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Oh my god, I thought I was the only one who did the holding X thing in between restarts. I have the EXACT same problem. In general you captured exactly how I feel about this game.
Glad to hear this one isn't a disappointment, given what I've observed about Pro Skater 5 especially. I can really feel your passion bleeding through when you talk about these skateboarding games. Though I don't have AS much history with it, hearing you talk about these games so fondly brings me back to playing American Wasteland with my buddy in elementary school. If my time with THUGPRO has been anything to go by, I'm pretty excited to pick this one up.
If you like THUG Pro, you'll absolutely dig the way this feels. Has less of the functionality I suppose, but as I say in the video, the stuff they've cut doesn't really line up with the vision of what they're trying to create-simple, back-to-basics Pro Skater.
i am blown away by how good this game is. within 12 hours of receiving my copy i had blisters on my thumb for the first time for any game since probably THUG2. luckily the analog controls are pretty good so i was able to keep playing while it healed! i nearly cried when i first played the hangar level, brought back memories from christmas morning 2000
This video perfectly encapsulates my feelings for this game, including my issue with holding “A” when restarting a level. I’m glad I’m not the only one!
Me as well. I had a genuine moment playing School 1, almost like the sensation you might get walking past your own actual old school playground, where everything is familiar but different. It's a masterpiece of a game.
Yeah, he really nailed it, and it's so good to see everyone in the comments expressing the same things. What a gem of gaming. Right down to it being so good that the x holding thing is annoying.
I've 100% the games and I am so glad I randomly chose to watch this review. I genuinely thought my controller was broken, I had no idea it was a feature!
5:33 I LOVE that they added the "glitchy" aspect thing to bails. Bails no longer ruin all momentum in these games, and while you should be "punished" for failing tricks, it shouldn't be as annoying or time consuming like it was in the original games. One thing I'd like to touch on that review didn't, is the sound design. Lowering the music level + reverb during bails adds to the weight while the remixing glitching sound when fast forwarding bail fixes it. So it doesn't feel as bad like the other games. Also the fact when you have SPECIAL, the music bumps up slightly providing an epic kind of feel. Overall VV got it right. It looks, sounds, and FEELS better than any previous Tony Hawk game.
I think the quick glitchy thing works because you still lose the combo you'd have been working towards, the punishment of that alone is enough without having to screw up a second chance to fix it and maybe come back on top. ANd also though it doesn't screw with your ingame momentum (speed) it DOES screw with your personal rythm. I've found when I'm playing and kicking ass at it, but then bail, I have a hard time recovering and I end up bailing another time or two more times after because it just took me out of it. But maybe I'm just really bad at the game hahaha
I think Proving Ground and Project 8 also has similar reset mechanic, but yeah this one seems smoother like you can reset yourself and still keep riding instead of standing still.
I've never played a tony hawk game in my life but your review impressed me so much that i'm going to go pick up a copy asap!! Amazing work man, love the channel keep it up!!
Your content is an example of excellent writing and analysis, you talk from such a personal perspective and with such character and coherence, that I end up loving your content every time. I'll be eager to see your next video, take care.
these games have made such a huge impact on my life. from the time spent with friends to the music that it brought to my life, the sheer joy of skating and the challenge of the unlocks. truly one of the greatest pieces of media ever made!!
The high praise this remake has received over the past few weeks has made me wonder about 1) how good Neversoft was at their job, even at the time of the releases of the original games 2) why THPS 3 wasn't remade alongside 1+2 3) why more games don't 'feel' like the THPS series (and haven't really tried to, either) I can't even properly imagine a more traditional collect-a-thon game feeling this good to move around in. Imagine Super Mario 64 designed in a way to get you through each world once to get all of the stars in a similar way: time limit; all the stars available from the start; quick restarts. The works. THPS makes the simple act of moving around so enjoyable without really making it a hassle to do so, despite it having a surprisingly difficult movement system overall. I don't think I've ever played a THPS game which felt bad to move in. Much like how KH3 and DMC 5 showed how to make proper character action gameplay as well as amazing cutscene choreography, THPS 1+2 will show how to make a proper arcade-y skateboarding game.
yeah the success of this and the CTR remake make me want a new SSX game (or a remake of one of the PS2-era games, or a remaster of the 2012 one), but it's EA.
The 2012 SSX still holds up graphically and gameplay-wise imo, but I would totally love to see it ported to modern hardware. Shame they pulled the plug on the XBOX servers.
thanks for the awesome review. I'm in the same boat - the game is so fucking good that I have literally four complaints about the game, and they're all minor. you covered two of them - the needing to wait to hold X, and some goal items just blending in to all the other high-quality graphics. my other two issues: - the jump into the volcano on Skate Heaven is kinda broken compared to the PSX version of the level. - I started to hate the social menu on the PS4 touchpad and the PS button because I kept hitting those buttons mid-combo, and they both mess you up. social menu takes all control away from you until you close it, and obviously, PS button just takes you to the main menu while pausing your game, but, if you're in multiplayer, it's also effectively the social menu button. the funny thing about the last nitpick is that it reminded me that the d-pad is a perfectly acceptable control input for this game, and, since then, that's all I've used. that's when I realized modern games have trained me to prefer analog input via the thumbsticks. it's funny, because along with eliminating the possibility of accidentally hitting these buttons, I found that switching back to the d-pad actually really pumped up the effectiveness of my overall muscle memory for the series - which I haven't tapped into for fifteen years - and I'm playing better as a result. so, since I switched back to d-pad, I only really have three nitpicks. this game is easily GOTY in my book, and should be in everyone's top 3.
yeah, that bank to launch into the volcano could use a patch. it took me sooo many tries to actually get into it. on top of that it happened twice that it didn´t teleport me. eventually it worked, but it took unnecessarily long and was a bit annoying.
My brother was a big fan of skating when he was about 10 when Tony Hawk 2 came out, so these games became a huge part of his childhood. Now in 2020, his son is 10, and now he gets to sit down and share these games in a brilliantly remade state with him. I'm really looking forward to sitting on the couch sharing controllers around playing the games when my nephew gets it for his birthday next month.
Yeah, long time tony hawk fan, having to start speeding only after loading for me seems like one of the major flaws of this game, which also speaks a lot about it's quality
Never even played the OG Games. Only recently emulating them to see the hype, so I don't have the personal investment, yet the game slaps still. It's just fast, try, repeat, try arcade fun. Feels great, is simple, and satisfying. It's like COD for Skateboarding.
This has been an utter joy to play. I loved every game from Pro Skater 3 all the way to Proving Ground and always wanted to try the first two games but was put off by the slower, floaty physics and lack of certain tricks. Having them playable with the snappiness and trick selection of Pro Skater 4 and Underground (my favourite two in the series) has been a delight
Ah memories. I remember finding an infinite air glitch on one of the levels on the original that let you go out of bounds and chain combos for as long as you wanted after the time ran out. It was kind of difficult to come back inbounds and land afterwards but you could rack up millions of points if you pulled it off. I just put a rubber band on the controller and then left for lunch and instant high score.
Loved your words on this. As someone that also grew up on these games, it felt like coming home. I literally booted it up and was able to shred from the getgo. One of the best-controlling games of all time
I can't believe how much I've played this. Just wanted a nice casual blast-from-the-past. But have ended up 100%ing both games, doing all create-a-skater challenges, and all challenges for 3 pro skaters and I still want to keep going. Loving the gap combo challenges that restrict what trick types you can do.
I do have some issues; Like the holding down the A/X thing like you said, also I would love an option where your objectives come up as a list on the side of the screen as you play instead of having to pause everytime to look at it. I'd also appreciate if the menu was a little more clear, like the skater challenges for example, I don't even know what I'm looking at there.. But maybe I'm just an idiot lol. I have a few more but again like yours these are pretty minor, mostly this is a great game that captures that feeling of the originals rather than actually BEING the originals. Like i'd actually forgotten that you couldn't do all the extra grind tricks and manuals and all that in the original, I wasn't aware, then jumped right into this assuming you can and then found out that you couldn't in the originals after haha! So somehow it perfectly got the gameplay right in those exact kind of ways. I've played about 10 hours now and I'm addicted to that ranking/competitive mode atm! I'm down to 43 seconds on the speedrun in the warehouse and last night I somehow got ranked 64 in the downtown single session leaderboard! Apparently I'm not too bad at this! Which feels different because I'm not THE BEST gamer hahaha. That all being said I still haven't even touched THPS2 yet, I've just focused on getting everything done in the first one first! (And screwed around a bit on the ol' user created skateparks which is kinda fun) Anyway I dunno, TLDR: It's fun. And this is a good video mate!
8:55 THANK YOU ! I'm going insane at that shit, that and the pipe you can grind at the start of the huge halfpipe in Downhill Jam, you're supposed to grind it easily but idk why everytime i end up doing a wallride !
When i heard lagwagon may 16 I almost cried. My mind went back into time when I was younger cutting school etc my grandma was alive telling me get off the damn game and read a book. Lol
so funny u mentioned the "holding down X when restart" problem - exactly the same for me :D but yeah, this game is absolutely amazing, so so so damn good
GOTY for me too. I was expecting it to be good, since it's VV and not Robomodo. This blew my expectations. Everything they promised was in the game. The maps play the same way as before and the gameplay is on point. For the first time in a DECADE we finally got a Tony Hawk game. Hopefully this will lead to more TH remasters. I want THUG to be remastered so bad.
Hey when you clearly love a game as much as you clearly do with this game, I don't think it a terrible thing to have a few nitpicks. I only find nitpicks annoying when they are clearly just meant to drag a game down for no other reason than that.
Fantastic video mate! THPS3 on Gamecube is one of my earliest and fondest video game memories (been gaming for over 20 years now). I agree wholeheartedly, this remake blew me away! Bring on THPS 3+4 remake!
I actually really liked being able to get off the board in order to stall your combo and then caveman over to a new set of ramps or rails to extend that combo. It also was really useful for just totally negating a bail if you knew you were going to screw up. It's honestly the only thing I wish they would bring back
Yeah pretty fair of you, it's a fantastic revisit to the 2 games. I share your pain for the hold X on restart issue certainly annoying my biggest gripe is that there just isn't enough to do in 2020 even putting together these two games into one package you can literally do all the fun stuff in well under 10 hours maybe 8 if you really push for it. I know there are additional challenges to do to unlock boards but most challenges are really worth it. £40 sadly just too much for this I'd say wait for it to at least be 50%. Having said that if they come out with remixed levels adding in new goals akin to older ones i.e. why is there no combo goals? I'll definitely be buying it.
One of the things that sets the earlier THPS games apart is the passion and enthusiasm that was baked into every aspect of the games. I remember picking up one for the Xbox (American wasteland or thug I forget which) and instead of being dropped into a stage and the game saying "off you go" I was presented with some edgy storyline which was what a bunch of board members imagined younger people would like. Stages were ok, but as you said, there was so much bloat and feature creep in the mechanics it started to lose what made it special. Looking at this remake I can see the passion again. Despite being a skater game there's no attempt at edginess, just passion and earnestness. Will definitely be picking this one up, hell I'd throw down some extra money for THPS 3 maps in future. My thumbs were wanting to hit the button combinations just watching the footage.
This for me is what gaming is about. Pure arcade, highscore fun. I just dont get any joy from the current 30+ hour games these days, i just want to get right into a game and have fun. Great video!
Little story: I joined the series with the first Tony Hawk's Underground, in which there's a mission where you have to pull off 3 or 4 combos with progressively less mechanics corresponding to the reverse order of the PS1 games, and the phrase 'No reverts, manuals, or spine transfers' stuck in my head from that point onward precisely because those three mechanics were so crucial to seamless traversal - so fast forward 17 years and when this remaster gets announced, I'm literally thinking 'oh...will they not have reverts, manuals or spine transfers?' and the INSTANT I see you pull them off and talk about them in quick succession here, that's when I decided 'YEP. I HAVE TO BUY THIS AT SOME POINT'.
I totally agree on the style of remake with you, Hamish. Certain remakes I think really should just recreate the original, but with a series like this, recreating the memory first and foremost, with the enhancements and deductions you talk about, was the smart move. I super jammed that it worked out this well.
Glad I’m not the only one that has found the delay needed on holding down Ollie / X on restart behavior annoying. I hope they change that in an update.
HA! didn't know about the glitch effect! Thanks dude! Great analysis btw! Porting something to a new engine and retaining the same feel is less than trivial...
I am new to the series with this game but I most admit playing it is like "oh this is what I wanted Jet Set Radio to feel like" and while I am still learning I do get zen about it at times too
brooooo, holding down the A button on restart is something I always do and it's super annoying. But other than that this game has blown me away. I feel like this is how I remember the game being, it's exactly like you said they teleported the game forward to a modern game without adding things that would break the important gameplay elements (like being able to get off a board and walk). When I think of THPS 1 and 2 I now thinks of this game more than I do the originals. It's probably one of the best remakes I've ever seen.
I’m gonna say this with a full and open heart. When I first played THPS2, I was forced to stop playing by my parents. I was obsessed. Now that i’m an adult, I can now appreciate this game for what it is. I get to experience the best of the 1st and the 2nd that I love. I believe this remaster is better than the originals. That is the first time i’d ever say that for a remaster. It brought everything full circle in the modern online era. I’m so happy to have bought and own this game.
That button thing, when you start the round, IS my only complaint. I do the same thing and you have to wait a sec before you can press the ollie button. Besides that, I feel like I'm a teen back in the 90's when these came out. Those were simpler times. lol.
this game is shockingly excellent and easily a top 5 game of the generation for me. one of those rare games that i would recommend to anyone, and that's coming from someone with very limited experience with the series and almost no nostalgia for it besides the general vibe of the era it represents. really hoping that new skate game can be even half as good and revitalizing for its series, cause that was my shit as a kid
Absolutely not nitpicking on the holding X thing when you retry. The amount of times I've done that and not realized until I hit a ramp and roll off it is crazy.
Yeah that restart issue (Holding X) is something I thought I was alone on haha. Only other issue I have with the game is that I found the collectables to be a lot more frustrating to complete than I remember. In this game you seem to have to hit them dead on 100% or you'll miss them. Not sure if the originals were as strict in this regard. Be interested to know if anyone shares this view also
I finally got the Rag's to Riches challenge completed and it felt so great! Like legit love the trial and error style of this game. My only complaint is that character customization could be more robust but even then it is still good!
It's absolutely my pick for GOTY, and that's saying a lot considering we got so many incredible games this year. But this game connected to my childhood in such a deep way that I can't possibly give preference to anything else. This was like taking a trip back to my teens the moment I started playing, and I will still be playing it for years to come.
The game itself is amazing, I FINALLY unlocked Skate Heaven last night, my only one minor gripe for this is not having the ability to get off your board. The amount of times I’ve slipped off roofs when I’m trying to collect the tapes is crazy.. but hey that’s a personal choice, all in all it’s fantastic
Echoes exactly what I think about this remaster, I've just been pouring myself into this game, watching other people play it, listening to the new tracks they added, it's just a fantastic remaster. AND ALSO GOD YES I DON'T KNOW WHY THERE'S THAT LITTLE DEAD PERIOD WHEN YOU RESTART WHERE YOU HAVE TO LET GO OF OLLIE But still it's so fucking good man
Each bell is lit up by a unique-looking white light, so I thought it was easy to pick them out from the environment. I haven't played the game myself yet, so I can't say for sure how it would play out, but I can't see why it would be difficult.
This game means a lot to me. I will say from the outset, the only thing I don’t like is the glitch animation removing the blood, but, I’ll get back to that. I’m 26 and these games have meant a lot of things for me. When I was a kid I rented one and two from blockbuster and my dad burned them on a CD. I had a slightly older friend who skated and, by virtue of being slightly older, was immensely cool to me. We would play these games religiously. They so warped my perspective of what actual skateboarding was that by the time I got a skateboard probably in 2001 I was shocked I couldn’t ollie. They also provided me with a sense of danger or rebelliousness, as innocuous as it was being that I was a white kid from a middle class suburb. The fact that the songs had some cursing and the blood (that being why I’m disappointed it’s gone) really made me feel like I was playing something too old for me. Turning it on and hearing guerrilla radio and being almost scared of the power of it, and of course the politics went totally over my head at the time. These games introduced me to punk rock, underground and older (at the time hardly older) hip hop. There was an anti-authority bent to them. There was a lawlessness to them but ironically it was wrapped up in some of the best and most trustworthy mechanics. I don’t think people who didn’t grow up with these games really understand what they meant to people. And I hate that gatekeeping shit and I hope a lot of younger people find these and fall in love with them, but the word nostalgia doesn’t do it justice. I just sent in my last paper for my masters the other day a few days late (at least I think... nvm) and I’ve been pretty nervous although the rational part of me says it will be fine. I bought this game yesterday and it has provided a great comfort. As I sip on a beer as I write this I’ll conclude with some of the more relatable and beautiful and sad and anthemic and metaphorical and whatever else lyrics that I’ve recited while playing this game. Mid 20s skateboarder I hope I don’t get hurt Drinking a six pack of beer Takes away all the fear Mid 20s skateboarder I hope I don’t get hurt. Thanks for the video homie, brilliant as always.
Nimaz Sheik my man, the wwf is totally nestled in all of this haha. Staying up late to watch Monday night raw, after i switched over from wcw nitro, is all a part of these memories. Again, it all felt beyond my years yet accessible and understandable. The late 90s early 2000s were a magical time, admittedly because i was a kid, but it was before the world was big to quote Girlpool. Before the world was big. Now it all moves so fast and I struggle to keep up, but I harken back to those days for comfort, especially with everything going on in the states these days. I hope you and your loved ones are staying safe and doing well.
i don't think you mentioned what is probably my favourite new mechanic of all: wallplants. where you used to just have to accept your inevitable bail/end of a combo if you found yourself flying at a wall, now you can just mash ollie and BOING! off you go flying in the opposite direction. and yes, i also noticed the thing where you restart a run and have to press the button twice lol
Thank you for this. I agree, this is the game of the year and the best remake ever. I can take a break for a few days but then when I play it again I'm loving it even more! What an experience. I felt so much nostalgia when seeing the trailer for the game I actually installed THPS3 on my laptop as I couldn't wait. And while the 3rd game was a lot of fun - the remaster is I think my favourite
Commenting for "engagement." TH-cam stopped recommending me your videos so I'm "engaging" to let the algorithm know to please show content I have purposefully subscribed to.
3:45 you never played THPS2 on Dreamcast, probably. It was my first exposure to the series. and definitely had none of the sluggishness and framerate issues that the PS1 games did.
Im late to the party, but I picked the game up on PC a couple months ago and ive sunk 120 hours into it. This game is exactly what it set out to be. Other than limited multiplayer options and that having to tap X upon resrart.. its a 10/10
I wish i can afford play this game to relieve my childhood, but its tough when i always gotta help out the family in paying the bills. Playing tony hawk would make my month.
I think they deserve an opportunity at making their own couple of levels and releasing them as DLC. Give them a blank slate and let them build 3 levels however they want. They deserve it and id buy them 100%. If they are as good as i imagined they would be, give them full power to make Tony Hawks 6
Here’s my review: it’s cool , price is good , no micro transactions, split screen multiplayer, graphics are nice. But the bad part about the game is you can’t free skate with online friends
i wish they added the ability to get off your board. no challenges or goals associated with it but just so you could reposition yourself off board if u wanted to
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This is a great review, but you haven't answered the most important question: Can you unlock Spider-Man in this one?
Oh my god, I thought I was the only one who did the holding X thing in between restarts. I have the EXACT same problem. In general you captured exactly how I feel about this game.
it is so, so, so, so, SO good
great video as usual :)
real recognize real
Glad to hear this one isn't a disappointment, given what I've observed about Pro Skater 5 especially. I can really feel your passion bleeding through when you talk about these skateboarding games. Though I don't have AS much history with it, hearing you talk about these games so fondly brings me back to playing American Wasteland with my buddy in elementary school.
If my time with THUGPRO has been anything to go by, I'm pretty excited to pick this one up.
I paused one of your videos when I got the notification for this one, lol!
If you like THUG Pro, you'll absolutely dig the way this feels. Has less of the functionality I suppose, but as I say in the video, the stuff they've cut doesn't really line up with the vision of what they're trying to create-simple, back-to-basics Pro Skater.
THPS retrospective when?
It's always wholesome as fuck to see my favorite creators show love on one another's videos
I just rewatched this video because it captures my feelings so well I love it, caught that you gave me a shout for the gameboy footage! cheers :)
I’m starting to develop that same wonderful feeling of nostalgia for this channel! Keep up the great work 👍
i am blown away by how good this game is. within 12 hours of receiving my copy i had blisters on my thumb for the first time for any game since probably THUG2. luckily the analog controls are pretty good so i was able to keep playing while it healed! i nearly cried when i first played the hangar level, brought back memories from christmas morning 2000
Exact same thing, my fingers look like red grapes.
This video perfectly encapsulates my feelings for this game, including my issue with holding “A” when restarting a level. I’m glad I’m not the only one!
Me as well.
I had a genuine moment playing School 1, almost like the sensation you might get walking past your own actual old school playground, where everything is familiar but different. It's a masterpiece of a game.
Its crazy I felt that problem but didn't realize why it was an issue to me.. makes sense now
Same. That Ollie button problem became absolutely infuriating when trying to do speedruns etc
Yeah, he really nailed it, and it's so good to see everyone in the comments expressing the same things. What a gem of gaming. Right down to it being so good that the x holding thing is annoying.
I've 100% the games and I am so glad I randomly chose to watch this review. I genuinely thought my controller was broken, I had no idea it was a feature!
5:33 I LOVE that they added the "glitchy" aspect thing to bails. Bails no longer ruin all momentum in these games, and while you should be "punished" for failing tricks, it shouldn't be as annoying or time consuming like it was in the original games. One thing I'd like to touch on that review didn't, is the sound design. Lowering the music level + reverb during bails adds to the weight while the remixing glitching sound when fast forwarding bail fixes it. So it doesn't feel as bad like the other games. Also the fact when you have SPECIAL, the music bumps up slightly providing an epic kind of feel. Overall VV got it right. It looks, sounds, and FEELS better than any previous Tony Hawk game.
I think the quick glitchy thing works because you still lose the combo you'd have been working towards, the punishment of that alone is enough without having to screw up a second chance to fix it and maybe come back on top. ANd also though it doesn't screw with your ingame momentum (speed) it DOES screw with your personal rythm. I've found when I'm playing and kicking ass at it, but then bail, I have a hard time recovering and I end up bailing another time or two more times after because it just took me out of it. But maybe I'm just really bad at the game hahaha
The sound design is honestly killer. I played a bit with the soundtrack muted and so much of the ambient noise is well-done. The Mall especially.
I think Proving Ground and Project 8 also has similar reset mechanic, but yeah this one seems smoother like you can reset yourself and still keep riding instead of standing still.
Class!! What level music do you think is perfect? I’ve just got this for PC the deluxe edition it’s EPIC!!! 😎👌
YOU revitalize my love for the medium!
I've never played a tony hawk game in my life but your review impressed me so much that i'm going to go pick up a copy asap!! Amazing work man, love the channel keep it up!!
Definitely getting this for Christmas. So many games on my list!
I'm so glad you brought up the holding down the ollie during loading screens, I think for me that's the one thing I'd want them to fix.
Always great to see a video where you unabashedly enjoy a game
Your content is an example of excellent writing and analysis, you talk from such a personal perspective and with such character and coherence, that I end up loving your content every time. I'll be eager to see your next video, take care.
these games have made such a huge impact on my life. from the time spent with friends to the music that it brought to my life, the sheer joy of skating and the challenge of the unlocks. truly one of the greatest pieces of media ever made!!
Never played a Tony Hawk game before, this just convinced me to buy the game. Thanks!
The high praise this remake has received over the past few weeks has made me wonder about
1) how good Neversoft was at their job, even at the time of the releases of the original games
2) why THPS 3 wasn't remade alongside 1+2
3) why more games don't 'feel' like the THPS series (and haven't really tried to, either)
I can't even properly imagine a more traditional collect-a-thon game feeling this good to move around in. Imagine Super Mario 64 designed in a way to get you through each world once to get all of the stars in a similar way: time limit; all the stars available from the start; quick restarts. The works.
THPS makes the simple act of moving around so enjoyable without really making it a hassle to do so, despite it having a surprisingly difficult movement system overall. I don't think I've ever played a THPS game which felt bad to move in.
Much like how KH3 and DMC 5 showed how to make proper character action gameplay as well as amazing cutscene choreography, THPS 1+2 will show how to make a proper arcade-y skateboarding game.
It's been ten or so some odd years and the muscle memory returned months ago when I first saw trailers with gameplay, and oh god the wait was long.
yeah the success of this and the CTR remake make me want a new SSX game (or a remake of one of the PS2-era games, or a remaster of the 2012 one), but it's EA.
The 2012 SSX still holds up graphically and gameplay-wise imo, but I would totally love to see it ported to modern hardware. Shame they pulled the plug on the XBOX servers.
Can we just hand all of our remasters over to Vicarious Visions? Those guys seen like the only ones who don't fuck it up somehow.
And bluepoint
thanks for the awesome review.
I'm in the same boat - the game is so fucking good that I have literally four complaints about the game, and they're all minor. you covered two of them - the needing to wait to hold X, and some goal items just blending in to all the other high-quality graphics.
my other two issues:
- the jump into the volcano on Skate Heaven is kinda broken compared to the PSX version of the level.
- I started to hate the social menu on the PS4 touchpad and the PS button because I kept hitting those buttons mid-combo, and they both mess you up. social menu takes all control away from you until you close it, and obviously, PS button just takes you to the main menu while pausing your game, but, if you're in multiplayer, it's also effectively the social menu button.
the funny thing about the last nitpick is that it reminded me that the d-pad is a perfectly acceptable control input for this game, and, since then, that's all I've used. that's when I realized modern games have trained me to prefer analog input via the thumbsticks. it's funny, because along with eliminating the possibility of accidentally hitting these buttons, I found that switching back to the d-pad actually really pumped up the effectiveness of my overall muscle memory for the series - which I haven't tapped into for fifteen years - and I'm playing better as a result.
so, since I switched back to d-pad, I only really have three nitpicks.
this game is easily GOTY in my book, and should be in everyone's top 3.
yeah, that bank to launch into the volcano could use a patch. it took me sooo many tries to actually get into it. on top of that it happened twice that it didn´t teleport me. eventually it worked, but it took unnecessarily long and was a bit annoying.
The holding down the crouch button as I restart a level I also do and is soo annoying.. hahaha. glad you mentioned it.
They should treat this like Crash Bandicoot, after they do 3+4, they should release an all new THPS 5 and make it actually good this time.
First video I've watched of yours but I don't think anyone has perfectly explained what I've felt for this game until you. Great stuff
I have never heard you swear, and you just did. Truly shows the love you have for this game
My brother was a big fan of skating when he was about 10 when Tony Hawk 2 came out, so these games became a huge part of his childhood. Now in 2020, his son is 10, and now he gets to sit down and share these games in a brilliantly remade state with him. I'm really looking forward to sitting on the couch sharing controllers around playing the games when my nephew gets it for his birthday next month.
I’m sooooo glad this game came out exactly how I wanted it to. I’ve been playing since ps1 days and it makes me happy they nailed it
Yeah, long time tony hawk fan, having to start speeding only after loading for me seems like one of the major flaws of this game, which also speaks a lot about it's quality
Never even played the OG Games. Only recently emulating them to see the hype, so I don't have the personal investment, yet the game slaps still. It's just fast, try, repeat, try arcade fun. Feels great, is simple, and satisfying. It's like COD for Skateboarding.
This was interesting and entertaining, great job!
This has been an utter joy to play. I loved every game from Pro Skater 3 all the way to Proving Ground and always wanted to try the first two games but was put off by the slower, floaty physics and lack of certain tricks. Having them playable with the snappiness and trick selection of Pro Skater 4 and Underground (my favourite two in the series) has been a delight
Ah memories. I remember finding an infinite air glitch on one of the levels on the original that let you go out of bounds and chain combos for as long as you wanted after the time ran out. It was kind of difficult to come back inbounds and land afterwards but you could rack up millions of points if you pulled it off. I just put a rubber band on the controller and then left for lunch and instant high score.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who has noticed the weird menu issue
Loved your words on this. As someone that also grew up on these games, it felt like coming home. I literally booted it up and was able to shred from the getgo. One of the best-controlling games of all time
I can't believe how much I've played this. Just wanted a nice casual blast-from-the-past. But have ended up 100%ing both games, doing all create-a-skater challenges, and all challenges for 3 pro skaters and I still want to keep going. Loving the gap combo challenges that restrict what trick types you can do.
Thank you for nailing this review!!
Was my most anticipated game of this year, by far. These kind of gameplay loops are so addictive.
I do have some issues; Like the holding down the A/X thing like you said, also I would love an option where your objectives come up as a list on the side of the screen as you play instead of having to pause everytime to look at it. I'd also appreciate if the menu was a little more clear, like the skater challenges for example, I don't even know what I'm looking at there.. But maybe I'm just an idiot lol. I have a few more but again like yours these are pretty minor, mostly this is a great game that captures that feeling of the originals rather than actually BEING the originals. Like i'd actually forgotten that you couldn't do all the extra grind tricks and manuals and all that in the original, I wasn't aware, then jumped right into this assuming you can and then found out that you couldn't in the originals after haha! So somehow it perfectly got the gameplay right in those exact kind of ways. I've played about 10 hours now and I'm addicted to that ranking/competitive mode atm! I'm down to 43 seconds on the speedrun in the warehouse and last night I somehow got ranked 64 in the downtown single session leaderboard! Apparently I'm not too bad at this! Which feels different because I'm not THE BEST gamer hahaha. That all being said I still haven't even touched THPS2 yet, I've just focused on getting everything done in the first one first! (And screwed around a bit on the ol' user created skateparks which is kinda fun) Anyway I dunno, TLDR: It's fun. And this is a good video mate!
8:55 THANK YOU ! I'm going insane at that shit, that and the pipe you can grind at the start of the huge halfpipe in Downhill Jam, you're supposed to grind it easily but idk why everytime i end up doing a wallride !
Commenting to appease the eldritch abomination
Perhaps my reply will aid in keeping the horror satisfied
Matthew Hurley Drowned in Eldritch Slime ??
When i heard lagwagon may 16 I almost cried. My mind went back into time when I was younger cutting school etc my grandma was alive telling me get off the damn game and read a book. Lol
so funny u mentioned the "holding down X when restart" problem - exactly the same for me :D but yeah, this game is absolutely amazing, so so so damn good
GOTY for me too. I was expecting it to be good, since it's VV and not Robomodo.
This blew my expectations. Everything they promised was in the game. The maps play the same way as before and the gameplay is on point. For the first time in a DECADE we finally got a Tony Hawk game.
Hopefully this will lead to more TH remasters. I want THUG to be remastered so bad.
Hey when you clearly love a game as much as you clearly do with this game, I don't think it a terrible thing to have a few nitpicks. I only find nitpicks annoying when they are clearly just meant to drag a game down for no other reason than that.
Exactly. There should be no shame here.
Fantastic video mate! THPS3 on Gamecube is one of my earliest and fondest video game memories (been gaming for over 20 years now). I agree wholeheartedly, this remake blew me away! Bring on THPS 3+4 remake!
I actually really liked being able to get off the board in order to stall your combo and then caveman over to a new set of ramps or rails to extend that combo. It also was really useful for just totally negating a bail if you knew you were going to screw up. It's honestly the only thing I wish they would bring back
Yeah pretty fair of you, it's a fantastic revisit to the 2 games. I share your pain for the hold X on restart issue certainly annoying my biggest gripe is that there just isn't enough to do in 2020 even putting together these two games into one package you can literally do all the fun stuff in well under 10 hours maybe 8 if you really push for it. I know there are additional challenges to do to unlock boards but most challenges are really worth it. £40 sadly just too much for this I'd say wait for it to at least be 50%. Having said that if they come out with remixed levels adding in new goals akin to older ones i.e. why is there no combo goals? I'll definitely be buying it.
If they add Pro skater 3 to this combo it will be game of the year for me
LMAO THE HOLDING X DURING A RESTART BIT! I WAS POSITIVE NOBODY ELSE NOTICE THAT!
I hope they remake the third game someday, one of my favorite games ever.
These seamless combos made so pissed that I'm not able to do that that I'm gonna practice tomorrow.
It's all about keeping momentum and balancing the amount of manuals and grinds you use
Fingers crossed for 3 + 4!
One of the things that sets the earlier THPS games apart is the passion and enthusiasm that was baked into every aspect of the games.
I remember picking up one for the Xbox (American wasteland or thug I forget which) and instead of being dropped into a stage and the game saying "off you go" I was presented with some edgy storyline which was what a bunch of board members imagined younger people would like. Stages were ok, but as you said, there was so much bloat and feature creep in the mechanics it started to lose what made it special.
Looking at this remake I can see the passion again. Despite being a skater game there's no attempt at edginess, just passion and earnestness.
Will definitely be picking this one up, hell I'd throw down some extra money for THPS 3 maps in future. My thumbs were wanting to hit the button combinations just watching the footage.
This for me is what gaming is about. Pure arcade, highscore fun. I just dont get any joy from the current 30+ hour games these days, i just want to get right into a game and have fun. Great video!
The holding down X issue drives me crazy too. It’s a bigger problem than it sounds but easily forgivable given just how good the game is.
Little story: I joined the series with the first Tony Hawk's Underground, in which there's a mission where you have to pull off 3 or 4 combos with progressively less mechanics corresponding to the reverse order of the PS1 games, and the phrase 'No reverts, manuals, or spine transfers' stuck in my head from that point onward precisely because those three mechanics were so crucial to seamless traversal - so fast forward 17 years and when this remaster gets announced, I'm literally thinking 'oh...will they not have reverts, manuals or spine transfers?' and the INSTANT I see you pull them off and talk about them in quick succession here, that's when I decided 'YEP. I HAVE TO BUY THIS AT SOME POINT'.
I totally agree on the style of remake with you, Hamish. Certain remakes I think really should just recreate the original, but with a series like this, recreating the memory first and foremost, with the enhancements and deductions you talk about, was the smart move. I super jammed that it worked out this well.
Glad I’m not the only one that has found the delay needed on holding down Ollie / X on restart behavior annoying. I hope they change that in an update.
The natas spin came in handy making big combos in the newer games
HA! didn't know about the glitch effect! Thanks dude! Great analysis btw! Porting something to a new engine and retaining the same feel is less than trivial...
I am new to the series with this game but I most admit playing it is like "oh this is what I wanted Jet Set Radio to feel like" and while I am still learning I do get zen about it at times too
Yeah then you realise that jet set came out after the first thps and not long before the second
brooooo, holding down the A button on restart is something I always do and it's super annoying. But other than that this game has blown me away. I feel like this is how I remember the game being, it's exactly like you said they teleported the game forward to a modern game without adding things that would break the important gameplay elements (like being able to get off a board and walk). When I think of THPS 1 and 2 I now thinks of this game more than I do the originals. It's probably one of the best remakes I've ever seen.
Great video! Though I would argue that getting off your board would be useful for setting up lines and navigating narrow corridors/ stairs.
I haven't had nintendo thumb in 15 years and now I'm playing this game nonstop.
I’m gonna say this with a full and open heart. When I first played THPS2, I was forced to stop playing by my parents. I was obsessed. Now that i’m an adult, I can now appreciate this game for what it is. I get to experience the best of the 1st and the 2nd that I love. I believe this remaster is better than the originals. That is the first time i’d ever say that for a remaster. It brought everything full circle in the modern online era. I’m so happy to have bought and own this game.
Omg your review is SPOT ON! even down to the level start Ollie button “issue” - I also hold it down during the loading screen 😂
This is one of the best games ever imo
That button thing, when you start the round, IS my only complaint. I do the same thing and you have to wait a sec before you can press the ollie button. Besides that, I feel like I'm a teen back in the 90's when these came out. Those were simpler times. lol.
R.I.P. Vicarious Visions.
another nostalgia trip was going back to the D-pad, its feels way more snappier and comfortable for me to use in replace of the analogue.
this game is shockingly excellent and easily a top 5 game of the generation for me. one of those rare games that i would recommend to anyone, and that's coming from someone with very limited experience with the series and almost no nostalgia for it besides the general vibe of the era it represents. really hoping that new skate game can be even half as good and revitalizing for its series, cause that was my shit as a kid
Absolutely not nitpicking on the holding X thing when you retry. The amount of times I've done that and not realized until I hit a ramp and roll off it is crazy.
Especially at the start of downhill when you have that jump right away, so many times I just rode over that expecting to launch off.
@@RagnarokMic hahaha that's the EXACT level I had in mind. Going for that stat point way up on the right off that first ramp.
New subscriber, loved the review, can't wait to watch more of your content!
Yeah that restart issue (Holding X) is something I thought I was alone on haha. Only other issue I have with the game is that I found the collectables to be a lot more frustrating to complete than I remember. In this game you seem to have to hit them dead on 100% or you'll miss them. Not sure if the originals were as strict in this regard. Be interested to know if anyone shares this view also
I finally got the Rag's to Riches challenge completed and it felt so great! Like legit love the trial and error style of this game. My only complaint is that character customization could be more robust but even then it is still good!
It's absolutely my pick for GOTY, and that's saying a lot considering we got so many incredible games this year. But this game connected to my childhood in such a deep way that I can't possibly give preference to anything else. This was like taking a trip back to my teens the moment I started playing, and I will still be playing it for years to come.
I had the exact same two issues as you, that muscle memory to hold X as the level starts has been really hard to shake!
I really hope the developers keep updating the game and add more multiplayer features!
The game itself is amazing, I FINALLY unlocked Skate Heaven last night, my only one minor gripe for this is not having the ability to get off your board. The amount of times I’ve slipped off roofs when I’m trying to collect the tapes is crazy.. but hey that’s a personal choice, all in all it’s fantastic
Echoes exactly what I think about this remaster, I've just been pouring myself into this game, watching other people play it, listening to the new tracks they added, it's just a fantastic remaster.
AND ALSO GOD YES I DON'T KNOW WHY THERE'S THAT LITTLE DEAD PERIOD WHEN YOU RESTART WHERE YOU HAVE TO LET GO OF OLLIE
But still it's so fucking good man
Each bell is lit up by a unique-looking white light, so I thought it was easy to pick them out from the environment. I haven't played the game myself yet, so I can't say for sure how it would play out, but I can't see why it would be difficult.
I had that same issue with holding down X between runs too lol
This game means a lot to me. I will say from the outset, the only thing I don’t like is the glitch animation removing the blood, but, I’ll get back to that. I’m 26 and these games have meant a lot of things for me. When I was a kid I rented one and two from blockbuster and my dad burned them on a CD. I had a slightly older friend who skated and, by virtue of being slightly older, was immensely cool to me. We would play these games religiously. They so warped my perspective of what actual skateboarding was that by the time I got a skateboard probably in 2001 I was shocked I couldn’t ollie.
They also provided me with a sense of danger or rebelliousness, as innocuous as it was being that I was a white kid from a middle class suburb. The fact that the songs had some cursing and the blood (that being why I’m disappointed it’s gone) really made me feel like I was playing something too old for me. Turning it on and hearing guerrilla radio and being almost scared of the power of it, and of course the politics went totally over my head at the time. These games introduced me to punk rock, underground and older (at the time hardly older) hip hop. There was an anti-authority bent to them. There was a lawlessness to them but ironically it was wrapped up in some of the best and most trustworthy mechanics.
I don’t think people who didn’t grow up with these games really understand what they meant to people. And I hate that gatekeeping shit and I hope a lot of younger people find these and fall in love with them, but the word nostalgia doesn’t do it justice.
I just sent in my last paper for my masters the other day a few days late (at least I think... nvm) and I’ve been pretty nervous although the rational part of me says it will be fine. I bought this game yesterday and it has provided a great comfort. As I sip on a beer as I write this I’ll conclude with some of the more relatable and beautiful and sad and anthemic and metaphorical and whatever else lyrics that I’ve recited while playing this game.
Mid 20s skateboarder
I hope I don’t get hurt
Drinking a six pack of beer
Takes away all the fear
Mid 20s skateboarder
I hope I don’t get hurt.
Thanks for the video homie, brilliant as always.
Man you have me in tears with all of that.... This along with WWF were my childhood, and I wouldn't trade those days for anything else
I really wish i can play the game, it would make my childhood spark again.
Nimaz Sheik my man, the wwf is totally nestled in all of this haha. Staying up late to watch Monday night raw, after i switched over from wcw nitro, is all a part of these memories. Again, it all felt beyond my years yet accessible and understandable. The late 90s early 2000s were a magical time, admittedly because i was a kid, but it was before the world was big to quote Girlpool. Before the world was big. Now it all moves so fast and I struggle to keep up, but I harken back to those days for comfort, especially with everything going on in the states these days. I hope you and your loved ones are staying safe and doing well.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2: You Can (Not) Flip Alone
NGE reference?
@@Professor_Utonium_ Possibly? 👀
Couldn't have said it better. Really good video.
I also 2nd the holding ollie issue, I was hoping an update could fix!
Oi mate!! just bought this game for Christmas thank you for the video:) cheers! 🍻
So, does anyone else remember when games used to be fun?
i don't think you mentioned what is probably my favourite new mechanic of all: wallplants. where you used to just have to accept your inevitable bail/end of a combo if you found yourself flying at a wall, now you can just mash ollie and BOING! off you go flying in the opposite direction. and yes, i also noticed the thing where you restart a run and have to press the button twice lol
Thank you for this. I agree, this is the game of the year and the best remake ever. I can take a break for a few days but then when I play it again I'm loving it even more! What an experience. I felt so much nostalgia when seeing the trailer for the game I actually installed THPS3 on my laptop as I couldn't wait. And while the 3rd game was a lot of fun - the remaster is I think my favourite
Well done buddy
Commenting for "engagement." TH-cam stopped recommending me your videos so I'm "engaging" to let the algorithm know to please show content I have purposefully subscribed to.
Genuinely, this is much appreciated. Thanks!
3:45 you never played THPS2 on Dreamcast, probably. It was my first exposure to the series. and definitely had none of the sluggishness and framerate issues that the PS1 games did.
Im late to the party, but I picked the game up on PC a couple months ago and ive sunk 120 hours into it. This game is exactly what it set out to be. Other than limited multiplayer options and that having to tap X upon resrart.. its a 10/10
I wish i can afford play this game to relieve my childhood, but its tough when i always gotta help out the family in paying the bills. Playing tony hawk would make my month.
Mechanics like the Natas spin were intended to embrace many more aspects of skating, but they did end up getting buried in all the story shenanigans.
I think they deserve an opportunity at making their own couple of levels and releasing them as DLC. Give them a blank slate and let them build 3 levels however they want. They deserve it and id buy them 100%. If they are as good as i imagined they would be, give them full power to make Tony Hawks 6
Here’s my review: it’s cool , price is good , no micro transactions, split screen multiplayer, graphics are nice. But the bad part about the game is you can’t free skate with online friends
There adding that next month
i wish they added the ability to get off your board. no challenges or goals associated with it but just so you could reposition yourself off board if u wanted to
Was really looking forward to your review before I bought this sucker. I knew you'd talk about the game feel in minutea and I was not disappointed!