Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 Review – Nostalgia Meets Modern Skateboarding

This is a skateboarding game that wears its nostalgia on its sleeve. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 brings back legendary maps with modern graphics, smooth gameplay, and a wealth of community-made content. While it doesn’t push the series forward in major ways and is marred by some overbearing product placement, it’s still a game that fans old and new will find hard to put down.

James Daly’s review on GamesRadar+ captures the essence perfectly: this is a love letter to the franchise’s golden years, polished up for today’s platforms, with enough extra features to keep players grinding for hours.

The game lands on PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS5, Switch, and Switch 2, and it’s immediately clear that the developers at Iron Galaxy Studios aimed to preserve the feel of the original 2000s titles while upgrading the presentation. The visuals pop—neon Tokyo, breezy San Francisco, and every rail, ramp, and half-pipe feel designed for chaining smooth combos. On PS5, the crisp detail makes every trick and bail look razor-sharp, but the layout and objectives stay faithful to the classics.

Familiar Gameplay, Modern Shine

Fans of the 2020 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 remake will recognize the formula. Levels from THPS 3 and 4 are rebuilt with modern lighting and texture work, but the core design is unchanged. It’s that same loop of chasing high scores, completing objectives, and nailing skill collectables. The difference now is a more robust photo mode, letting players create magazine-worthy shots by grinding stair rails or pulling huge airs over spine transfers. While it’s not tied to missions, it’s a fun side activity for anyone who enjoys the aesthetic side of skate culture.

The soundtrack blends old and new—classics like Motörhead’s Ace of Spades and CKY’s 96 Quite Bitter Beings sit alongside fresh additions. The absence of AC/DC’s T.N.T. is felt, but the mix still hits the right energy for skating sessions.

Creativity Takes Center Stage

Level creation returns with even more tools. You can craft your dream skatepark, place custom obstacles, and even set your own objectives before sharing it online. This has already spawned a mix of incredible challenge courses and chaotic, player-made stunt arenas designed to fling your skater across the map. The result is a game that feels alive, as community content keeps flowing in.

Character creation is still here, too, letting you design your ideal skater and take them across both official and custom-made environments.

Multiplayer: Online and Local

Whether you’re in the mood for competition or casual fun, the multiplayer modes have you covered. Online play includes score-based challenges, hide-and-seek letter hunts, and short bursts of arcade-style competition. For those who prefer couch sessions, local multiplayer ensures you can still trash-talk your friends in person.

The Nostalgia Factor

For those who played the originals, there’s a deep personal connection. Daly recalls spending hours on maps like College and Kona while blasting music in his teens. That essence remains—Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 can still turn an hour-long play session into an all-night skate marathon. Many players may even find themselves muting the in-game soundtrack to play their own nostalgic playlists, recreating the feel of those early 2000s skate sessions.

Where It Slips

But this love letter has smudges. Product placement is everywhere—billboards, stickers, and branded scenery can make the game feel like an advertising space. For some, it won’t matter; for others, it breaks immersion. As Daly points out, skateboarding in real life has always been tied to brands, but in a video game, the balance between authenticity and ad overload is delicate.

The bigger issue for some is that it doesn’t feel like a major leap from the 2020 THPS 1 + 2 release. The mechanics, visuals, and structure are all familiar, meaning returning players might get the feeling of déjà vu. If you were hoping for a radically new take, this isn’t it.

A Veteran’s View

From a veteran skater’s perspective, the branding issue cuts deeper. Skateboarding is more than a sport—it’s an art form, an act of rebellion, and a way of life. Seeing it dressed up primarily as a commodity can be frustrating. For long-time fans, the cultural weight of skateboarding matters as much as the mechanics. That said, these concerns won’t stop the game from being mechanically satisfying.

The Verdict

At its core, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 is a faithful, polished return to some of the best maps and moments in the franchise’s history. The gameplay loop is addictive, the community content adds longevity, and the controls feel as tight and responsive as ever.

It’s not revolutionary, but it doesn’t need to be. For fans of the originals, it’s an irresistible package—one that blends nostalgia with just enough new features to keep it from feeling stale. The flaws—overuse of branding and minimal innovation—are worth noting, but they don’t sink the experience.

If you’ve never played the series before, this is one of the best starting points. If you grew up with it, prepare to lose hours chasing combos and reliving memories. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 may not redefine the franchise, but it’s still a top-tier skateboarding game that earns a place in any fan’s collection.