Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 is the newest skating game on the market. It's a redressing of the first two Tony Hawk games, but this time it's successful in the quest to bring skateboarding titles to next-gen consoles with online multiplayer capabilities. The original THPS and THPS 2 were classic games, but after so many failed sequels and cheap add-ons, the series had stagnated, falling behind titles like Skate 2. The newly-released Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 changes all that. It's gorgeous avatars glide over pristine maps, all of which work together seamlessly even in an online environment.
The multiplayer capabilities of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 include both local and online multiplayer, with the latter having six mini-games across 19 different maps. Free Skate, Score Challenge, Combo Challenge, Trick Attack, Combo Mambo and Graffiti are the names of the multiplayer competitions, and the rules of each are pretty easy to learn.
Also making a return is Horse, a classic mode where players compete to try and perform better and better tricks. Unlike the multiplayer modes listed below, however, Horse is only available in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 for local multiplayer.
THPS Score Challenge & Combo Challenge Modes
Score Challenge is the most straightforward Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 mode online. Players get two minutes to rack up a set amount of points in the quickest time possible on any jumps, rails or gaps. With THPS's combo system, its easy enough to rack up million-point combos, so if the Score Challenge is set at 150,000, it's usually a pretty quick match. Luckily, THPS has two levels of difficulty: Jams and Competitive. In Jams, the top four players secure the win, whereas Competitive mode sees only one skater take the top prize. Some YouTube videos of Competitive Score Challenge already shows players achieving the score goal in under 20 seconds.
Combo Challenge in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 is a similar mode, but the score has to be reached in just one combo. This leads players to string dozens of moves together to get to the desired goal. Again, it's a pretty quick match usually.
Combo Mambo, Graffiti, & Trick Attack
Combo Mambo tasks Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 players with stringing together the biggest combo possible in two minutes. Basically, players spend the entire time on the same combo. There's no reason to land a string of moves unless the score would be good enough for first place. The game extends beyond two minutes for anyone still riding on a combo.
Graffiti is a classic THPS game mode. Each Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 player is assigned a color. Landing a trick off a jump, rail or incline marks the object for the player in their color. Whichever player has the most objects marked at the end of the game wins.
Trick Attack tasks players with scoring the most possible points in two minutes. Again, the duration of the game extends with any players still stringing together a combo, but no new moves can be started after the two minute timer.
The matches are dependent on perfect online connection, so glitches and frame drops can ruin a game. Luckily, there's not too many issues with this, because Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 + 2 features great connectivity. A week into release, and online lobbies aren't plagued by all-conquering skate gods, so newer players have a pretty good chance of scoring a win. This game presents skating multiplayer, both online and local, in a realistic, yet effective, layout, ending in a supremely fun experience.