Tony Hawk's Underground shakes up the saga with a hero who can step off the board. More narrative world and realistic street mood. A welcome reinvention.
Your verdict
Category
Sports2 players12+
Split screen
Description
A Neversoft and Activision sports game released in 2003, the Tony Hawk's Underground (THUG) franchise entry. First Tony Hawk's with a scripted story mode centered on a customizable fictional skater and his rise from amateur to pro. Get-off skate mode to explore off-board, deep skater customization (appearance, equipment). Narrative innovation redefining the franchise and inspiring subsequent entries.
Tony Hawk's Underground review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
4/5
Story
★★★★★
"Captivating"
More narrative, the entry leans on a raging selection of punk, hip-hop and rock to accompany the player's rise. Every track charges the flow of combos and matches the rebellious attitude of street skating. This raw energy, chosen with care, hits home from the first run to the last.
Gameplay
"Masterful"
Being able to step off the board and roam freely opens the skating formula to genuine freedom of movement and customization. Combos stay at the heart of the fun, but building lines and spots prolongs the urge to experiment. The scripted tone shows its age a little, but the suppleness of the gameplay and the wealth of possibilities keep an ever-lively appeal.
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
For the first time, you step off the board, walk and climb to build the story of a skater starting from nothing: this unprecedented freedom reinvents the series. The blend of virtuoso combos and personal adventure brings fresh air, without losing any of the riding joy. Endlessly customisable, it's an ambitious, exhilarating arcade skater to live through.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Blending the combo hunt with a narrative thread and the ability to step off the board clearly widens the playground. Wrapping up an objective, polishing a line and then aiming for a better score keeps reviving the session. The story stays incidental, but this freedom of movement and this quest for the perfect run keep an immediate, stubborn appeal, controller in hand.
Difficulty
"Balanced"
Lifespan
"Massive"
Following a skater's rise from obscurity to glory unfolds a fleshed-out story mode paired with a deep character creator. Wrapping up the career, aiming for scores and fine-tuning your avatar fills long hours, revived by a generous multiplayer. That narrative dimension, new to the series, founds a longevity fans cultivate for a long time.
Technical info
💾3,4 GB📅27/10/2003
Published by Activision
Tony Hawk's Underground (PS2) price, value & rarity
The Western release of Tony Hawk's Underground, a major turn for the series introducing a customizable hero, a real scripted storyline and the skater stepping off the board, broadening the formula. Still common, its interest lies in this notable narrative turn of a cult saga and a tenacious nostalgia rather than scarcity. A piece valued by skate fans of the PS2 era, accessible in a complete box.
Better with friends
A narrative evolution of skateboarding, slipping a real story alongside its sprawling multiplayer modes and its editor. The competition stays a festival of combos and style, but creating spots together opens a shared, limitless canvas for expression. Accessible and inventive, it turns every session into a trick workshop where you vie in daring and spectacular falls set off chummy laughter.
Is Tony Hawk's Underground still worth playing in 2026?
Released in 2003 on PS2, Neversoft's project renews the Pro Skater line by grafting on an ambitious story mode, in which you play a rookie skater climbing the ranks to glory, and a deep character editor. The ability to step off the board to explore on foot widens the playground. The combo system, still as deep, keeps the precision and pacing of the series. The sometimes caricatural narration and an uneven difficulty divide. A striking turning point of the saga, recommended for fans of skating and of personalised long term progression who want a story alongside the scoring.
