After Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3+4, The Next Step is Already Clear

The release of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 is imminent, and hopes are high for the remake bundle. This is especially true thanks to 2020’s Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, which packaged the first two Pro Skater games in a shiny, polished wrapper, providing both old and new fans with the nigh-definitive version to play these classic skateboarding games.

Indeed, the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater revival project is off to a successful start, and one can only hope that Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 will continue this burgeoning tradition of excellence. The news of these upcoming remakes may be particularly pleasant for many following the series up until this point, since Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 was reportedly canceled following the Activision-Blizzard-Xbox acquisition, according to the titular skateboarding star himself. The fact that the game is still on its way suggests that ABK and Microsoft may be more open to the continued development of the franchise, meaning that more Tony Hawk remakes could be waiting in the wings, if 3 + 4 is successful enough. If this comes to pass, then there’s an obvious detour that ought to be made.

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After Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, Activision Should Start On Tony Hawk’s Underground

The Tony Hawk’s Underground Games Are Underrated

While the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater games are focused on arena-style skateboarding for the most part—even its more “grounded” levels feature massive half-pipes, ramps, and tall drop-in points—the Underground games follow the world of street skating. In this way, the Underground games are like the edgy siblings of the Pro Skater series, whose more polished and professional premise puts it in a different league.

There are a number of differences between the Pro Skater games and the Underground ones, and not all of them are a simple matter of tone or setting. To facilitate its more off-color and crass sense of humor, the Underground games have more structured, traditional story campaigns, wherein players create their own custom character and move through a Jackass-style series of missions with the ultimate goal of reaching the professional level. In this way, Tony Hawk’s Underground is at once more compelling, complex, and relatable than its Pro Skater counterparts, and it’s these strengths that ought to be targeted in a potential remake.

With Any Luck, Tony Hawk’s Underground Remakes or Remasters Could Lead To a New Entry in the Series

Tony Hawk’s Underground is interesting in the sense that it hones in on the themes of rebellion and individuality that were so prominent in 2000s skater culture. It’s this thematic core that drives much of the games’ narrative and gameplay content, and it’s also what would make a proper, new entry in the short-lived series even more captivating.

Many elements of the Underground games, like the ability to explore levels on foot and the character-first story, would be a natural fit for today’s landscape of story-driven, open-world games. The series’ unique narrative and tonal flavor could serve as a breath of fresh air for the modern sports game fan, who may be feeling a bit burned-out by live-services and sanitized AAA projects like Rider’s Republic. With Skate 4 falling into the former category, and granular simulation-style games like Session: Skate Sim being the only real alternatives, a modern spin on Tony Hawk’s Underground would be the perfect middle-ground. Whether this middle-ground will come in the form of just a remastered collection or a proper new release, only time will tell.