Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 Review: Iron Galaxy Delivers Remake and Sequel on Nintendo Switch 2

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 Review: Iron Galaxy Delivers Remake and Sequel on Nintendo Switch 2 The Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater legacy has played a pivotal role in skateboarding game culture since its late '90s inception.

Fans have long held the original Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 as benchmarks for the genre, combining skill-based arcade action with a subcultural edge.

Now, publisher Activision and Iron Galaxy Studio revisit these iconic titles with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4, available starting June 5, 2025, for both Nintendo Switch and the next-generation Nintendo Switch 2.

This latest installment aims to honor the legacy while making economical improvements to fit modern hardware standards and audience expectations. Looking back, the 2020 release of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, developed by Vicarious Visions, set a new gold standard for remakes.

It struck a balance between the aesthetics and mechanics of the original games, revitalizing the franchise for a new audience and healing disappointments caused by earlier sequels like Pro Skater 5.

However, the much-anticipated sequel did not materialize until Iron Galaxy stepped up to deliver Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4, blending elements of both a sequel and a remake. Iron Galaxy’s approach to the package is methodical, sticking closely to the successful template set by Vicarious Visions.

The menu system mirrors the grungy sketchbook style seen in Pro Skater 1 + 2, and returning modes include both classic career campaigns, create-a-park, and robust multiplayer options—playable locally or online.

This familiarity is both a strength and a limitation, reflecting a cautious evolution rather than a bold reimagining. In terms of gameplay, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 preserves its original structure: players are dropped into medium-sized levels and must complete a familiar suite of goals—scoring combos, collecting the iconic S-K-A-T-E letters, and triggering hidden stage mechanics, such as activating Foundry’s meltdown.

Iron Galaxy successfully translates the spirited objectives of the third entry, but the package can feel less like a standalone release and more like an expansion of 1 + 2. The adaptation of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4, however, is less faithful.

The original broke series tradition in 2002 by introducing open-ended exploration and ambitious side activities, ranging from mini sports challenges to helping out quirky NPCs.

In this remake, those innovations have been stripped back, with the campaign restructured to fit the more rigid two-minute run format.

Many unique challenges and non-skating diversions have been omitted.

While some fans may appreciate the sharper focus, it departs from the authentic spirit of the fourth installment, dampening the creative variety that once set it apart. Despite these shifts, performance on Nintendo Switch 2 is a major highlight.

Running at nearly locked 60 frames per second, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 excels in delivering smooth, responsive arcade skating.

The new Joy-Con 2 controllers provide a tactile experience that suits the game’s demanding combo mechanics.

Visuals benefit from the 2025 Unreal Engine update, and while some graphical concessions have been made to maintain performance, they are subtle enough to keep immersion intact. Soundtrack curation is another area of note.

While the Tony Hawk series is celebrated for its memorable music, only ten of the thirty-four original songs return, supplemented by forty-nine new tracks.

Although fresh additions are intended to appeal to contemporary tastes, the absence of many classics may disappoint loyalists seeking a more authentic auditory experience. Balancing new and old, Iron Galaxy has added three entirely new parks—Movie Studio, Pinball, and Waterpark—to replace two omitted levels.

These stages hint at creative directions for the series and suggest a desire to innovate within established frameworks.

Although Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 may not recapture every nuance of the originals, it provides enough core gameplay satisfaction and thoughtful modernization to merit attention—especially for newcomers and nostalgic fans alike. In summary, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 on Nintendo Switch 2 is a careful, technically competent remake that enters the series’ canon with refined gameplay and familiar format.

While it doesn’t take the radical leaps that made the originals so beloved, it keeps the spirit of arcade skateboarding alive for another generation. Review code provided by Activision.

Nintendo Switch 2 Nintendo Switch Nintendo Switch 2 Switch Tony Hawk Tony Hawk's Pro Skater Iron Galaxy soundtrack Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 Iron Galaxy Studio Activision Unreal Engine Vicarious Visions