Hope everyone had a good weekend...

So despite the reverence, I've somehow never played a Tony Hawk game, and I'm curious about jumping in. I know it's getting a ton of good reviews and the crew seems to dig it, but:

1. Do you think it's still fun if you've got none of the built-in in nostalgia? These days I'm looking for games where I basically just mess around for a bit and don't have to get invested in a story, manage a bunch of stuff, etc., and this seems perfect for that. But I've got no idea if the actual gameplay would be considered fun if you don't remember it from back in the day.

2. How long is it? Once you've completed all of the objectives (assuming the game has them), is it still rewarding to go back in and play? Or are you pretty much done?

Thanks!

This is the first Tony Hawk game I've played and I'm having a blast. I've unlocked almost all but the last level in the first game and have done a good majority of the challenges to give you a gauge of how much I've played so far. I've probably clocked in 10-15ish hours.

Jeff mentioned that these are just platformers disguised as sports games and it definitely shows. It's like each level feels like the lovechild of a 3D Sonic game and Banjo-Kazooie which might sound awful but works out really really well.

The combo system is super satisfying as well. If you're into stuff like Bayonetta, or even just messing around in MvC, it scratches the same itch weirdly enough.

It's kind of hard for me to give a truly objective response because I've been playing Tony Hawk from the first game, but if you just want a pick up and play game it's pretty ideal. The basic run is 2 minutes long (though you can also play without a timer) and you can do anything from complete objectives to just run up a high score in that time. It's a perfect pick up and play game. There's a little bit of management in terms of your skater's stats (which is very easy) and your cosmetics but that's a tiny percentage of the game.

I think the gameplay would still be very fun even if you've never played a Tony Hawk game before. It's a unique combination of platforming and trick based racing/sports so if that appeals to you you'd probably really enjoy it. It feels great (it has been modernized somewhat) and it's the definition of easy to learn and hard to master. The only issue might be that the level designs might feel a bit small by modern standards, but these are some of the greatest video game levels ever made so if you are okay with that limitation then you'd still have fun. The game looks amazing too. Incredibly polished and if you didn't know that the levels were from a PS1 game you probably couldn't tell because of the level of detail that's been put into them even without altering the basic geometry. It's one of the best remakes ever from that perspective.

In terms of length...it's pretty short for a basic "unlock everything" run. Probably 5-8 hours to unlock all the courses and maybe a little more to do every objective. But there's an absolute ton of replay value. In addition to your basic "mess around have fun" high score challenge stuff, the game has over 700 actual challenges to complete (things like "do a trick string for X score with Y components using Z skater) and a ton of cosmetic stuff to unlock so if you're into that you can spend a long time on it. But even more importantly...there's create-a-park and multiplayer. So you can build or download new user created levels to play and play online (though there's an area where you likely will not be very competitive) or with local users (there is splitscreen.)

It's an arcade game at heart so it's not really just about the "campaign" per se and never has been. If that's all you're going to do there's not a lot of value, but if you like just popping into a game and having fun trying to beat your prior top score or accomplish some challenge or just mess around in cool user created parks then the replay value is basically unlimited.

There's a reason these games have long been considered classics. There's never been a better time to get into Tony Hawk. And the new soundtrack is worth the price of admission alone if you've never heard a Tony Hawk soundtrack. It's the best they've ever done.

There’s a new tutorial made for this game, which will run you through the basics and get you started on the concept of combos. With sessions being two minutes long, it doesn’t feel punishing either. There’s nothing here that’s going to demand anything from you that can’t be done in two minutes. On top of all that, these are two of the most popular games ever made, faithfully repackaged, so you have about twenty-five years worth of resources online that still hold true, if you want to learn more complicated strategies or need help with certain goals.

I can’t speak to what it’s like coming to these games fresh in 2020 specifically, but they were my first experiences with the series when it was new and they worked then. Their approachability is a big part of why they worked. Tony Hawk himself specifically has cited this as a reason for the success of these games over their competitors from that era.

As far as the amount of stuff to do, it feels like a really solid package for what they’re asking for it. They took out the requirement to beat the levels with each individual skater, which makes it easier, but definitely shortens the length overall. But there’s a whole other system of challenges in there that I started messing with yesterday and I really like what I’m seeing there. Plus you have the create a park, which seems interesting, and I’m sure folks will make some bananas stuff with that too.

You all are awesome -- I really appreciate it. It sounds right up my alley, and I'll pick it up in the next few days.

Aside from playing pro skater 2 (I think it was 2, at least?) when I was very young, I'm pretty much entirely new to thps and 1+2 has been extremely fun, though I feel like I'm learning it slower than most lol

@skienbaum: Happy to hear it! Let us know what you think once you spend some time with it.

I don't know numbers, but I think it's going to last you quite a while. It's really quite challenging, especially if you've never played one of these before. It takes quite a bit of practice before you can really get into the groove. Although it does take away some of the replayability that you can't go back and re-do all the goals with other characters (see other thread.)

Real curious to see what you think of it. I've been playing THPS games since the first one (I literally bought an OG Xbox to have a system to play THPS4 on), so it's hard for me to judge it without nostalgia. I tore through the goals in a weekend and am hacking away at the challenges and other secrets slowly, but I have to say it is a very impressive piece of remake. The lack of goal replay is a bummer (Jeff even mentioned it on the Bombcast this week), but having spent more time with the game, there's still tons to do in it.

Hope you enjoy it, it's a fun thing to get the hang of and allows for a level of expression similar to actual skating (Obviously taken to an arcade-y extreme, but still). You can tailor your skaters to handle just how you like, you can elect to do the most complicated laserflips or a simple grab over gaps, and the depth of the trick system means there are always new plateaus to climb.

Youll have a good time even if you're not beating every challenge on every level. I like just cruising around. No super long trick string. Just a kickflip here and there and some grinding and I'm still having a ton of fun.

I'm kind of curious if going from 1 controls, then to 2, then to modern controls would be like for a new player. My first THPS was 3, with the fully-formed combo system intact, and I managed to figure it out at the time. These levels are simpler, so you should probably be ok.

I'm playing 1 for the first time. Having played a lot of 2 and 4, it's jarring not to have the manuals to keep the combo going. In that respect, the new one has that in the chamber.

You could definitely approach the game that way as a sort of novelty, but I think I'd just recommend you start with the modern controls to get into the manualing/reverting mindset early. The learning curve doesn't really come from the new mechanics so much as it is building the muscle memory to utilize the many mechanics.

There's nothing scary about Tony Hawk and this is a great place to get in.

Quick update: I'm loving it and it feels like the right game for me right now, but I have a real hard time planning any kind of trick or executing combos or really doing more than spamming the controls. I have a feeling this will start to become natural the more I play, but right now I'm just kind of being chill and skating around and figuring things out. And am 100% happy with that.

Thanks again, all, and hope you're doing well.

@skienbaum: Glad you're having fun. If you have any questions for series veterans feel free to ask and I'm sure we'd all be happy to give advice. I'm definitely not great at the game (not as good as Jeff let alone the truly insane players who chain their whole run) but I know some tips that can help you hit those Sick scores if you're struggling with it. In terms of planning out your tricks that does get better with time but you can also just skate around a level learning the lines and then trying to follow them.

A couple quick tips:

The simplest way to score big combos is in a half pipe, pool, or bowl. Basically anywhere where you can chain big vertical tricks together via reverts and manuals. Spinning increases your multiplier too so if you hit a couple grabs and spins chained with reverts and manuals you can easily get in the six figures or above on one combo. This is especially true if you throw in your special moves, which give a much higher base score than other kinds of tricks. So once your special meter is full you can skate over to a bowl or whatever and bust out a couple combos with some special moves thrown in and that alone will really raise your score.

You can switch your trick during a manual or grind by double tapping one of the face buttons like circle or square (if you're on a PlayStation controller), and that also adds to your multiplier. So if you are grinding a long rail and not using a special move (which builds base points quickly) you can switch your grind several times to increase your multiplier for when you hop off...into a manual for more multiplier!

When people make a basket they say kobe...when people land their first kickflip they say...Rodney. The tony hawk games arent as perfect as people say. They are just so amazing at the time since it was unheard of to be that cool. Good music. Decent controls. And you'd always get a friend who have it and play it with you while he dust your score. Its not as good as people say. Its a time and place but if you where there its like Woodstock...if not...its just some band playing with people dancing. Tony Hawk also has a learning curve no one will tell you. It takes practice. Jeff loves it and even he says he's bad or not that good yet he makes 100.000 in a single combo. Id say get jet set radio future for an easier take on this type of game plus a fun unique story.

@topcyclist: I am TERRIBLE and honestly sometimes don't see how I could ever get better, but still having a heck of a time. Game feels great, even if I'm just skating around and trying out new things without worrying too much about it.

@skienbaum: A big part of it isn't just planning out lines, but sort of flowing through the level more naturally. Start working on what types of tricks take you through certain types of environments. Learn where a wall ride, a wall plant, a manual, and a grind work, and then start putting those together. Warehouse is a good place to knock out some simple combos. If you're looking for higher scores, goose those numbers by earning your special with a few easy manual tricks, and then beginning a new combo starting with some special vert tricks. The biggest points are going to be in that stuff. If you can start a combo off with a 900 and a revert, then go into a manual, you're well on your way to beating the combo challenge in any level. You pick your starting spot where you think you can net big numbers, and then let your momentum take you where it does.

Also, it's not cheating to make all your specials simple button inputs. I make all of mine variations of up down or down up because that's easy for my slow old thumbs.

This is all such wonderful news. I too had these worries but I thought it looked so fun. I came to that music and that stuff way later than most folks.

It does feel like I'm taking incremental steps. I can pretty much get a 3-part combo no problem and am slowly adding onto that more confidently. Am also just getting better at traversing around the parks while doing tricks naturally. Still messing up a ton and it's all probably ugly as hell, but having a blast.

First timer here who has interest in this game but man I really wish there was a demo to try this out first

@colourful_hippie: I really hope they put that demo out for everybody. It was a marketing stunt and I get why they made it exclusive before release, but now the game is out and there are folks who want to dip their toes in before buying. You might be able to download an emulated version of THPS2. It wouldn’t be a perfect representation of the remake, because they use a lot of stuff from later games (and obviously it looks much better), but it’d give you an idea of what to expect.

Definitely! There's a great tutorial and there's even a less sweaty multiplayer mode you could ease into. Long-time THPS players might blow through the game in a matter of hours (I did) but if you haven't played these games and know the goals like the back of your hand, you'll easily learn them and have a great time doing it.

I don't know if this is still of interest to anyone, but I continue to enjoy this more and more. Slowly learning how to string together more tricks while moving around in a small area or the entire map. I think one thing that took me a little while to realize is that you (or at least I) kind of need to input your tricks just slightly ahead of when your current one is finished. I was trying to time it just as the trick was ending and kept losing the combo chain.

I'm finding it great to pick up for maybe 15-20 minutes, pick a challenge or goal to complete, and go after it. Or just free skate and chill.

@skienbaum: Glad to hear your digging it still. The past games have always been good for going back and picking at things, so it's nice to hear the new update follows in that tradition. Landed on any favorite tricks or any that you simply can't stand? I usually get the Madonna grab swapped for a Crossbone or Mute Weddle, it's just a pain to try and land.

I'm slowly going through and getting everyone's stat points up and sniping challenges here and there. There are a few that are totally crazy hard that have me scratching my head about how to even do, but they're fun nonetheless.

@phoenix654: glad you're having fun with it too!

Re: favorite/least favorite tricks, I don't think I'm at that point yet -- am kind of just focusing on getting the timing right and hitting a button combo I haven't done recently. Maybe that's what I'll focus on next.