Following 2020’s excellent Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 remake by Vicarious Visions, it seemed like a sure thing that the third and fourth games would be remade. While it took longer than anticipated, developer Iron Galaxy has stepped in and lovingly brought (most of) the stages from the beloved skateboarding games to modern consoles. Playing just as meticulously polished as the prior remake, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 is a stellar way to experience two incredible games in a new way.

The 1 + 2 remake played much better than the original games since it brought over the completed trick system, which was fully fleshed out once the series hit the PlayStation 2. That means 3 + 4 plays exactly how you would expect it to, although there’s no major gameplay upgrade as it plays as intended — incredibly tight and fun. A very detailed tutorial will get new players up to speed, but the muscle memory for veterans will kick in quickly, as I was back to pulling off 500,000-point combos within a few runs.

The big difference in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 is that the entire career mode is comprised of two-minute runs. That’s par for the course for 3, but it does remove the entire unique gameplay aspect of 4, which was that you could skate around the environment and then take on quests. This mostly works out fine (more on my caveats later), as thankfully, the levels never feel overly large, and some of the most iconic quests have been remade as goals to achieve during your runs. It definitely makes the overall package feel more cohesive, so I get why the decision was made.

The downside to this choice is that Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 is missing some of its personality as a result of this decision. Some goals (like the pink elephants in College) feel like a shell of themselves, while the entire Zoo level has been reworked to place it at nighttime and remove all of the animals. While I don’t miss the mini-games any (they were often fun to do once and then never again), a lot of the edgier humor is gone, which might be for the best but removes the connective link between 4 and where Tony Hawk’s Underground would take the series. Once you do accept this as a remake rather than a remaster, the differences are easy to accept, and there are new additions that add charm as well.

The upside to it being a remake is that Iron Galaxy has made three all-new maps, and they are a blast. The first is a competition stage called Movie Studio, which features a back lot and plenty of film props for you to grind on. My favorite of the three is Waterpark, which is based on a rundown waterpark that features plenty of rides that have been repurposed for tricks and a lot of fun secrets to discover. It’s pretty massive, and the only time I really felt the two-minute time limit was a real challenge, and reminded me of an even better version of Fun Park from Tony Hawk’s Project 8. Finally, there’s a gimmick level called Pinball, which is a meta level of being inside a pinball table while Tony Hawk himself plays it from above. There are some cool moments and launch pads, although it was my least favorite, as I disliked having to dodge the actual pinballs (a rough way to have a 750,000-point combo negated).

While I had a great time with the three new levels, and I hope Iron Galaxy gets to do an all-new Tony Hawk game next, as they clearly have the basics down, I was disappointed to find out that Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 was missing two unlockable levels from 4. Both Carnival and Chicago are completely absent. Neither of those are incredible stages, and Chicago was from Mat Hoffman’s Pro BMX 2, but their exclusion increases my feeling that 4 got the short end of the stick. Maybe DLC stages could be possible (would also love to see The Sewers and Little Big World from the PS1 version included), and I’m certain that allowing Iron Galaxy time to get some original stages under their belt will be worth it long-term, but it is slightly disappointing not to see every level return.

It only takes a few hours to finish the initial campaign and all of its goals, although players will be glad to know that Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 features an extensive post-game. Pro goals are unlocked following clearing the game, which adds in C-O-M-B-Os, higher score targets, and some additional challenges. Once those are all completed, you then unlock individual solo tours, which have skater-specific progression versus shared overall progress, and there are hidden decks and rewards to be gained there as well. There is truly a wild amount of content here, and just like 1 + 2, this is a game that I’ll be coming back to for the next year.

Multiplayer and a robust create-a-park mode also return for 3 + 4. There are a lot of returning modes, such as score and combo challenges, along with graffiti and tag. The big new additions are a public free skate mode, which is fun to chill in, and a “HAWK” mode, which has you hiding four letters that players then have to find. I thought the latter would be a bit too basic, but I actually really got into it after realizing that it wasn’t about trying to hide it in a spot people can’t see, but putting the letters in a place that is very difficult to reach. It was all about wall riding and hopping to a place that was out of the way and confusing to get to. It’s a fun challenge and forces players to think about levels in a new way.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 Review: Final Verdict

I’ve spent 20 hours in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 so far, and I’m surely going to spend 20 more. Iron Galaxy has done a great job of recreating some classic stages, creating their own, and really nailing the spirit of these games. Tony Hawk has never looked or played better, and I can’t wait to see where the franchise goes from here.

SCORE: 9/10

As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 9 equates to “Excellent.” Entertainment that reaches this level is at the top of its type. The gold standard that every creator aims to reach.

Disclosure: The publisher provided a PlayStation 5 copy for our Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 review. Reviewed on version 1.000.002.