![Tony Hawk Games: Complete Series Ranking From Worst to Best [cy] - BoundByFlame](https://boundbyflame.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/featured_image_60fxxlq0.jpg)
I’ve spent countless hours grinding rails and landing 900s across every Tony Hawk game since 1999, and this franchise has shaped an entire generation of gamers.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 remake stands as the definitive entry in the series, perfectly blending nostalgic gameplay with modern technical improvements, while Tony Hawk’s Underground 2 offers the most ambitious expansion of the formula.
The series has evolved dramatically over 26 years, from revolutionary arcade skating experiments to story-driven adventures and recent successful remakes that prove the timeless appeal of this iconic franchise.
This comprehensive ranking analyzes every major Tony Hawk game based on gameplay mechanics (40%), level design (25%), soundtrack (20%), and innovation/impact (15%), providing both nostalgic fans and newcomers with clear guidance through skateboarding gaming history.
The Tony Hawk franchise began in 1999 when Activision and Neversoft created something revolutionary – a skateboarding game that captured the sport’s culture while making it accessible to everyone.
Tony Hawk’s Series: A skateboarding video game franchise published by Activision and endorsed by professional skateboarder Tony Hawk, featuring arcade-style gameplay with trick combos and licensed soundtracks.
The Neversoft era (1999-2007) represents the golden age when annual releases consistently pushed boundaries with innovations like the manual system in THPS2 and the revert in THPS3.
After Neversoft’s closure in 2007, the franchise stumbled through various developers including Robomodo, whose controversial peripheral-based games and the disastrous THPS5 nearly ended the series.
The revival began in 2020 when Vicarious Visions delivered the acclaimed Pro Skater 1+2 remake, followed by Iron Galaxy’s Pro Skater 3+4 collection in 2025, proving that quality skateboarding gaming still has massive appeal.
After analyzing every game in the franchise based on gameplay mechanics, level design, soundtrack quality, and cultural impact, here’s the definitive ranking from worst to best.
| Rank | Game | Release Year | Developer | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 | 2015 | Robomodo | 2.5/10 |
| 12 | Tony Hawk: Ride | 2009 | Robomodo | 3.0/10 |
| 11 | Tony Hawk: Shred | 2010 | Robomodo | 3.5/10 |
| 10 | Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground | 2007 | Neversoft | 6.0/10 |
| 9 | Tony Hawk’s Project 8 | 2006 | Neversoft | 6.5/10 |
| 8 | Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland | 2005 | Neversoft | 7.0/10 |
| 7 | Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater | 1999 | Neversoft | 7.5/10 |
| 6 | Tony Hawk’s Underground | 2003 | Neversoft | 8.0/10 |
| 5 | Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 | 2002 | Neversoft | 8.5/10 |
| 4 | Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 | 2000 | Neversoft | 9.0/10 |
| 3 | Tony Hawk’s Underground 2 | 2004 | Neversoft | 9.2/10 |
| 2 | Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 | 2001 | Neversoft | 9.5/10 |
| 1 | Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 | 2020 | Vicarious Visions | 9.8/10 |
Pro Skater 5 represents the series’ lowest point, a rushed release that nearly destroyed the franchise’s reputation entirely.
The game shipped with game-breaking bugs, missing features, and physics that felt completely disconnected from what made the series special.
What makes this particularly disappointing is that it followed a series hiatus, raising expectations for a proper return to form that never materialized.
Even after multiple patches, fundamental problems persisted, making this the only Tony Hawk game I cannot recommend to anyone except as a cautionary tale.
Ride attempted to reinvent the franchise with a skateboard peripheral controller, but the execution fundamentally misunderstood what made the games enjoyable.
The peripheral was unresponsive and difficult to use, removing the precise control that made previous games so satisfying.
By focusing on motion controls over gameplay depth, Ride alienated both longtime fans and newcomers who couldn’t master the steep learning curve.
This experiment demonstrated how the franchise’s appeal lay in accessible yet deep gameplay mechanics, not in mimicking real skateboarding physically.
Shred attempted to fix Ride’s problems with slightly improved peripheral responsiveness and snowboarding content, but fundamental issues remained.
The peripheral-based approach continued to be a barrier to entry, with controls that still felt imprecise and frustrating compared to traditional gamepad inputs.
Adding snowboarding was an interesting idea, but it diluted the focus on skateboarding that gave the series its identity.
These two peripheral experiments nearly bankrupted the franchise’s goodwill, teaching Activision valuable lessons about preserving core gameplay mechanics.
Proving Ground marked the end of the Neversoft era, showing signs of creative exhaustion after nearly a decade of annual releases.
The game attempted to combine elements from previous entries but lacked the focused identity that made earlier games so memorable.
Gameplay mechanics felt refined but uninspired, with no major innovations to distinguish it from its immediate predecessors.
While technically competent, Proving Ground represented the franchise running out of steam before its eventual hiatus and developer transition.
Project 8 introduced the series to next-generation consoles with impressive graphics but sacrificed some of the arcade accessibility that made earlier games special.
The “Nail the Trick” feature was an interesting innovation, but the increased focus on realism made the game feel less immediately fun.
Level design remained strong, but the tighter difficulty curve alienated casual players who enjoyed the series’ traditionally approachable nature.
Project 8 represents the franchise’s transition period, where technical advancements sometimes came at the expense of pure fun factor.
American Wasteland attempted to return to the series’ skateboarding roots after the experimental Underground entries, with mixed results.
The “seamless world” concept was ambitious but ultimately limited, with loading times breaking the illusion of continuous exploration.
Gameplay mechanics were solid but conservative, lacking the innovation that defined earlier entries in the series.
While not a bad game by any means, American Wasteland felt like a safe sequel that failed to recapture the magic of the series’ peak years.
The original Pro Skater revolutionized extreme sports gaming with its perfect blend of accessibility and depth, creating a formula that would define the franchise.
The two-minute run format created addictive gameplay loops that kept players coming back to perfect their scores and discover new lines.
The licensed soundtrack was groundbreaking, introducing many players to punk and ska music while perfectly capturing skateboarding culture.
While later games would refine the formula, the original Pro Skater’s focused design and perfect balance make it a classic that still holds up today.
Underground marked the series’ biggest evolution, adding story elements, off-board exploration, and character customization that expanded the franchise’s scope dramatically.
The ability to get off your skateboard and explore levels on foot opened up new gameplay possibilities and made the world feel more alive than ever before.
The Create-a-Skater mode was robust and personal, allowing players to craft unique characters that felt like their own rather than just selecting professional skaters.
While some purists criticized the departure from pure skateboarding, Underground’s innovations would influence the series for years to come.
Pro Skater 4 abandoned the two-minute run format for open-ended level exploration, giving players freedom to complete objectives at their own pace.
This structural change made the game feel less like a score attack game and more like a skateboarding sandbox, appealing to different player preferences.
The level design remained exceptional, with memorable locations that offered endless lines and secrets to discover.
While the shift in structure wasn’t universally praised, Pro Skater 4’s bold experiment showed the franchise’s willingness to evolve while maintaining quality.
Pro Skater 2 perfected the original’s formula with the introduction of the manual, a game-changing mechanic that made complex combos possible for the first time.
The manual system transformed the scoring system from individual tricks to flowing combinations, creating a skill ceiling that kept dedicated players engaged for years.
Level design was masterful, with classic locations like School II and Marseille becoming iconic settings in gaming history.
The expanded soundtrack and Create-a-Park mode added tremendous value, making Pro Skater 2 a rare sequel that improved upon its predecessor in every way.
Underground 2 represented the pinnacle of the story-driven approach, combining the first game’s innovations with world-spanning level design and classic multiplayer modes.
The World Destruction Tour concept created a compelling narrative framework while maintaining the series’ signature humor and celebrity cameos.
Classic Mode satisfied traditionalists who preferred the original Pro Skater formula, providing the best of both worlds for different player preferences.
The level variety was unmatched, taking players across the globe to creatively designed locations that pushed the boundaries of what skateboarding games could be.
Pro Skater 3 represented the absolute peak of the original formula, introducing the revert mechanic that completed the combo system and created near-endless scoring possibilities.
The revert allowed players to continue combos after vert tricks, creating a flow that made the game feel like a true skateboarding simulation rather than just a series of disconnected tricks.
Level design was flawless, with each location offering multiple lines, secrets, and challenges that rewarded exploration and skill development.
Many consider this the perfect skateboarding game, balancing accessibility with depth in a way that no other entry has quite matched since.
The Pro Skater 1+2 remake represents the definitive Tony Hawk experience, perfectly recreating classic levels and gameplay while adding modern improvements that enhance rather than compromise the original vision.
Vicarious Visions demonstrated deep respect for the source material, preserving the physics and feel that made the originals special while adding quality-of-life improvements like online multiplayer and enhanced Create-a-Park tools.
The remastered soundtrack perfectly balances nostalgia with new additions, creating a musical selection that honors the originals while feeling fresh and modern.
This remake proves that great gameplay is timeless, and it serves as both a perfect introduction for newcomers and a nostalgic love letter for longtime fans of the series.
Several Tony Hawk games don’t appear in the main ranking due to their different nature or limited availability.
⚠️ Important: The following games were excluded from the main ranking due to their experimental nature or limited scope.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD (2012) was a downloadable remake that selected levels from the first two games but failed to capture the physics and feel that made the originals special.
Mobile games like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater Regroup (2021) and various earlier cellphone entries simplified the formula for touch controls but lost the depth that made console versions compelling.
Handheld entries such as Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater on Game Boy Color offered impressive technical achievements for their platforms but naturally couldn’t match the console experience.
While Tony Hawk dominated skateboarding gaming, EA’s Skate series offered a more realistic alternative that attracted its own dedicated following.
The Skate series’ innovative Flickit controls created a more simulation-focused experience that appealed to players seeking authenticity over arcade accessibility.
Other notable skateboarding games like Session and Skater XL continue to push the genre forward with their own approaches to realistic skateboarding simulation.
However, none have matched Tony Hawk’s mainstream success or cultural impact, proving that arcade-style accessibility remains the genre’s most appealing approach for most players.
There are 13 main Tony Hawk games in the primary series, plus numerous spinoffs, mobile games, and remakes. The main series spans from Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater (1999) to Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 (2025).
The franchise went on hiatus after Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 (2015) due to declining quality and sales. The peripheral-based experiments (Ride and Shred) and the poor reception of THPS5 damaged the franchise’s reputation, leading Activision to pause the series until the successful revival with Pro Skater 1+2 in 2020.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 (2020 remake) is widely considered the best entry, as it perfectly preserves classic gameplay while adding modern improvements. Among original releases, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 (2001) and Tony Hawk’s Underground 2 (2004) are typically ranked highest.
The latest release is Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4, which launched in 2025 and features remastered versions of the classic third and fourth games. The collection is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Nintendo Switch.
Neversoft developed the main series from 1999-2007, creating the original formula. Later developers included Robomodo (2009-2015), Vicarious Visions (2020 remake), and Iron Galaxy (2025 remake). Activision has published all games in the series.
After spending decades with this franchise, I can confidently recommend specific games based on what you’re looking for in a skateboarding experience.
✅ Best Overall: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 remake offers the definitive experience with perfect gameplay, online features, and modern improvements.
⏰ Best Value: Tony Hawk’s Underground 2 provides tremendous content with both story mode and classic gameplay at typically lower prices.
⚠️ Best for Beginners: Start with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 remake for the most accessible introduction to the series with modern tutorials.
The Tony Hawk franchise has influenced gaming culture for over 25 years, introducing millions to skateboarding while creating some of the most addictive gameplay ever designed. With the recent quality remakes proving the formula still works, the future looks bright for both nostalgic fans and newcomers discovering these classics for the first time.