Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD from 2012 is a remaster of the most beloved levels from the first two entries of the legendary skateboarding series, created by Robomodo as a digital title for PlayStation Network. The game returns to the simple but addictive scored-skateboarding system, where the player collects letters, completes objectives, and chains tricks within a time limit on well-known maps like Warehouse or School II, updated with modern graphics and physics. The controls stick to the classic scheme of manuals, grinds, and air-trick combinations that made the series famous back on the original PlayStation. The game also includes the classic side objectives, like collecting the letters S-K-A-T-E or finding hidden tapes, well known to players who remember the original entries, and completing them one hundred percent was part of what kept players on the maps even after finishing the main objectives.

On PlayStation 3, the game ran smoothly and offered a faithful, if graphically reworked, rendition of the original maps, complemented by unlockable pro skaters and their signature moves. The soundtrack combined some of the legendary tracks from the original games with new licensed songs, which stirred a strong nostalgic reaction in fans and brought back the atmosphere of the late nineties, when the series was still building its reputation. Multiplayer modes let players compete against each other directly for score on the same maps.

Reception was mixed — players and critics praised the nostalgia and the control accuracy close to the originals, but criticized the limited number of maps and the presence of microtransactions for unlocking additional content. Even so, the game reminded people why the original series was so important for popularizing skateboarding in video games. Today the HD version is valued especially as a pleasant return to the genre's basics for players who grew up with the original PlayStation entries and want to play the well-known maps again with more modern graphics.

Why play it: For players who grew up with the original PlayStation entries and want to play the well-known maps again with more modern graphics, despite the limited number of maps and the presence of microtransactions.