After a five-year hiatus, theTony Hawk’sseries is finally making a return with the upcomingTony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4remake. Unlike the previousPro Skater 1+2remake, this set of re-releases is being developed not by Vicarious Visions, but by Iron Galaxy, the studio that’s best known for its work on the 2013Killer Instinctreboot. Just a few months ago, it was widely believed that remakes of the third and fourth installments in theTony Hawk’s Pro Skaterfranchise had been canceled, following Vicarious Visions' merger with Blizzard Entertainment. However, after teasing the series' return in aCall of Duty: Black Ops 6update, publisher Activision confirmed thatTony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4was in the works, and would be released for all platforms later this year.
Like all the previous games in the series,Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4is going to featurea large roster of playable skateboarders, most of whom are modeled after real-life people. Some of these skateboarders were present in the originalPro Skater 3and4, such as Bucky Lasek and Rodney Mullen, but others are new to the series entirely, like Yuto Horigome and Chloe Covell. Activision has yet to reveal the full roster of characters forTony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4, but it may have a surprising one up its sleeve, according to some recent rumors.
Bam Margera is Reportedly Going to Be Included in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4
On the latest episode of The Nine Club skating podcast, co-host Roger Bagley alleged that Brandon Cole “Bam” Margera would beone of the playable skateboarders inTony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4. His addition to the game was, however, reportedly a last-minute decision. Bagley claimed that, after the development ofTony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4was finished, Tony Hawk got in touch with Activision and requested that Margera be included in the game. Activision initially turned down his suggestion, but after Hawk demanded a couple more times, it reportedly conceded and added him to the upcoming remake. None of this information has been officially confirmed by Activision or Tony Hawk himself, but if it’s true, it does leave some interesting implications for the future of the series.
For those who don’t know, Bam Margera is a former professional skateboarder and TV personality who had a very prominent rolein theTony Hawk’sfranchise. He was present in both the original versions ofPro Skater 3and4, in addition to other titles likeTony Hawk’s Underground 1and2. In recent years, however, Activision has largely distanced itself from Margera, due to his persistent issues with substance abuse and associated legal troubles. Because of this, the formerJackassandViva La Bamstar hasn’t made an appearance in any of the post-NeversoftTony Hawk’sgames.
Neversoft was the lead developer behind most of the early installments in theTony Hawk’sfranchise. After the release of 2007’sTony Hawk’s Proving Ground, it went on to make severalGuitar HeroandCall of Dutygames, until it was ultimately shuttered by Activision in 2014.
Activision’s apprehensiveness towards including Bam Margera in its games has been a sticking point for some fans of theTony Hawk’s Pro Skaterfranchise, because they’re afraid that it may limit what the company can do with the series. Fans have long requesteda remaster or remake of theTony Hawk’s Undergroundgames, for instance, but since Margera was a major character in both of these titles, some are skeptical that this will ever happen. TheUndergroundduology placed a far greater emphasis on storytelling and characters than any of thePro Skatergames, so the skateboarders in the subseries cannot be easily replaced.
The Alleged Inclusion of Bam Margera in THPS 3+4 Makes a THUG 1 & 2 Remake More Plausible
If the rumors about Activision adding Bam Margera toTony Hawk’sPro Skater 3+4are true, however, the prospect ofTony Hawk’s Underground 1and2getting the remake treatment isn’t that unlikely. Because the company is seemingly willing to work with him again, it may no longer be reluctant to bring the games he was heavily involved with to modern platforms.TheTony Hawk’s Undergroundgamesare widely regarded as some of the best entries in theTony Hawk’s franchise, so if Activision is able to spruce them up a bit without meddling with their stories or gameplay loops too much, fans would likely be very satisfied.
