Studio (the latter with a full competition).

The challenges are solid, but less-experienced players will probably unlock later parks by racking up points (just like on PS2). Gameplay, as always, is about chaining together the biggest, wildest combos you can, and the revert move lets you extend those combos after landing from ramps and pipes, chaining into a manual. In the air, you can extend runs with flip and grab tricks, grind on rails (meaning actual sliding, not RPG-style leveling), or go for wallrides. In THPS4, you can connect quarterpipes with spine transfers, adding another layer of combo strategy. As for the roster? Along with legendary skaters, you get Michelangelo (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle), Doom Slayer from DOOM (each with unique stats and tricks), and even Bam Margera of Jackass fame. Of course, you can create your own skater — something missing from THPS5 — although customization is maybe a little more limited than it was in THPS4. Still, the options are strong, and replay value is high if you want to tear through every park with every skater.

A Plethora of Challenges

S K A T E letters, hidden Iron Galaxy logos, cash, stat points, passive objectives, expert and pro challenges, gold medals — there’s a lot to do. On top of that, you get online multiplayer, H-O-R-S-E, and Hawk modes. For solo players, there’s Speed Run (complete all objectives in a park as quickly as possible), Single Session (two minutes, that’s it), and Free Skate (explore the map at your leisure). But is it fun to play? Absolutely. It takes some time to get used to the speed and feel (especially if you jumped from PS1 to PS2 back in the day), but once it clicks, THPS3+4 is a joy.

Graphically, it’s up to par, the frame rate is stable, and the controls are tight. Still, it’s ridiculous that the SpongeBob Easter egg is locked behind the more expensive edition — a third major negative. Maybe it doesn’t have the same punk attitude as THPS4 (which had tons of silly mini-games, from car-jumping to boxing), and the personality is a little less wild. (Remember the THPS4 level where a redneck stands behind a goat, clearly trying to get as close as possible…) But if you look past that, these two games are still very playable in their 2025 remaster forms.

Skateboarding Still Rules

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 could easily have scored a 9/10 — but those negatives drop it to 8.5/10. That doesn’t mean it’s bad; in fact, it’s excellent. If you loved the original PS2 games, pick this up, even if it feels a bit reimagined, especially compared to THPS4. It’s slightly incomplete, slightly old-school, but always good fun. If Robomodo had delivered something like this between 2009 and 2015, that studio might have survived past the disastrous THPS5. Maybe it’s time for THPS6.

-V-

Developer: Iron Galaxy
Publisher: Activision (Microsoft)
Genre: Skateboarding
Release date: July 11, 2025