Tony Hawk's Pro Skater revolutionized skateboarding games with its chained tricks system and addictive 2-minute session gameplay. Iconic punk/rock soundtrack, iconic levels and exploration freedom. A foundational skateboarding masterpiece that defined an entire genre on PS1.
Your verdict
Category
Sports2 players7+
Description
American Neversoft skateboard, where the licensed skater chains tricks across urban arenas for the title. Created by Neversoft and Activision, released in 1999 in the United States and Japan under the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater title. Over nine 3D urban free-exploration arenas, ten licensed skaters including Tony Hawk, Bob Burnquist and Bucky Lasek, combo trick system with ollies and flips, objective career mode and licensed punk rock soundtrack. American and Japanese edition under the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater title.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
From Goldfinger's "Superman" to the punk of the Dead Kennedys, the selection redefined what a game soundtrack could be. Ska, punk and hip-hop charge every trick combo with a cocky energy. This founding melting pot, copied a thousand times, remains one of the most influential in video game history.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Chaining grinds, ollies and tricks in one flow, chasing the combo that blows up the score: the formula hits home from the very first session. The freedom to carve your own path through compact levels and the cult soundtrack create an addictive alchemy. Immediate, snappy and fiercely replayable, the game that brought skating into the living room.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Chaining ollies, grinds and flips while swelling a combo without touching the ground sets off a hunt for the perfect run that replays each level for two minutes of grace. Bagging the hidden goals and beating your score keeps restarting the session. The controls take some getting used to, but that heady flow and its cult soundtrack stay fiercely catchy.
The Japanese version of the founder of the modern skateboarding game, markedly rarer than the Western editions in a market where American-style skate culture carried little weight. This Japanese edition appeals to collectors of cross-region releases of a founding title in Japan. Its desirability rests on this limited local run, noticeably harder to find than the PAL and American versions.
Better with friends
A jubilant arcade skater whose two-player modes, from Trick Attack to Graffiti, turn every session into a one-upmanship of tricks and scores. The competition rewards style, risky linking and composure as the combo meter swells dangerously. Immediate and heady, it triggers "do it again!" on repeat and friendly rivalries where you fight over the wildest line.
Is Tony Hawk's Pro Skater still worth playing in 2026?
Released in 1999 on PS1 as Tony Hawk's Pro Skater in the West and Tony Hawk's Skateboarding in some European markets, Neversoft's project redefined arcade skating video games. The multi button trick system, the combo readability and the indie punk soundtrack install an intact freshness. The two minute short levels demand quick environmental reading. The 3D modelling and the camera have aged, without removing anything from the fundamental effectiveness. Recommended today for any arcade skate devotee and for Neversoft fans curious about the studio before Underground.
