Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater Video Games Timeline

Tony Hawk is the creator of more than 100 highly technical and influential tricks that redefined what was possible in vert skating, a dominant force in the ’80s and ’90s competitive skating, the owner of multiple successful skate companies, the star of a billion-dollar skateboarding video game franchise (Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater), and a tireless advocate for the sport who has built hundreds of skate parks around the world with his foundation, Tony isn’t just the face of skateboarding. Tony is skateboarding.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater is a video game made by Tony Hawk and video game developer Activision. Starting work on the project in 1998, Tony worked closely with Activision, going above and beyond to ensure that the game simulated the feel of skateboarding and accurately reflected skate culture. In addition to doing motion capture for the game, he supplied developers with videos of skate tricks and consulted with other featured skaters on moves and terminology so it would be well-rounded. Down to the music—licensed contemporary rock songs instead of chintzy video game music—it was designed to be the real deal.

Serendipitously released a month after Tony pulled off his famous 900 on national television at the 1999 X Games, catapulting him into mainstream celebrity, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater was a revelation for those who played it, but it wasn’t until Pro Skater 2 (2000) that the series became a phenomenon. Gamers who’d never set foot on a skateboard picked it up and quickly learned how to perform tricks—the names of which popped up on the screen when attempted, teaching skate vocabulary—and then string them together into sick, point-grabbing combinations. To outsiders, it made skating seem accessible, and more importantly, fun.

Two decades later, with 18 titles in the billion-dollar franchise, it’s clear that Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series continues to popularize skating as much as any of the breathtaking tricks Tony has pulled off in his iconic career.

The evolution of Tony’s Pro Skater games: how the Birdman’s video game empire has pushed its limits over the years.

1. 1. 1999: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. The game that kicked everything off featured intuitive controls and unique gameplay with motion capture used to make the skateboarding moves look as realistic as possible. Published by Activision and first available on Playstation, followed by Nintendo 64.
2. 2. 2000: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2. One of the best-reviewed video games of all time, it added manuals (balancing with one set of wheels and no support from the nose or tail) as well as local multiplayer. Players also had the ability to create custom characters and design skate parks.
3. 3. 2001: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3. Introduced online multiplayer gameplay as well as reverts, which allowed players to extend their trick combinations.
4. 4. 2002: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4. Featured “skitching,” which allowed skaters to hang off the back of moving vehicles, as well as the spine transfer. The game is also the only one in the series where the player does not have to buy tricks.
5. 5. 2003: Tony Hawk’s Underground. The first game to have a story mode in place of career mode. It also allowed players to dismount their skateboards and explore different levels on foot.
6. 6. 2004: Tony Hawk’s Underground 2. The only direct sequel in the series, it allowed players to slow time with “Focus” mode, which offered greater control during a combo.
7. 7. 2005: Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland. The first game to feature one consecutive open world instead of separate levels. It also allowed players to grab a bike and do freestyle BMX tricks.
8. 8. 2006: Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam. The only racing title in the series. The goal was to beat opponents with speed, high scores, and the completion of goals.
9. 9. 2006: Tony Hawk’s Project 8. With the new “Nail the Trick” mode, players could use the right analog and left analog sticks to control the placement and actions of their avatar’s right and left feet to perform tricks, just like in real life.
10. 10. 2007: Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground. Featuring gameplay that was more reminiscent of earlier Tony Hawk games, it evolved Project 8’s “Nail the Trick” mode into “Nail the Manual” (a bullet-time version of a normal manual) and “Nail the Grab” (grabbing the nose, tail, or sides of the board with one or both hands) modes.
11. 11. 2008: Tony Hawk’s Motion. Released for the Nintendo DS, it featured an insertable motion-sensing peripheral called the “Motion Pack” to control skaters and, for the first time in the franchise, snowboarders.
12. 12. 2009: Tony Hawk’s Ride. Catering to more active gamers, it replaced the controller with a peripheral skateboard and motion-detecting infrared sensors. This allowed players to simulate riding, turning, leaning, and hopping.
13. 13. 2010: Tony Hawk’s Shred. A peripheral-based motion-controlled game, it introduced a snowboarding mode for consoles, allowing people without a Nintendo DS to ride powder.
14. 14. 2012: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD. The first exclusively downloadable Tony Hawk’s game for consoles, the mashup of THPS and THPS2 added a “Big Head Survival” mode, in which players had to complete combos to keep their character’s gradually inflating head from popping like a balloon, effectively ending the game.
15. 15. 2015: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5. This release featured the ability to stomp suddenly to the ground while in midair to reach rails or destroy objects. Additionally, level-specific power-ups could give characters special abilities, like double jumps, or cool visual tweaks like gigantism or a burning skateboard.
16. 16. 2020: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2. This highly anticipated bundle features the complete remastered versions of the games that launched the franchise and changed both gaming and skating history. All the pro skaters, classic levels, and tricks return in 4K high definition along with classic game-play modes like local split-screen multiplayer, Create-a-Park, and Create-a-Skater modes.

Whether you’re just learning how to ollie or ready to hit the halfpipe and tackle a benihana, the MasterClass Annual Membership can help you find confidence on your board with exclusive instructional videos from skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, street skater Riley Hawk, and Olympic hopeful Lizzie Armanto.