Professional skater Jamie Foy recalls the first time he played Tony Hawk Pro Skater. Having been skateboarding since he was just a year old, Foy saw the game as a way to experience something new, filled with creativity and inspiration. “When I discovered that I could play a skating game and perform various tricks, all of which could also be done on the street, I fell for street skating,” Foy shared over Zoom. “I became really obsessed with street skating because the possibilities are endless in the real world; it turns everyday structures into opportunities for art.”
This inspiration led Foy to Australia, where he was delighted by his favorite skating spots that feature stones and granite. Now, as a character in the world of Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 and 4, he’s excited about the revival of the beloved game series that he grew up with, set to launch on July 11. Almost five years after its last release, the franchise is coming back with a nostalgic touch, marking a new chapter in skating games.
Kurt Tillmanns first connected with the franchise through Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3. As a child, he enjoyed playing alongside his older cousins and friends. He describes jumping into free skating sessions in Rio as a sort of “zen” experience that could last for hours. Fast forward to 2025, and Tillmanns is now at the helm of the creative vision for remastering the games from his childhood, leading the projects for THPS 3 and 4.
To ensure justice was done to the remasters, he engaged with top writers and forums to explore the game’s direction. “We collaborated on many Reddit threads and YouTube videos,” Tillmanns mentioned on Zoom. “We dug into the history of the games, and that shaped our development process.” Additionally, community mods like Tony Hawk: Underground Pro helped the team understand what fans desired in a game, which they incorporated via MODS during the game’s hiatus.
Balancing modern fan expectations while preserving the game’s spirit was a significant challenge for the creative teams during the remastering of THPS 3 and 4. One constant, however, was the underlying skate culture, which is reflected in the game’s soundtrack. This element has always been a standout feature of the franchise, going beyond just music. The spirit of skateboarding embodies a certain freedom; it isn’t just composed orchestral music; it’s all about attitude. Tillmanns made it a priority to keep that essence. He even spoke with new skaters in the game, including Foy, to gauge their perspectives.
“The skaters involved shared their ideas about their character’s clothing, what actions they can perform, or specific traits tied to them,” Tillmanns explained. “Then we’d go back to the skaters, merging our vision for their characters while ensuring we accurately represented them.”
Incorporating each skater’s individuality helps highlight the uniqueness of their style. Every skater brings something different to the table. “It’s kind of like art,” Foy said. “When you see a particular painting, you can often tell who the artist is. It’s similar with skating; if someone skates in a unique way, you start to recognize their style. Skating is about developing your own form of artistry, becoming an artist in your own right.”
Tillmanns described the new game environments with the phrase “great spaces and forbidden places.” Among the popular locations is a water park, where skaters can ride on tubes like in an abandoned theme park in the desert. Tillmanns found inspiration from YouTube videos showcasing skaters exploring these old, closed water parks, which he acknowledges as a skater’s dream. “As we started to build it, we wanted to make it even wilder. We asked ourselves, ‘What if the waterslide were 60 feet tall?’”
Foy hopes the remastered THPS 3 and 4 ignites a sense of wonder in younger skaters. “You can watch skaters performing tricks online and then try them out yourself, which can be tough. But with the game, you can let your imagination run wild and discover all these crazy tricks to try. Tony Hawk Pro Skater is something everyone can enjoy. It’s nice to see skaters have a solid game to draw inspiration from, especially with how prevalent video games are now.”
Whether you’re an aspiring skater or just looking to enjoy a casual ride in a lazy river, Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 & 4 Remastered has something for everyone. By listening to modern players, we’ve created a game that stands the test of time.
