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Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 and 2 are making a 4K HDR comeback

The classic skateboarding video game is coming back to Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC this September.

Eli Blumenthal Senior Editor
Eli Blumenthal is a senior editor at CNET with a particular focus on covering the latest in the ever-changing worlds of telecom, streaming and sports. He previously worked as a technology reporter at USA Today.
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Eli Blumenthal
2 min read
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Tony Hawk is back on modern consoles. 

Activision

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater games were major hits at the turn of the century for the original PlayStation, Sega Dreamcast and the Nintendo 64, bringing the world of pro skating to video games in an engaging way that earned plenty of praise. Now almost 20 years later the games are making a comeback for the current generation of consoles , the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, as well as the PC through the Epic Games store. 

Announced on Hawk's 52nd birthday, the new game will be aptly called Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 and 2 and is a complete remaster of the two original titles in 4K HDR. All the original skaters from the first two games -- such as Hawk, Bob Burnquist and Bucky Lasek -- are back, as are the tricks, parks, levels (including the secret levels) and game modes. The soundtrack will also feature songs from the original games. 

New tricks have been added, as have new online multiplayer modes including the ability to create a park and share it online, taking advantage of a modern gaming feature that didn't exist during the titles' original run nearly two decades ago.

Read more: Best Xbox One games for 2020  

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The graphics on the original Tony Hawk Pro Skater, left, the updated 2020 remaster. 

Activision

Brought back by Activision and Vicarious Visions, which worked on Pro Skater 2 for the GameBoy Advance and has previously worked on Crash Bandicoot's N-Sane Trilogy for PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One, the game will be available on Sept. 4. 

Preorders will begin May 12, with pricing starting at $40 for the main game (a "digital deluxe" version with retro gear and content is $50, while a "Collector's" edition is $100 and adds a "limited-run Birdhouse deck"). Those who order early will be able to get access to a demo of the Warehouse level.  

It is unclear if the game will be available for the next-generation Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 due later this year. Activision says that "information on other platforms is forthcoming."

As for why the game is making a comeback in 2020, Vicarious Visions' studio head Jen Oneal credits the recent love for things from the past. 

"What we're seeing is just a love for nostalgia these days," says VV's Oneal. "On top of it, it's mainly the fans. The fans have been asking for it, asking Activision as well as Tony. They really want to see it and it seems like now was the nice, right time to do it."