The Summer of Arcade has finally arrived and it’s started off with a pretty big bang, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD, or as I like to call it, Nostalgia: The Video Game. Robomodo (yes the people behind Shred and Ride) did a complete 180 with the help of Tony Hawk to bring the series back to it’s roots, literally. THPSHD brings you the best seven levels from 1 and 2 in glorious 1080p, and some of the best songs from before make a return. Oh, and before you ask, Superman by Goldfinger is in the game. THPSHD is nearly identical to the original first two games, with a few alterations of course; some good, some bad, and some just plain silly.
Finally we are back to the classic two-minute time limit scavenger hunt! While I did enjoy the stories for Underground and American Wasteland, it was about time the series returned to the grueling task based gameplay. The tasks are just as you remember them, for the most part, secret tapes (which have now be upgraded to DVDs!) are in the same spots and so are the SKATE letters. There are still your basic score challenges as well as other tasks like wall riding the bells in School II. These challenges are still as painfully frustrating as before, and upon completion of the core game you unlock a whole new set of goals called, Projectives.There are some pretty bad bugs in the game though; for instance, at some points my player will be in the middle of a grind and then just shoot up into the air.
New to the series is Big Head Survival, Hawkman, and best of all, online multiplayer! Big Head Survival is an absolute blast, you must pull off combos to keep your head from exploding. Hawkman is a bit like Pac-Man, as you must collect pellets, but certain pellets can only be collected during certain tricks. THPSHD has tons to do, and the online multiplayer is wonderful, with Big Head Survival, Trick Attack, and Graffiti. Unfortunately there is no local multiplayer.
Players who have stuck with the series will take a bit of time getting used to the physics of THPS 1 and 2, as there is no longer Revert (which will be coming in future dlc) or the wall slap. I spent most of my time grinding into walls and failing because I was so used to the wall slap. A few things missing are some classic characters, like Chad Muska or Bob Burnquist, these have been replaced by the likes of Riley Hawk (Tony’s Son) and Lyn-Z Adam Hawkins. A few other classics have been taken out for more recent skaters.
THPSHD is an absolute blast to the past, it takes the series back to it’s roots and is engaging for new comers as well as veterans. It’s just as frustrating and rewarding as you remember, and the inclusion of classic songs makes the nostalgia trip even better. Some glitches may get in the way and build upon your frustration, and the physics take some time to get used to, but it’s still the same game you fell in love with 13 years ago. Hopefully the Summer of Arcade keeps the trend going and releases some great games to compete with THPSHD.
- One of the best nostalgia trips to date
- Big Head Survival is a blast
- Great to see the series back to it’s roots
- Some silly glitches get in the way
- Physics take some getting used to
- No local multiplayer
Score: 4/5
