New Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 trailer disappoints fans

By Gabe Gurwin Published July 14, 2015

The Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series has been on hiatus for several years — in fact, a “traditional” Tony Hawk game hasn’t released since 2002 — and with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5, Activision and developer Robomodo aim to bring The Birdman back to his simple kickflipping, McTwisting ways. Unfortunately, dated technology might undermine the return to classic skating gameplay.

In a new trailer posted on Activision’s YouTube channel, which you can watch above, Tony Hawk and several other pro skaters (as well as a security guard, for some reason) jump over flames, grind rails, and even perform handstands, but one can’t shake the feeling that this was never meant to release on Xbox One and PlayStation 4. In fact, its low-detail character models barely look like they belong on last-gen consoles. The choice of music, Plague Vendor’s “Black Sap Scriptures,” feels right at home, however.

Recommended Videos

“It’s been more than 10 years since we got a Pro Skater game,” one YouTube user remarks. “Now the series is back and it doesn’t even look fun.”

Please enable Javascript to view this content

“Is this gonna run on Nintendo 64?” another user quips.

Multiple fans, both on YouTube and Reddit, speculate that Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 may have even begun its life as a mobile game, and opine that the HD remake of the original Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater actually looks superior. An iOS and Android game called Tony Hawk’s Shred Session was in the works last year, but was cancelled shortly before the announcement of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5. Whether or not this is anything more than baseless speculation is anyone’s guess, but Activision’s decision to continue to support 10-year-old hardware has certainly limited what the new game can do.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 arrives to Xbox One and PlayStation 4 September 29, followed by a last-gen release at an unspecified date.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

Gaming

I took the PS5 Pro for a first test drive. Now I’m a believer

A PS5 Pro that's floating in front of a gray background. It's turned to the side.

At Tokyo Game Show 2024, hundreds of thousands of people gathered to get their eyes and hands on the latest and greatest in interactive entertainment. Digital Trends was there checking out the hottest titles, including Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, Dynasty Warriors: Origins, and The First Berzerker: Khazan (starring industry darling and class clown Ben Starr).

The largest presence at the event may have been Sony, and it was at its booth that I went hands-on with its newest hardware, the PlayStation 5 Pro, for the first time. I put the console through its paces and came away intrigued after seeing the stellar image quality and smooth action for myself. While it may be pricey, this upgrade may be what finally unlocks the graphical promises of this generation.

Gaming

Activision has ‘heard the demand’ for more Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater

Save State promotional image with Tony Hawk Pro Skater key art.

On September 29, the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series will turn 25 years old. Released in 1999 for the original PlayStation, the Pro Skater games would leave an everlasting mark on the video game industry and skateboarding culture. Not only would they create a long-lasting series for Activision, but they would also popularize extreme sports games, open the doors for the use of licensed music in games, and create an on-ramp to skating culture for a whole generation. Over the last 25 years, the series has gone through lots of ups and downs, with its most recent release being 2020's Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2, a remaster of the first two games in the series.

Since then, it has been quiet on the Pro Skater front outside of a cameo in Astro Bot, but Activision is using its 25th anniversary to reassure fans that it recognizes the series' importance. In an exclusive interview with Digital Trends, Activision Chief Operating Officer Josh Taub said that the company has "heard the demand" for more Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and still considers the series one of its important core franchises in 2024.

Gaming

Sony explains why the PS5 Pro is so expensive and doesn’t come with disc drive

A PS5 Pro that's floating in front of a gray background. It's turned to the side.

By all accounts, the PlayStation 5 Pro is a high-tech console that'll make your games look phenomenal thanks to a new custom GPU and machine-learning-based AI upscaling. In short, it'll make performance modes in the most intense games that much better. However, many were put off by the $700 price tag, which is up to $250 more than the PlayStation 5 Slim.

In an interview with IGN, PlayStation senior principal product manager Toshi Aoki explains the reasoning behind the exorbitant price tag, saying that it's worth it for all the new technology you're going to get.