The original Tony Hawk games were adored by an entire generation of gamers. That last entry in 2015, however, didn't quite meet expectations and left the series in limbo. Now, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 is looking to recapture some of the original THPS skateboarding magic. The game is true to the two original Tony Hawk's Pro Skater titles, but it comes with a vast array of improvements.
The Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series totally transformed skateboarding in America. It helped to popularize skateboarding again in the late '90s and early '00s, and the new game is full of that sense of nostalgia. However, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 also makes improvements, which is to be expected. One of the ways Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 improves is in of graphics. That's not really surprising, considering the original games released in 1999 and 2000. What is surprising is just how much the graphics have improved.
In one of the early trailers that released for Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2, viewers were treated to a side-by-side comparison of the new Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 graphics beside the original's. That was breathtaking enough, but it's one thing to see the comparisons and another to actually experience them firsthand. Now that the game is out, fans of the original THPS game are loving just how great the newest Tony Hawk entry looks.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 Graphics Are Great
The original Tony Hawk's Pro Skater games were great, but the graphics don't hold up especially well. Like most games from the first PlayStation-era, the early Tony Hawk's Pro Skater installments' graphics are really pixelated and look incredibly blurry on a modern television. The graphic updates in the environments are impressive and really shows just how far graphics have come in the last twenty years.
One of the biggest changes to the graphics of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 is through the character models. Pro skaters look extremely life-like in the newest game, especially in regards to hair and facial features. The model for Jack Black's character, Officer Dick, looks especially impressive in how well it resembles the actor. It's a far cry from the blurred-out faces seen in the original Tony Hawk's Pro Skater games.
Overall, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 is a remaster that stays true to its roots while improving in ways that need it. Much like the mix of old and new music featured in the game, the updated graphics are a welcome reminder of just how far video games have come along in the last two decades.