Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 and 2 are getting a modern re-release for PS4, Xbox One, and PC (via Epic Games Store) on September 4.
After a string of teases from Tony Hawk himself and Summer Game Fest producer Geoff Keighley, the remastered pair was officially revealed during a livestream today. Vicarious Visions, which has handled other PS1 remakes like the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, has remastered both of the original Tony Hawk's games, and they really do look stunning in motion.
Keighley and Hawk discussed the new and returning features of both games with Vicarious Visions head Jen Oneal. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 and 2 supports classic D-pad and modern analogue stick controls, and its Create-A-Park and Create-A-Skater modes have been greatly expanded through new options and online play that lets players share their creations. In addition to new levels, the original levels are also back, and on top of returning old-school missions like collecting letters and tapes, Oneal told IGN that "we've added more challenges to each of the levels that you accomplish, some that are per skater for example."
Now, what about that soundtrack? Fortunately, Oneal says that most of the soundtrack, including iconic songs like Guerrilla Radio and Superman, are back in all their glory. It's just "a small handful" which didn't make the cut due to licensing issues.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 and 2 look and sound better than ever, and Hawk himself hopes that they're just the start of a wave of remasters. "There's strong nostalgia and attachment to the originals, at least four, THPS one through four," he says. "One and two is the jumping off point, I would love to be able to do more down the line. Especially with [Vicarious Visions], we can make this stuff look spectacular. Even 3 and 4 were still only on PS2. It's come a long way with the technology, and I think that these guys truly are the most qualified to do it."
Ahead of release this September, players can access a demo by pre-ordering the game. The demo itself doesn't have a release date just yet, but given the timeline, we can expect it to arrive relatively early this summer.
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