Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 is an absolute masterpiece perfecting the foundational formula of the first entry. New mechanics like manuals and reverts, even more creative levels, legendary soundtrack. One of the greatest games of all time on PS1, unsurpassed in its genre.
Your verdict
Category
Sports2 players7+
Description
Reference Neversoft sequel, adding manuals and expanding arenas in multiplayer mode. Created by Neversoft and Activision, released in 2000 in Australia, the United States, Europe, France, Germany and Japan under the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 title. Over eight expanded urban 3D arenas, thirteen licensed skaters including newcomer Eric Koston, expanded trick system with manuals, Park Editor skatepark editor mode and licensed punk rock soundtrack. Multi-regional edition under the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 title.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
Carried by Rage Against the Machine's "Guerrilla Radio" and an explosive punk-rap line-up, the entry pushes the intensity up a notch. Every track sticks to the flow of the combos and spikes the adrenaline of the sessions. This legendary selection, often cited as the best in the series, still electrifies today.
Gameplay
"Masterful"
The manual now links tricks on the ground and unleashes combos that seem like they should never stop, turning every course into a canvas for expression. Reading the scenery, balancing your weight and sheer daring combine in an exhilarating, instantly rewarding flow. Smooth and generous, this version remains one of the timeless peaks of the skating game.
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
The arrival of the manual changes everything: linking two tricks with a balance on the wheels opens up near-infinite combos and multiplies the joy of the chain. Levels built for virtuosity and a cult soundtrack complete a perfect balance. Freer, deeper, this entry is often cited as the absolute peak of arcade skating. Immediate and inexhaustible.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Linking ground tricks with the manual to stretch a combo to infinity deepens the score chase and makes each run more thrilling than the last. Spending your points to upgrade the skater adds a rewarding progression. A few repetitive goals crop up, but the perfect balance between freedom and challenge makes it a peak of the genre that still captivates.
A sequel held by many as the series' peak, refining the handling and fleshing out the content to the point of becoming an absolute skateboarding-game reference. Still fairly widespread in the West, its interest lies in this peak reputation rather than scarcity, the Japanese version being rarer. A prime piece for anyone wanting the best of the franchise on the console.
Better with friends
A peak of arcade skating whose manuals system links the whole course into one giant combo, ideal for breathtaking score duels. The competition rewards boldness and mastery, where daring to extend your line at the risk of a bail is the whole tension between players. Addictive and readable, it unleashes fierce rivalries and constantly makes you want to replay to shatter the other's record.
Is Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 still worth playing in 2026?
Released in 2000 on PS1, Neversoft's project extends the original's formula with the manual that lets the player chain tricks on the ground between two ramps. Replay value explodes, the rhythm accelerates and the punk and hip hop soundtrack installs immediate energy. The levels gain readability and objective generosity. The 3D modelling and the camera have aged. Stays a major classic, recommended today for any arcade skate devotee and for Neversoft fans curious about the absolute peak of the formula before its Underground turn on Sony's first home console hardware globally.
