15 "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater" Facts, Gameplay Tips and Game Controls

“Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater”, often abbreviated as THPS, is a skateboarding video game series. The first game was released in 1999, developed by Neversoft and published by Activision. The series was endorsed by and features the name of professional skateboarder Tony Hawk.

In the original “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater”, players select a professional skateboarder and then perform various tricks and stunts in different locations around the world. The game has a number of modes, including a career mode where players complete objectives to progress, a free skate mode for unrestricted gameplay, and multiplayer modes for competing against other players.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater Facts

“Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater” was first released in 1999 by developer Neversoft and publisher Activision.
The game was the first in what would become one of the most successful and long-running franchises in the sports video game genre.
“Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater” was endorsed by professional skateboarder Tony Hawk, who has been involved in the development and promotion of every main game in the series.
The original “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater” was notable for its precise controls, allowing players to perform a wide range of tricks and combos.
The game’s soundtrack features music from a variety of genres, including punk, rock, and hip hop, and is often cited as a highlight of the series.
The game’s levels are based on real-world locations and famous skateboarding spots.
In addition to Tony Hawk, the game features several other professional skateboarders as playable characters, including Bob Burnquist, Chad Muska, and Rodney Mullen.
“Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater” introduced the concept of comboing tricks together, which was a game-changer in skateboarding video games.
The game received high praise from critics and players alike for its fun gameplay and realistic representation of skateboarding culture.
The game spawned numerous sequels, including “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2” in 2000, which is often cited as one of the greatest video games of all time.
“Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater” and its sequels were released on a wide variety of platforms, including PlayStation, Game Boy Color, Nintendo 64, and Dreamcast.
The first two games in the series were remastered in 2020 as “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2”, featuring updated graphics, new tricks, and online multiplayer.
The “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater” series has sold millions of copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time.
The game’s successful blending of sports and action gameplay has been influential in the creation of other hybrid sports games.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater Gameplay Tips

Master the Basics: Before attempting complex tricks and combos, spend some time learning the basic controls of the game. Understanding how to jump, grind, manual, and perform basic tricks is crucial.
Combo Tricks: Combining tricks is the key to getting high scores in “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater”. You can string together tricks by jumping off ramps, grinding on rails, and using manuals to keep your combo going on the ground.
Learn to Manual and Revert: The manual (balancing on two wheels) and revert (turning 180 degrees upon landing) are two of the most important moves in the game. They allow you to link tricks together into longer combos, greatly increasing your score.
Explore Levels: Each level in “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater” is filled with ramps, rails, and hidden areas that can be used to perform tricks. Spend some time exploring each level to find the best spots for high-scoring combos.
Complete Challenges: Each level has a set of challenges to complete, such as achieving a certain score or collecting items. Completing these challenges will unlock new levels and skateboards.
Practice Timing: Timing is crucial in “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater”. You’ll need to time your jumps, grinds, and tricks correctly to successfully land them and avoid bailing.
Use Special Tricks: Each skater has their own set of special tricks that can be performed when their special meter is full. These tricks score a lot of points, so try to use them as often as possible.
Avoid Bailing: Crashing or “bailing” will end your current combo and lose any points that you had built up. Try to avoid taking unnecessary risks that could cause you to bail.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater Game Controls

The basic controls for the original game on the PlayStation

D-Pad / Left Analog Stick: Move the skater.
X Button: Ollie (jump). Hold down to crouch and gain speed, release to jump.
Square Button: Flip tricks. Press in combination with the D-Pad / Analog Stick to perform different tricks.
Circle Button: Grab tricks. Press in combination with the D-Pad / Analog Stick to perform different tricks.
Triangle Button: Grind. Use this when near a rail or edge to grind along it.
L1 / R1 Buttons: Spin. Press while in the air to spin your skater, which can increase the score of your tricks.
R2 Button (if available): Perform a manual when on the ground. This can be used to link tricks together into combos.
Start Button: Pause the game, access options.

Here are the basic controls for the PC version:

Arrow Keys: Move the skater.
Spacebar: Ollie (jump). Hold down to crouch and gain speed, then release to jump.
Left CTRL: Flip tricks. Press in combination with the Arrow Keys to perform different tricks.
Left ALT: Grab tricks. Press in combination with the Arrow Keys to perform different tricks.
Left SHIFT: Grind. Use this when near a rail or edge to grind along it.
Z, X Keys: Spin. Press while in the air to spin your skater, which can increase the score of your tricks.
C Key: Manual when on the ground. This can be used to link tricks together into combos.
ESC: Pause the game, access options.