Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 is out now on all major platforms. Finally, the Tony Hawk series is back and according to most reviews, it’s a successful return for the iconic skating franchise.
Compared to the original two installments, this collection has better graphics, improved gameplay, and more features. It also has an amazing lineup of playable skaters. There are the usual suspects like Tony Hawk, Andrew Reynolds, Geoff Rowley, and Kareem Campbell.
Oh, and there’s also Jack Black. That’s right. The actor/musician best known for his roles in School of Rock, Jumanji, and Goosebumps is a playable character in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2.
The move isn’t that surprising quite honestly. A while back, Jack Black created a gaming YouTube channel called JablisnkiGames. He uses the platform to share gaming experiences featuring himself and his children.
A couple of months ago, he put out a video showing him skating at The Berrics, a famous indoor skatepark owned and managed by Eric Koston and Steve Berra. He shredded it up on the board for a little bit and even joined The Birdman in playing the demo for this latest Tony Hawk game.
Jack Black’s addition is pretty fitting and just another reason why this latest installment is killing it on multiple levels. Black — instead of taking his own name — takes over the role of Officer Dick. You might remember him from the original game.
Now, players are able to unlock him and enjoy Jack Black’s voice and visual likeness. There’s just one catch. They have to beat every Created Skater challenge. That’s a lot of work, but worthy of the end prize. There are 24 of these challenges in total so expect to be busy for quite a while.
There are other things to love about this remake other than the fact that the lead singer of Tenacious D is a playable skater. For example, the arcade style of gameplay has never been better. You can chain combos together in endless sequences and pull out special maneuvers like a skating superhero.
The remake captures the fun vibes that were heavily present in the original two games, but expands upon them in all of the right ways. It’s exactly what you want a remake to do and Vicarious Visions deserves a lot of credit. They’ve made a fun, beautiful- looking game that is gaining new players left and right. It’s just a great time all around.
