Growing up as a kid in the 90s and early 2000s, there's one name I feel like everyone knew: Tony Hawk.
The guy was seen as a skateboarding legend, and the more popular skateboarding became around school, the more you would hear about his legacy. He was (and still is) awesome, and everyone who picked up a board wanted to be like him. Sadly, it didn't take long for me to discover how bad I was at it, and that rollerblading was actually more my thing.
Even so, the skater culture is always something I'll remember about that time period, and it became even more popular when shows like Rocket Power started airing on TV. It was a great time to be alive, and it only got even better when Tony Hawk's own video game series hit the market.
Discovering Pro Skater:
I'll never forget the first time I spotted Tony Hawk's Pro Skater sitting on the shelf at our local movie rental place. Everything about the box art screamed fun, and I couldn't wait to get home to actually try it out. I flopped down in front of my Nintendo 64, started up the game, and heard "Superman" by Goldfinger for the first time in my life; it was magical.
Moving forward, Pro Skater would be one of my go-to games to rent, and it was also a game my dad would sit down and play with me. He'd always talk about "catching major floor" as his chosen character bashed his face off of something and sprayed blood, while I sat there constantly trying to improve my combos. I didn't get "too" good at the game during this time, but each time I rented it, I'd at least learn something new and get a bit further into the main campaign. It was an addiction, and I would eventually go on to play it with my cousins and other family members as well.
Looking back, what made the game so great isn't really easy to pin down, because it was so many moving parts that just worked so well together. The simplified controls were easy to use but difficult to master, the skater choice was perfect, and the soundtrack was one that would stick in your head long after you finished playing. Every single stage was fine-tuned with goal sets that took full advantage of the map, and there were plenty of secrets and combo strings for you to discover. All of these pieces came together to complete an experience that was unlike anything else, and that is exactly why I kept coming back for more. Honestly, I'm not sure why I never asked my parents to buy the game, but eventually, that day would come unexpectedly thanks to the SEGA Dreamcast... just not until Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 was already out.
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| (Official Screenshot from Pro Skater 1+2. It didn't look THIS good on Dreamcast!) |
Pro Skater 2 and Returning to the Original:
Like with the first game, Pro Skater 2 quickly became my top rented game. I began by playing the PlayStation version, but I'd also rent the N64 release from time to time. While the game was "more of the same," that was honestly why I loved it so much! It featured new areas to skate in, had some enhancements compared to the first, and was still just as fun to play. It didn't replace the original Pro Skater, but instead was a perfect "expansion" to play alongside it. Sadly, this is one entry I never would own myself, but that doesn't mean I didn't rent it every chance I got.
The first game in the series I ever owned was, in fact, the original Pro Skater. I received it for Christmas one year along with the recently discontinued Dreamcast. Little did I know, this was actually the "best" version of the release, and I feel like it was the first time I ever realized there was such a thing as a "definitive edition" for a game. Obviously, I knew about Game Boy games and how console releases of the "same game" were actually different titles altogether, but Pro Skater was the first time I truly saw the differences between consoles. I guess I could say the same about MegaMan Legends and MegaMan 64 also, but for me, it wasn't as big of a jump as Pro Skater was, and I quickly found myself loving this new version of the game even more.
This version of Pro Skater is the game that my cousins and I would stay up late on the weekends trying to do everything in. Even though we had played it countless times before, the DC release just hit differently for us. The smoother graphics, the feel of the controller, and just about everything else about it made us love it even more. It was a game that found itself constantly in the DC, ready to be played, with Crazy Taxi sitting on the shelf right beside it.
Years later, the series would continue to be something I returned to off and on. While I skipped Pro Skater 3 personally, I would go over to my cousin's house to play it from time to time. They had a PlayStation 2, which I didn't at the time, and I'm not even sure if middle school me even realized that it was available on GameCube. So my only experience with the game was what I could play when I was over there, and I honestly didn't play it enough to really form an opinion. I can say it looked a lot nicer, and I liked the stages, but that's about the extent of my experience with it. Instead, Pro Skater 4 would become my next focus, and it would be the Tony Hawk game I'd go on to play the most.
Getting Into Pro Skater 4:
I purchased Pro Skater 4 with my birthday money in June of 2003, along with the newly released Game Boy Player for Nintendo GameCube. My parents took me to Target, which was roughly an hour's drive away, with my main intention of only buying the attachment. However, when I saw Pro Skater 4 on the shelf and realized I would still have money left over, I knew I couldn't pass it up... And that was one of the best decisions 12-year-old me ever made!
The thing that made Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 so unique was the fact that it was basically the predecessor to the series' new style. Instead of giving you a few minutes to pull off tricks and collect secrets, the game featured multiple large open-world maps, with NPCs to talk to and challenges to take on. This would become the foundation for the series moving forward, and it gave you the complete freedom to do whatever you wanted, when you wanted. Mix in the skate park creator and extensive character creator, and it was a game that truly allowed you to live your skateboarder dream. Of course, it might be a little dated by today's standards, but back in 2003, it was easily one of the coolest games I owned.
After Pro Skater 4, I hate to admit that I fell off with the series. Yes, I'd rent the Underground titles here and there, but by this point in my life, game renting became a lot more difficult. The local rental stores closed down, and my interests were focused elsewhere. Not to say that I ever stopped loving the series—I even considered getting Ride when I finally bought an Xbox 360—but it just wasn't as big a part of my late teen and young adult life. The Skate series is the one that would eventually grab me and pull me back in, but as far as Tony Hawk was concerned, I wouldn't play another game again until 2020.
Pro Skater 1+2 and Meeting my Wife:
When Pro Skater 1+2 was announced, I was pretty excited. I had been away from the series for so long, but seeing my childhood come to life in a new way was something I couldn't pass up. I followed every piece of information released about the title and would talk about it with my friends quite often. We were all excited for the day we got to jump back in again, and to make things even better, the game was set to release on September 4th—Labor Day weekend.
My original plan was to pick the game up after work and then spend the next three days playing it non-stop. I sat there at work, counting down the hours until I could leave, and was considering the best way to go about purchasing it. There wasn't really anywhere I could stop on my way home, but I always had the option of going to another town. That was the direction I was pretty sure I'd go, but then I received a text from my mom.
I don't remember the exact words, but it was something along the lines of, "We are going to Walmart; is there anything you'd like us to pick up for this weekend?"
I'm sure that text was directed at whatever our Labor Day plans would be, but with only one thing on my mind, I simply said, "No, not really," and then asked if she'd do me a favor and pick up Tony Hawk for me instead. Back then, I'll admit I was still a bit cautious about going places during the pandemic, so if she could grab it instead, it would save me the trip. Needless to say, she said yes, and I fully intended to pay her for it, but the next thing I knew, I was getting a text telling me not to worry about it. Something about how just because I was an adult, it didn't mean she couldn't buy me something once in a while. (Yeah, my mom has always been pretty awesome.)
After another quick text exchange, I remember putting my phone back, only to then instantly receive another text. I assumed it was her replying back, but that's when I saw a number I didn't recognize. It was from someone named Allison, one of my mom's new co-workers. My mom had mentioned her previously and thought that the two of us would get along, but I didn't really think much about what she said. So when I saw that message, the only thing I could think to say was, "Oh, hi, I'm Ben," and I left it at that. (Yeah, she'll never forget that text!)
Little did I know this short exchange would change both our lives forever, and I would spend that whole weekend talking to her instead.
Instead of playing Pro Skater 1+2, I sat there listening to "Superman" play on the title screen as Allison and I exchanged non-stop messages. We both learned a lot about each other that day, and in a couple of weeks, we would finally meet face to face. Jump ahead two years later, and we would be married and sitting on the couch together, playing the PlayStation 5 version of Pro Skater 1+2. So much changed in such a short amount of time, and with how busy we were over those next two years, I think that was the first time I truly sat down to play the game.
Isn't it funny how things work out sometimes?
And the Story Continues:
Now here we are five years later and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 is finally here. It is hard to believe so much time has passed, and it is crazy to think that I am now older than Tony Hawk was when his first game released! Never did I once think this little skateboarding game I discovered as a kid would play such a big role in my life, nor did I ever think I'd be sitting here one day retelling the story. It is a series that has followed me through most of my life, and without it all of those hours spent playing with friends and family playing it would've never happened.
I know it isn't anything too crazy, but I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to read my little trip down memory lane, and all I ask is that you share your story as well! I know this is a series that is special to a lot of people, and I (as well as many other fans out there) would love to hear the impact it has had on your life also. Even if it is something as simple as talking about the day you first played it, or how you received it as a gift; these are special memories, and you can easily share them by leaving a comment below. No account required!
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