man, back in 2003 it was magical to have basically a portable PS1 in my pocket. the N-Gage gets a lot of flak but tbh, that thing was groundbreaking. not only did it have PS1 ports at almost PS1 quality like THPS, Pandemonium or Tomb Raider, but it also could emulate MegaDrive with ease, GB and GBC were also possible. Worms World Party, an exclusive version of King of Fighters, Sonic N and even a fully 3D port of Splinter Cell Chaos Theory... on a handheld/phone hybrid RELEASED IN 2003! that is crazy to think about honestly
@@AJ-xv7oh The new ideas are hard to come by. I want a Devil May Cry 5 gameplay, like Dante with the 4 style changing with a detailed character editor and rpg elements and loot, offline and online team game.
Watch the "Pretending I'm Superman: The Tony Hawk Video Game Story" documentary on Amazon Prime Video. It just came out a few weeks ago. It has more details on the stuff John didn't have time to get into here.
Since Skate 3 was released in 2010, skateboarding games were in a drought until this year. Now we have Session, Skater XL, THPS1+2, and finally Skate 4 was announced to be in development.
@@BLINDCABBY I have lost hundreds of hours to PIPE BMX and Skater XL. Such fun sandbox sims. They don't need carrier modes of fancy graphics for me but I understand that makes them niche.
I honestly loved the history behind it so much. Seeing their background and how they emerged during a time when everyone was building their own engines and games all felt different haha. Thanks for including it.
SSX 3 is my favorite game of all time probably. Thousands of hours of absolutely exhilarating, blissful gameplay; for 10$ nowadays lol. Never gets old.
@@RemixedVoice I absolutely adore SSX 3 and SSX on tour. It makes me want to plug in my GameCube just to play them. The SSX reboot on last-gen was an embarrassment compared to how great those games were
@@jonteguy a remastered Trilogy of the original, SSX 3, and on tour would be amazing. It's really sad to me that the SSX Series and the burnout series are dead
John Linnemann's excellent, passionate and thorough history of the series is superb. I find I've watched this half a dozen times in the past few years, pretty much every time I pick the 1+2 version of the game for extended periods (recently got it on the Switch). Great work John! He's the ❤ of DF.
These devs have such an interesting history. They spent so much time trying to make technically astonishing shooters for the ps1 with rendering and graphically interesting work but got ignored but in the end all payed off cos they cool that rendering and loading technology for the perfect low spec skater experience
That and Digital Foundry actually bothers to show the games running in native res on great monitors with kickass scanlines instead of just upscaling everything.
I might just be talking out of my ass but I think it's because the graphics were limited there was a lot more focus on the art design and aesthetic to make it stand out and make it look timeless in any way possible. Well atleast the good games did.
Especially these days? Not really considering PS4 Pro has seen much more 60fps games and every game on PS5 and Series X seem to have 60fps modes, or run at that by default.
@@MegaPieru3000 I think you misunderstood my comment, the game target 60fps on base consoles too. If you watch the video 'til the end you will see. That's admirable.
Being a kid in the 90s was such a great experience. They did a great job remaking this game. I've only played 3 maps so far. Exploring them and reliving the experience makes me smile inside and out.
You forgot to mention that THPS 2x for the Xbox also had every stage from THPS 1 in addition to the full THPS 2 career. It didn't have the original game soundtrack, though.
They really got everything right with this remake. Finally we have a modern worthy Tony Hawk game. Now im hoping for THPS 3 and 4 Remake!!! DF quality content as always thx
They've (vicarious visions) have already stated if the sales do good and enough people have interest then they'll remake 3 & 4 as dlc or a separate game. So people just need to get it haha
Tony Hawks 2 & 3 were my favorite games from my childhood as I started gaming for the first time on my friends PS1. Those moments and memories are still fresh in my mind and I can never forget these games. They have a special place in my heart. Glad the devs nailed it and brought us the orignal experience of the first two games... now desperately waiting for 3+4. And John I really loved your history session for Tony Hawks and would love to see the whole history and rise and fall of Tony Hawks franchise especially when 3+4 arrives.
The Dreamcast version of Tony Hawk 2 was a masterpiece I was playing that game for hours after highschool and now I am waiting for my copy of Tony Hawk 1 and 2 for PS4 in the mail.
I was surprised to learn it was 30fps, it seemed so smooth at the time compared to ps1. Funny how I can't abide the framerate drops to the 40s in the remake if I turn the graphics to ultra.
@@DanielAlvarez-iw8hr It doesn't get enough credit, and I'm sick of hearing 1+2 has "all of the levels from 2" when I was rocking 5 more 20 years ago that Vicarious Visions is sort of just... ignoring. Really hoping we see some DLC of 2X and 3 levels.
Loved this DF Retro episode. Really hope they do bring out out 3+4 remastered as well. The 4th was always dearest to my heart but I've absolutely loved this release as well.
I've thought about this a lot, thps 3 + 4 came to ps2 but I played ps1 all the way through. Would developers continue to remaster the ps1 versions? What would we like to see as players?
That was a nice journey. I enjoyed it. For me it was definitely Tony Hawks 2. Don't know, how much I played it, but it was massive. Of course, I was a skater myself. Great time!
John, this is one of the best DF videos ever and a true love letter to the series. The retro run-through at the start to the tech specs at the end; 36 minutes flies by. Made by a true old school THPS fan, for true old school THPS fans. Fine work. Thank you.
My first TH games were the Dreamcast versions, loved them and spent many hours on them. The Dreamcast was a weird but great console. I also had that Gameboy Advance version too, it was surprisingly good.
I bought them on the Dreamcast, and then I bought 2x when I got an XBOX. Treyarch took all 3 of those versions and knocked them out of the park. I don't think this video, THSP1+2, or anyone really, is giving 2X and Treyarch enough credit.
I've always respected the early Tony Hawk games, but never got into them myself. Listening to the history of this series is great, helps me get a better understanding of these games cultural place while I was away playing Quake III and Counter-Strike 😂 THPS 1+2 just released in Steam, maybe I'll finally give these games their due by checking them out on my Steam Deck.
Thomas Ebert Personally I’d really like to see pro skater 3 to be remade maybe with a DLC or something. Don’t really care for thps4 didn’t think the levels were that great in that game.
@@TOMLEE64 3 and Thug are both amazing games. But 4 has the most replay value. It also (imo) perfectly blends the old school arcade feel of 1-3 with the newer open feel of post Underground.
I think the thing that makes it so magical is that the game looks like how you remember it looking **through rose-tinted glasses*. Which in my opinion has to be the holy grail for a developer doing this kind of job. You boot it up and go "oh yeah, this is it" but when you go back and look at the older stuff you realize nope that's just HOW GOOD the remaster is. Reminds me of the Star Trek TNG blu rays. Which makes sense, much like VV went back and used the original source material where they could, a similar thing was done with the TNG blu rays. took the original film **remastered** it all, then digitally re-edited it together into the original eps using original production notes, and exact time codes, even having to go as far as to find models and re-record exact recreations of effects scenes if things were missing. Shows a real dedication and love for the product and legacy.
Digital foundry is one of my go to channels when it comes to discussion about technical aspects. I would suggest for them to start implementing time stamps for longer videos so viewers can skip directly to parts they’re only came to listen too.
It's refreshing to see modern remakes of classic titles getting this much love and attention to detail. If only Nintendo could take a cue and stop churning out bare-bone ports like the ones in the recently-announced Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection..
Honestly I think the 3D Mario games don't need a remake considering their timeless aesthetic and style, but asking 60 dollars for essentially emulated roms is ridiculous.
Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2 is my most favourite game ever. I loved the THPS2 Contest came out for the PlayStation on a free demo disc. Which then lead to the full game combo contest won $150 with my high scoring combo on the Hanger Level. Shortly after that I went on to score the highest scoring combo of any level in the Hanger lever of around 7.29 million points for one combo. I held that highest scoring combo on any level for about 3.5 year before it was beaten by Hector. He made it his mission to beat every high scoring combo on every level of THPS2, and mine being the highest was the last one to beat after years of holding it. I cant wait to try this new game out.. look visually stunning, and if it plays the same. Its onto a winner of a game in my book. THPS2 game play was superb...
Feels so bittersweet to watch this after VV was merged into Blizzard and 3+4 was cancelled. They got everything right and brought the series back to its former glory, only for it all to fizzle away suddenly :(
@@TKsh1 See, THAT'S the major challenge. People love beautiful, faithful updates to beloved classics but eventually you have to show you're capable of making titles that will go on to become beloved classics themselves.
Smartest thing they've done in ages is unleash Vicarious Visions on the remake scene. I love seeing this though. Remasters of games from X360 has been so common... Remakes of N64/PSX/Dreamcast games do not happen anywhere near enough.
they've done almost no remasters tho. How can they call both modern warfare and prototype remasters???? One is fully remade and the other is one of the worst remasters ever if not THE worst Mw2 is a remake, crash is a remake, Spyro is a remake, this is a remake, etc. Activision contradicts their own false naming conventions
I never really got into the gameplay of the original Tony Hawk games but it does bring a smile to my face seeing them revived like this. It's almost like a vindication of my generation's memories: "See, you're not just seeing things through rose-tinted glasses! These games _were_ fun!"
My favorite game this generation is probably Death Stranding as it did some new things I hadn't seen in any game before. It's not my most played game, but I liked it very much, my most played game is probably Gran Turismo Sport or Rocket League.
Hey John, I love the fact, that you seized the oppourtunity of this release, to produce a full blown DF Retro episode for THPS 1+2. DF Retro is definitly among my absolute favorite YT content and one of the main reasons, I gladly contribute to the DF Patreon. Greetings from Frankfurt! Keep up the good work!
Fantastic work as always, John! No one could do the series justice as well as you. I think I enjoyed this episode more than the recent official documentary!
Amazing work, as always, John! I jumped on the THPS bandwagon with the 4th one on Xbox, but it's great to get a history of the franchise and comparison of all of the different iterations. Your passion for the series really comes through in this video. I waited to watch this video until I could kick back and really give it the attention is deserves.
It's a lazy, bare-minimum effort on their part. That being said, I pre-ordered a physical copy anyway and I'm keeping it sealed. You know Switch collectors are gonna pay out the ass for that thing in several years.
These games take me back. Skating during the day and jam sessions at night while those sitting out would pass the controller around on the PS. What a great time. Those were the days y'all.
One cool thing not mentioned here is that depending where you are in the environment the music will sound different, for example if you’re in a long hallway the music will echo and sounds like it would sound if played in that specific location.
The screens in thps 1 really blew my mind back then, I had played newer tony hawk games, but when I went back to play the first ones for the first time I couldn't believe my eyes. Sometimes I would even stand there in free skate just watching and listening to that killer soundtrack. I was so disappointed that the newer games never did that again.
I'm so glad you mentioned FinK.L being in the South Korean PC port of THPS2. I found that out about a year ago and it blew my mind as a FinK.L fan. Great video altogether.
I thought I was crazy for thinking the animations and also the physics not looking as good in the remake as the original and I couldn't figure out why, glad to see someone else noticing it.
Apocalypse was the first game I ever played/owned on Playstation and the graphics blew me away at the time. Had a ton of fun with that game. Crazy how Neversoft was responsible for 3 of the most influential playstation games for me personally. You really kill it with these DF Retros John, outstanding work my man.
Man, those Dreamcast comparison shots really show how big of a step up that console was from the PS1 and N64. It's almost like an early version of the half-generation console improvements we get now, like the PS4 Pro.
The biggest contribution to gaming that the original Tony Hawk Pro Skater game brought to the table was its goal oriented level unlocking. It was the first game where I noticed a feeling of being addicted to getting that one more goal, one more unlocked level, one more unlocked character, etc. It may have been done in a game before, but their exact formula for it was spot on. And after playing that first game, I began seeking out games that had level arcs like that, of which there weren't many. Prior to it, most games would have you progress to the next level once you 'got through' the current one. With this game, you could go to the second level once you gotten a certain amount of goals, you didn't have to 'complete' the level, you could go back and get the rest later. That feeling of being addicted to getting that one more goal seems to have been implemented into almost every single game nowadays, especially in mobile games.
I remember seeing the Nokia N-Gage and the games for it at EBGames in Canada when it was available all those years ago. Younger me thought it was really cool especially considering it was also a phone and had internet functionality built into it. I remember the quirks it had, like having to remove the battery to swap games too. I kind of wish I had gotten one back then just to have such a device today for the collectible aspect but younger me was prone to trading in my stuff so who knows if I would still have it.
35:00 Neversoft was merged with Infinity Ward in 14' so what if InfinityWard made this, using the old Neversoft moniker? Food for thought. PS, the last Neversoft game was actually Call of Duty Ghosts!
Agreed, it's a really awesome game. I only beat it for the 1st time a couple yrs ago. Never heard anyone talk about it. Sci fi games are ignored on the PS1 for some dumb reason so I'm not surprised.
Calm down. I grew up skating in the 90s. Tony Hawk is amazing and I love what he's done for the sport and what he represents. But he's not as well known as Jim Thorpe, Babe Ruth, Pele, Barry Sanders, Emmitt Smith, Joe Montana, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Kareem Abdul Jabar, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant...If by most well known athletes in the world, you mean Top 500 or something...then MAYBE he's on that list.
@@anubrakahn2970 I respectfully disagree. Also bad comparison seeing how those sports figures are from traditional sports that have 100 years worth of history.
@@supdevan6413 We can disagree about where he would be on a list but the comparison is sound. Your comment compares him to the most well known athletes in the world...period. Adding a time frame after the fact changes it to a separate conversation.
This video is free... FREE!! Incredible production and passion from John. I’ve only really played Tony Hawk 1 & 2 and this history/tech review makes me want to revisit.
I was trying to play online with my gf and noticed that we can’t create a private lobby for us to just skate around . It puts us in a random lobby with other players . Hopefully they add a private lobby feature . I’m trying to skate and chill 😏
@@wolfpackgaming2492 My bad! We tried it again this morning and this time there was a whole group added to our 2 man party. When we played yesterday its possible that the other players got kicked or left, thats why there was just two of us? Not sure, but trying it again this morning yeah others got added to our group. Seems silly you can't just rip around with a friend and that's it.
Fantastic video John. I was waiting for the DF Retro/Digital Foundry video on Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 as I know you would cover all versions. You surprised me with that South Korean version!
I got it for £30 so and its amazing, feels great plays how you'd expect, I did one thing I disabled all the new songs they added as quite a few don't fit the game as much as the original songs, and actually feels a bit disconnected with the newer songs, because the music represents the period of time
Skepta’s shut down and real big fish’s she’s famous now are probably the only two new songs I like, I was disappointed by billy talent’s afraid of heights on the soundtrack they have other songs that would have fit the overall vibe much better.
Nice video and it was fun to see different ports as well. Summer of 1999 was probably my best summer ever. Why? Because of Tony hawks for PS1. I have never skateboarded in my life, and never will, but THPS1 is one of my favourite games of all time. Awesome soundtrack combined with fast paced arcade style score hunting - I was sold.
23:00 got a bit of an audio hiccup here John - looks like your voice audio got cut off before you finished the sentence. (Edit: nevermind i hear it now. Couldnt hear "them" on my phone) Also wish you had covered the partial remakes of classic levels in THUG1, THUG2, and THAW. But still great video otherwise! Loved how you looked into THPS2x & the Dreamcast versions
Me and my brother would stay up all night playing THPS2. We both sucked at it pretty bad, but we couldn't stop playing. Just straight up fun. I miss those days.
More to graphics than resolution , developers opted for 1440p resolution with a target frame rate of 60fps. Also must factor effects like HDR, aa, etc you need to make comprises somewhere. 1440p is very good resolution regardless. Many gamers want 4k 60fps (or higher) yet don't want to game on PC platform where you have the *ability to achieve. Be happy these consoles are doing this much, if you want 4k and above you know what you need to do.........
Fabian Huber Do you own the game and if you do, see if you can tell a difference? More than likely once everything was added in things changed. Demo isn’t a final build always and usually labeled as “work in process”. The developers changed it for a reason/
@@tears2040 I own the game yeah, but I didn't have the demo. My thought is that the warehouse is so simple that they could crank up the resolution there. And in the full game they toned it down to have a consistent resolution all over the game, while still keeping the framerate stable.
I was a younger man when I played THPS & THPS2 and I was also a skateboarder myself at those times. I was blown away. I played it on my new Nvidia RIVA TNT2 16MB VGA card. LoL!! And My brand new world 1st 1,000MHz CPU. The insane AMD Thunderbird with 128 MB SD ram and a 40 GB HDD. I coupled it with my 19" CRT and my Lantec Alsing world 1st 4.1 surround for PC. I had the craziest PC amongst everyone I knew back then. I waited 20+ years for this game to look amazing. I am tearing up from ths footage. Oh wow!! Being a family man and having kids now I don't get to spend all of my money on just computer stuff. Makes me a little sad but I still have a pretty sweet machine they can crank this out on ultra settings on 4K 👍 PS - Thank you Digital Foundry for the benchmark on the 3080. 11 days and I will have one on the way 😃
I don't understand how DF is comfortable with the statement "This game has every level from Tony Hawk 1 & 2" When the 5 or so levels from Xbox's port of 2 are missing. I also think it's really REALLY strange how everyone acknowledges the revert from THPS3 is included, but nobody is talking about how FLATLAND tricks from THPS4 are present as well.
Before you listen to this; I wanted to tell you, that you are beautiful and exceptional. Also your a phenomenal human being; I love you and I hope positive experiences will start happening in your life, if they haven't already. Keep moving forward my friend; start adopting positive and beneficial habits & behaviors. Eat healthy and treat yourself with kindness, in addition to others also. Fair well my friend; God Bless you 💖
Such an incredible remake/remaster. Brought back so many memories playing through it! I have noticed in the skate shop though the frame ate slows down horribly when looking at items of clothing. Fingers crossed that gets a fix! I do hope THPS 3/4 get the same treatment next!
"[Apocalypse]'s a decent twin-stick shooter featuring the voice of Bruce Willis" Is singer Poe just a joke to you? Seriously, though: talk about a game with an interesting, convoluted backstory!
Just bought for PC and downloading it now. Really enjoyed the originals and it looks like they’ve done a proper job on this. Plus, even with all the fancy new assets, it’s still only 20GB. Noice!
I didn't grow up with 1 and 2 but Underground 1 was/is one of my all time favorites, so experiencing many of these levels for the first time with a familiar trick system has been *glorious.*
I finally got it last week, and it runs so well on my Core i5, Gtx 1050 laptop. It's superbly optimized, light on space and loads very quickly. I got tired of waiting for it to come to Steam, but should it come to it, I might just get it again, if it's on sale.
I appreciate the shout-out :)
I'm glad I could provide you with footage of the N-Gage release!
Appreciate the work, was worried we'd only end up with a mention of the Ngage version.
I still love that version.
man, back in 2003 it was magical to have basically a portable PS1 in my pocket.
the N-Gage gets a lot of flak but tbh, that thing was groundbreaking.
not only did it have PS1 ports at almost PS1 quality like THPS, Pandemonium or Tomb Raider, but it also could emulate MegaDrive with ease, GB and GBC were also possible.
Worms World Party, an exclusive version of King of Fighters, Sonic N and even a fully 3D port of Splinter Cell Chaos Theory... on a handheld/phone hybrid RELEASED IN 2003! that is crazy to think about honestly
@@kevboard Ngage gets A LOT of criticism, which I've never fully understood. Playing these games handheld was excellent.
I still own 2 x N-Gages. The homebrew scene were great on it back in the days.
Counter Strike, Doom 1+2, Heretic etc. were also ported to it.
Those things are like crazy expensive these days aren't they?
I wish more old games could get this kind of passion remakes.
Praying the prince of persia remake is on par with resident evil
Don't we all...
There's too many remakes! Where are all the new ideas!
@@AJ-xv7oh The new ideas are hard to come by. I want a Devil May Cry 5 gameplay, like Dante with the 4 style changing with a detailed character editor and rpg elements and loot, offline and online team game.
Looks at Mario 64
"to keep a long story short"
but I *wanted* the long story smh
Watch the "Pretending I'm Superman: The Tony Hawk Video Game Story" documentary on Amazon Prime Video. It just came out a few weeks ago. It has more details on the stuff John didn't have time to get into here.
"I stuck a whole bag of jelly beans up my..."
Since Skate 3 was released in 2010, skateboarding games were in a drought until this year. Now we have Session, Skater XL, THPS1+2, and finally Skate 4 was announced to be in development.
Im hoping for ssx
And SkateBird next year 😁
I was playing Olli Olli 2 on my Vita last night. Often forgotten gems in the genre.
@@BLINDCABBY At least they exist and support modding, unlike Skate 4. Hopefully they'll keep improving.
@@BLINDCABBY I have lost hundreds of hours to PIPE BMX and Skater XL. Such fun sandbox sims. They don't need carrier modes of fancy graphics for me but I understand that makes them niche.
I honestly loved the history behind it so much. Seeing their background and how they emerged during a time when everyone was building their own engines and games all felt different haha. Thanks for including it.
This just makes me think about how badly we need a new SSX game
SSX 3 is my favorite game of all time probably. Thousands of hours of absolutely exhilarating, blissful gameplay; for 10$ nowadays lol. Never gets old.
@@RemixedVoice I absolutely adore SSX 3 and SSX on tour. It makes me want to plug in my GameCube just to play them. The SSX reboot on last-gen was an embarrassment compared to how great those games were
I would love a new SSX, even if it's just a remake collection as well.
@@jonteguy a remastered Trilogy of the original, SSX 3, and on tour would be amazing. It's really sad to me that the SSX Series and the burnout series are dead
Well i play ssx 3 in 4K 60 on the XBOX ONE X it looks amazing
Anybody who skipped ahead missed out on a great retrospective. Thanks, DF!
John Linnemann's excellent, passionate and thorough history of the series is superb. I find I've watched this half a dozen times in the past few years, pretty much every time I pick the 1+2 version of the game for extended periods (recently got it on the Switch). Great work John! He's the ❤ of DF.
These devs have such an interesting history.
They spent so much time trying to make technically astonishing shooters for the ps1 with rendering and graphically interesting work but got ignored but in the end all payed off cos they cool that rendering and loading technology for the perfect low spec skater experience
I never thought it would happen but those PS1 era graphics are starting to look good again. Nostalgia is a powerful drug.
That and Digital Foundry actually bothers to show the games running in native res on great monitors with kickass scanlines instead of just upscaling everything.
really? I think PS1 looks pretty nasty, little charm in early 3D visuals, whereas SNES ages like fine wine
@@DriveCancelDC Wine googles or your just a blind ass clown.
I might just be talking out of my ass but I think it's because the graphics were limited there was a lot more focus on the art design and aesthetic to make it stand out and make it look timeless in any way possible. Well atleast the good games did.
Targeting 60fps on all platforms! That's admirable! Especially nowadays.
Yea but it also runs easily at 144fps on PC. So incredibly smooth now.
@@TommyTom21 its so dumb when people just say "on PC".
Especially these days? Not really considering PS4 Pro has seen much more 60fps games and every game on PS5 and Series X seem to have 60fps modes, or run at that by default.
Vili Evans best thing about next gen consoles especially. Was afraid devs were gonna push for 4k30 only for marketing purposes.
@@MegaPieru3000 I think you misunderstood my comment, the game target 60fps on base consoles too. If you watch the video 'til the end you will see. That's admirable.
Being a kid in the 90s was such a great experience. They did a great job remaking this game. I've only played 3 maps so far. Exploring them and reliving the experience makes me smile inside and out.
You forgot to mention that THPS 2x for the Xbox also had every stage from THPS 1 in addition to the full THPS 2 career. It didn't have the original game soundtrack, though.
I didn't even know it was on the original Xbox in that format.
Yeah original xbox had the ultimate version of Tony Hawk pro skater 2.
@@DanielAlvarez-iw8hr besides it wasnt. You had to pass the treyarch map career which was completely garbage to unlock the pro skater 1 career
John, another incredible video, by far the best gaming channel on RUclips. Hello from Brazil!
They really got everything right with this remake. Finally we have a modern worthy Tony Hawk game. Now im hoping for THPS 3 and 4 Remake!!!
DF quality content as always thx
What about a GTA 5 map with instanced skate parks?
They've (vicarious visions) have already stated if the sales do good and enough people have interest then they'll remake 3 & 4 as dlc or a separate game. So people just need to get it haha
"They really got everything right with this remake."
Well, no. It's an Epic exclusive.
And..?
Doesn't it have always online drm? I heard that a few days ago and haven't heard anything counter. That's a pretty big "wrong" if so. At least imo
Tony Hawks 2 & 3 were my favorite games from my childhood as I started gaming for the first time on my friends PS1. Those moments and memories are still fresh in my mind and I can never forget these games. They have a special place in my heart. Glad the devs nailed it and brought us the orignal experience of the first two games... now desperately waiting for 3+4.
And John I really loved your history session for Tony Hawks and would love to see the whole history and rise and fall of Tony Hawks franchise especially when 3+4 arrives.
The Dreamcast version of Tony Hawk 2 was a masterpiece I was playing that game for hours after highschool and now I am waiting for my copy of Tony Hawk 1 and 2 for PS4 in the mail.
Same here!
I was surprised to learn it was 30fps, it seemed so smooth at the time compared to ps1. Funny how I can't abide the framerate drops to the 40s in the remake if I turn the graphics to ultra.
The original Xbox Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2x was a masterpiece. It was the ultimate version of Tony Hawk 1&2 untill 2020
@@DanielAlvarez-iw8hr It doesn't get enough credit, and I'm sick of hearing 1+2 has "all of the levels from 2" when I was rocking 5 more 20 years ago that Vicarious Visions is sort of just... ignoring.
Really hoping we see some DLC of 2X and 3 levels.
I put most of my time in on 3, I hope it gets some love
With current sales and reviews, I'm sure it will. I'm hoping.
Since 1+2 basically already has all the gameplay of 3, they could just release 3 as a DLC level + song pack, that'd be perfect I think.
@@h3rteby it would net Activision sales on the base game, but then they couldn't lock in NEW, exclusive DLC for THPS3+4
@@h3rteby 3+4 would be the logical choice.
Seriously, a 3+4 game would just be eating my wallet once I hear about it
Loved this DF Retro episode. Really hope they do bring out out 3+4 remastered as well. The 4th was always dearest to my heart but I've absolutely loved this release as well.
Even just a DLC pack would work - I'd love some of the tracks from THPS4 remastered (ie Alcatraz and London)
I've thought about this a lot, thps 3 + 4 came to ps2 but I played ps1 all the way through. Would developers continue to remaster the ps1 versions? What would we like to see as players?
3 would be great, wasn't big on 4 though tbh.
Its a Remake not a Remaster, wish people would stop mixing the terms around
I loved 4 was my favourite too
Vicarious Vision: **Makes best THPS and Crash games in years**
Activision: You're only a support studio now...
31:58
"even when restarting a map"
*clicks restart*
_ad plays to kill the moment_
😭
Too many ads.
That was a nice journey. I enjoyed it. For me it was definitely Tony Hawks 2. Don't know, how much I played it, but it was massive. Of course, I was a skater myself. Great time!
I had no intention of watching this whole video, but I watched this whole video.
John, this is one of the best DF videos ever and a true love letter to the series. The retro run-through at the start to the tech specs at the end; 36 minutes flies by. Made by a true old school THPS fan, for true old school THPS fans. Fine work. Thank you.
My first TH games were the Dreamcast versions, loved them and spent many hours on them. The Dreamcast was a weird but great console. I also had that Gameboy Advance version too, it was surprisingly good.
Chris Hexx loved the GBA version. All Vicarious Visions games for the GBA (Crash Bandicoot, TH) were pretty good.
I bought them on the Dreamcast, and then I bought 2x when I got an XBOX. Treyarch took all 3 of those versions and knocked them out of the park. I don't think this video, THSP1+2, or anyone really, is giving 2X and Treyarch enough credit.
I've always respected the early Tony Hawk games, but never got into them myself. Listening to the history of this series is great, helps me get a better understanding of these games cultural place while I was away playing Quake III and Counter-Strike 😂
THPS 1+2 just released in Steam, maybe I'll finally give these games their due by checking them out on my Steam Deck.
It makes me so happy that we finally have a good Tony hawks pro skater game after all these years.
Hopefully just the beginning with remasters. Besides 3+4 I also like the underground ones
Thomas Ebert Personally I’d really like to see pro skater 3 to be remade maybe with a DLC or something. Don’t really care for thps4 didn’t think the levels were that great in that game.
@@TOMLEE64 Thps4 is the best one of the entire series.
TheAlibabatree nah man thug is the best.
@@TOMLEE64 3 and Thug are both amazing games. But 4 has the most replay value. It also (imo) perfectly blends the old school arcade feel of 1-3 with the newer open feel of post Underground.
I think the thing that makes it so magical is that the game looks like how you remember it looking **through rose-tinted glasses*. Which in my opinion has to be the holy grail for a developer doing this kind of job. You boot it up and go "oh yeah, this is it" but when you go back and look at the older stuff you realize nope that's just HOW GOOD the remaster is. Reminds me of the Star Trek TNG blu rays. Which makes sense, much like VV went back and used the original source material where they could, a similar thing was done with the TNG blu rays. took the original film **remastered** it all, then digitally re-edited it together into the original eps using original production notes, and exact time codes, even having to go as far as to find models and re-record exact recreations of effects scenes if things were missing. Shows a real dedication and love for the product and legacy.
RUclips compression really did a number on this video
Digital foundry is one of my go to channels when it comes to discussion about technical aspects.
I would suggest for them to start implementing time stamps for longer videos so viewers can skip directly to parts they’re only came to listen too.
It's refreshing to see modern remakes of classic titles getting this much love and attention to detail. If only Nintendo could take a cue and stop churning out bare-bone ports like the ones in the recently-announced Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection..
Honestly I think the 3D Mario games don't need a remake considering their timeless aesthetic and style, but asking 60 dollars for essentially emulated roms is ridiculous.
Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2 is my most favourite game ever. I loved the THPS2 Contest came out for the PlayStation on a free demo disc. Which then lead to the full game combo contest won $150 with my high scoring combo on the Hanger Level. Shortly after that I went on to score the highest scoring combo of any level in the Hanger lever of around 7.29 million points for one combo. I held that highest scoring combo on any level for about 3.5 year before it was beaten by Hector. He made it his mission to beat every high scoring combo on every level of THPS2, and mine being the highest was the last one to beat after years of holding it.
I cant wait to try this new game out.. look visually stunning, and if it plays the same. Its onto a winner of a game in my book. THPS2 game play was superb...
DF: In 1999 chasing high scores wasn’t exactly popular.
Crazy Taxi: Am I a joke to you?
Matthew Koester not exactly the same genre, but the original Jet Set Radio released in 2000
@@rastas_4221 and now days less than 40% of players finish "narrative driven" games (according to PS4 trophies and Steam achievements)
Feels so bittersweet to watch this after VV was merged into Blizzard and 3+4 was cancelled. They got everything right and brought the series back to its former glory, only for it all to fizzle away suddenly :(
Activision have been churning out the quality remasters/remakes this generation!
Yesss... Even MW being a sort of remake but also a new game, it's so good!
Now they just need to make ORIGINAL ones with the same quality and less publisher bullshit behind.
@@TKsh1 See, THAT'S the major challenge. People love beautiful, faithful updates to beloved classics but eventually you have to show you're capable of making titles that will go on to become beloved classics themselves.
Smartest thing they've done in ages is unleash Vicarious Visions on the remake scene. I love seeing this though. Remasters of games from X360 has been so common... Remakes of N64/PSX/Dreamcast games do not happen anywhere near enough.
they've done almost no remasters tho. How can they call both modern warfare and prototype remasters???? One is fully remade and the other is one of the worst remasters ever if not THE worst
Mw2 is a remake, crash is a remake, Spyro is a remake, this is a remake, etc.
Activision contradicts their own false naming conventions
I never really got into the gameplay of the original Tony Hawk games but it does bring a smile to my face seeing them revived like this. It's almost like a vindication of my generation's memories: "See, you're not just seeing things through rose-tinted glasses! These games _were_ fun!"
I've been playing this game all weekend. It's one of the best games released this whole generation.
Abit sad isn't it.
That a game from the past polished up is considered one of the best for this generation.
How old are you ?
@@y2j1490yahoo me? 25
My favorite game this generation is probably Death Stranding as it did some new things I hadn't seen in any game before. It's not my most played game, but I liked it very much, my most played game is probably Gran Turismo Sport or Rocket League.
@@High.on.Life_DnB mine is walking dead telltale saga
Outstanding work as always John, most of us wish we would share the same amount of love and knowledge for these games as you do!
I remember playing the 2 minute demo of THPS2 more than most of my current steam library!
Hey John,
I love the fact, that you seized the oppourtunity of this release, to produce a full blown DF Retro episode for THPS 1+2.
DF Retro is definitly among my absolute favorite YT content and one of the main reasons, I gladly contribute to the DF Patreon.
Greetings from Frankfurt!
Keep up the good work!
I remember having the official playstation magazine demo disc, playing the THPS2 demo over and over...and over...again!
Fantastic work as always, John! No one could do the series justice as well as you. I think I enjoyed this episode more than the recent official documentary!
Drink every time John says “rock solid”! ✌️
Jägerbomb for "buttery smooth."
Every time I hear "Tony Hawks", Superman starts playing in my head, such cool soundtrack !!!
🎶 So here I am
🎵 Doing everything I can
*Looking Older All The Time, Feeling Younger In My Mind*
Here I am, doing everything I can
*Holding on to what I am*
Pretending I'm a superman
It feels the world is fallin down around me!
*The nights are all long*
Amazing work, as always, John! I jumped on the THPS bandwagon with the 4th one on Xbox, but it's great to get a history of the franchise and comparison of all of the different iterations. Your passion for the series really comes through in this video. I waited to watch this video until I could kick back and really give it the attention is deserves.
Meanwhile @ Nintendo: Here's three upscaled roms for $60. You will complain about it and then you will buy it because it's all you're gonna get.
Nintendo fans take whatever Nintendo gives them because they don’t know how to say no to Nintendo. Just like Xbox fans with Microsoft this generation.
Nintendo likes keeping the visual style intact, which is just as valid an approach. I’m just as happy both THPS and 3D All-Stars exist :D
To be fair, Mario is worth FAR more money than Tony Hawk ever was. Plus purists want that
It's a lazy, bare-minimum effort on their part. That being said, I pre-ordered a physical copy anyway and I'm keeping it sealed. You know Switch collectors are gonna pay out the ass for that thing in several years.
@@Kougeru Thats a comment a virgin ass weeb would make.
this wasn't a hardware technological fps review, this was a nostalgia hit. thank you, guys
God damn that was a beautiful title card with the flaming skateboard @ 1:17. Did you guys do that JUST for this video??
I don’t see that?
@@DigitalBroomstick 1:17
These games take me back. Skating during the day and jam sessions at night while those sitting out would pass the controller around on the PS. What a great time. Those were the days y'all.
omg DF. I'm trying to sleep I have work tomorrow.!!! stop uploading good videos.
There is something so satisfying about playing Tony Hawk Pro Skater. Like you can't stop playing once you get going.
I absolutely love this game... and Digital Foundry
One cool thing not mentioned here is that depending where you are in the environment the music will sound different, for example if you’re in a long hallway the music will echo and sounds like it would sound if played in that specific location.
And songs continue on, even during pause, menus and restarts. thats really perfect
Loved Pro Skater 2 on Dreamcast, still one of my favorite games to this day!!!
The screens in thps 1 really blew my mind back then, I had played newer tony hawk games, but when I went back to play the first ones for the first time I couldn't believe my eyes. Sometimes I would even stand there in free skate just watching and listening to that killer soundtrack.
I was so disappointed that the newer games never did that again.
What? The PC-relase of THPS 2 was AMAZING.
I'm so glad you mentioned FinK.L being in the South Korean PC port of THPS2. I found that out about a year ago and it blew my mind as a FinK.L fan.
Great video altogether.
The only issue I see with the new games is that there is no pump animation when going up hills giving the game a Sonic 06 snowboarding level vibe...
I thought I was crazy for thinking the animations and also the physics not looking as good in the remake as the original and I couldn't figure out why, glad to see someone else noticing it.
Apocalypse was the first game I ever played/owned on Playstation and the graphics blew me away at the time. Had a ton of fun with that game. Crazy how Neversoft was responsible for 3 of the most influential playstation games for me personally. You really kill it with these DF Retros John, outstanding work my man.
27:09 is the review of the remake if you want to skip ahead
Thanks.
Man, those Dreamcast comparison shots really show how big of a step up that console was from the PS1 and N64. It's almost like an early version of the half-generation console improvements we get now, like the PS4 Pro.
We need a switch version, would love to play this in portable.
That would probably be 30 . Maybe Switch Pro
The biggest contribution to gaming that the original Tony Hawk Pro Skater game brought to the table was its goal oriented level unlocking. It was the first game where I noticed a feeling of being addicted to getting that one more goal, one more unlocked level, one more unlocked character, etc. It may have been done in a game before, but their exact formula for it was spot on. And after playing that first game, I began seeking out games that had level arcs like that, of which there weren't many. Prior to it, most games would have you progress to the next level once you 'got through' the current one. With this game, you could go to the second level once you gotten a certain amount of goals, you didn't have to 'complete' the level, you could go back and get the rest later. That feeling of being addicted to getting that one more goal seems to have been implemented into almost every single game nowadays, especially in mobile games.
I will wait until it is released on steam.
I remember seeing the Nokia N-Gage and the games for it at EBGames in Canada when it was available all those years ago. Younger me thought it was really cool especially considering it was also a phone and had internet functionality built into it. I remember the quirks it had, like having to remove the battery to swap games too. I kind of wish I had gotten one back then just to have such a device today for the collectible aspect but younger me was prone to trading in my stuff so who knows if I would still have it.
35:00
Neversoft was merged with Infinity Ward in 14'
so what if InfinityWard made this, using the old Neversoft moniker?
Food for thought.
PS, the last Neversoft game was actually Call of Duty Ghosts!
they had some easter eggs through out in ghosts
I just love listening to John Linneman talking about games and technology
The apocalypse game was amazing!!!
Yeah I completed that loved it at the time
Agreed, it's a really awesome game. I only beat it for the 1st time a couple yrs ago. Never heard anyone talk about it. Sci fi games are ignored on the PS1 for some dumb reason so I'm not surprised.
Worth... every... penny. I have not smiled this much, tapped my foot and rocked my head in a long long time. This is gaming bliss.
Not just one of the most well known skaters but one of the most well known ATHLETES in the world.
Calm down. I grew up skating in the 90s. Tony Hawk is amazing and I love what he's done for the sport and what he represents. But he's not as well known as Jim Thorpe, Babe Ruth, Pele, Barry Sanders, Emmitt Smith, Joe Montana, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Kareem Abdul Jabar, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant...If by most well known athletes in the world, you mean Top 500 or something...then MAYBE he's on that list.
@@anubrakahn2970 I respectfully disagree. Also bad comparison seeing how those sports figures are from traditional sports that have 100 years worth of history.
@@supdevan6413 We can disagree about where he would be on a list but the comparison is sound. Your comment compares him to the most well known athletes in the world...period. Adding a time frame after the fact changes it to a separate conversation.
@@anubrakahn2970 still disagree.
@@anubrakahn2970 Who's Jim Thorpe though?
This content is basically what GameTrailers was for me back in the day. Really quality editing and writing in this one. Great job!
GameTrailers crew is still around as Easy Allies on RUclips if you want to follow them
Enough already! I'm buying it.
This video is free... FREE!! Incredible production and passion from John. I’ve only really played Tony Hawk 1 & 2 and this history/tech review makes me want to revisit.
I was trying to play online with my gf and noticed that we can’t create a private lobby for us to just skate around . It puts us in a random lobby with other players . Hopefully they add a private lobby feature . I’m trying to skate and chill 😏
You can, just send her an invite and pick what mode and stuff that you want. Did it last night with a friend. Invite them to the group lobby thingy.
KatalistProductions-Kozzy-Sasha how?!! Because I invited her and when she joined the only thing under multiplayer was quick lobby
VVisions said on Twitter that proper private lobbies will come in an update in November
@@wolfpackgaming2492 My bad! We tried it again this morning and this time there was a whole group added to our 2 man party. When we played yesterday its possible that the other players got kicked or left, thats why there was just two of us? Not sure, but trying it again this morning yeah others got added to our group. Seems silly you can't just rip around with a friend and that's it.
RoboZombie777 looks like we’ll be waiting to skate together than , thank you for the update
Fantastic video John. I was waiting for the DF Retro/Digital Foundry video on Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 as I know you would cover all versions. You surprised me with that South Korean version!
I got it for £30 so and its amazing, feels great plays how you'd expect, I did one thing I disabled all the new songs they added as quite a few don't fit the game as much as the original songs, and actually feels a bit disconnected with the newer songs, because the music represents the period of time
yeah they added some really bad songs
True, the music is half the game
Skepta’s shut down and real big fish’s she’s famous now are probably the only two new songs I like, I was disappointed by billy talent’s afraid of heights on the soundtrack they have other songs that would have fit the overall vibe much better.
Nice video and it was fun to see different ports as well. Summer of 1999 was probably my best summer ever. Why? Because of Tony hawks for PS1. I have never skateboarded in my life, and never will, but THPS1 is one of my favourite games of all time. Awesome soundtrack combined with fast paced arcade style score hunting - I was sold.
When a gaming tech channel has better retro quality content than 99% of actual videogame review channels
Thank you guys for the effort you put into these - such high quality work
23:00 got a bit of an audio hiccup here John - looks like your voice audio got cut off before you finished the sentence. (Edit: nevermind i hear it now. Couldnt hear "them" on my phone)
Also wish you had covered the partial remakes of classic levels in THUG1, THUG2, and THAW. But still great video otherwise! Loved how you looked into THPS2x & the Dreamcast versions
i went back and listened, i couldn't find this audio hiccup you've called out.
@@ultraokletsgo It could have been patched out or was a youtube hiccup on their end.
@@ultraokletsgo I think he just said "to create them" but he said "them" very quietly so it almost sounded cut off
@@theharvardyard2356 yeah youre right
Me and my brother would stay up all night playing THPS2. We both sucked at it pretty bad, but we couldn't stop playing. Just straight up fun. I miss those days.
The demo analysis video said it was running on 1800p on Xbox One X, did they downgrade the resolution for the full game?
More to graphics than resolution , developers opted for 1440p resolution with a target frame rate of 60fps. Also must factor effects like HDR, aa, etc you need to make comprises somewhere. 1440p is very good resolution regardless.
Many gamers want 4k 60fps (or higher) yet don't want to game on PC platform where you have the *ability to achieve. Be happy these consoles are doing this much, if you want 4k and above you know what you need to do.........
@@tears2040 Well i mean the demo ran at 1800p, and it was HDR and 60fps too. That's why I'm asking why it's less in the full version now.
Fabian Huber Do you own the game and if you do, see if you can tell a difference? More than likely once everything was added in things changed. Demo isn’t a final build always and usually labeled as “work in process”. The developers changed it for a reason/
@@tears2040 more like sony payed some cash flow to even out the competition
@@tears2040 I own the game yeah, but I didn't have the demo. My thought is that the warehouse is so simple that they could crank up the resolution there. And in the full game they toned it down to have a consistent resolution all over the game, while still keeping the framerate stable.
I was a younger man when I played THPS & THPS2 and I was also a skateboarder myself at those times. I was blown away. I played it on my new Nvidia RIVA TNT2 16MB VGA card. LoL!! And My brand new world 1st 1,000MHz CPU. The insane AMD Thunderbird with 128 MB SD ram and a 40 GB HDD. I coupled it with my 19" CRT and my Lantec Alsing world 1st 4.1 surround for PC. I had the craziest PC amongst everyone I knew back then.
I waited 20+ years for this game to look amazing. I am tearing up from ths footage. Oh wow!!
Being a family man and having kids now I don't get to spend all of my money on just computer stuff. Makes me a little sad but I still have a pretty sweet machine they can crank this out on ultra settings on 4K 👍
PS - Thank you Digital Foundry for the benchmark on the 3080. 11 days and I will have one on the way 😃
You made a mistake about the HD remake it had maps from tony hawk 3 as well
Those were part of a paid DLC pack
He also neglected to mention 2x on Xbox included the entire THPS1 campaign as well. Understandable given how much info he went through on this video!
I like how you can tell how much better he got at the games as the video progresses.
I don't understand how DF is comfortable with the statement "This game has every level from Tony Hawk 1 & 2" When the 5 or so levels from Xbox's port of 2 are missing. I also think it's really REALLY strange how everyone acknowledges the revert from THPS3 is included, but nobody is talking about how FLATLAND tricks from THPS4 are present as well.
This is a glorious hybrid of DF Retro and your typical DF breakdown of a new game.
Before you listen to this; I wanted to tell you, that you are beautiful and exceptional. Also your a phenomenal human being; I love you and I hope positive experiences will start happening in your life, if they haven't already. Keep moving forward my friend; start adopting positive and beneficial habits & behaviors. Eat healthy and treat yourself with kindness, in addition to others also. Fair well my friend; God Bless you 💖
Homosayswhat?
@@rodmunch69 homosapien?
@@aldoelektrika Must be a bot. Nobody living is that kind :)
Such an incredible remake/remaster. Brought back so many memories playing through it! I have noticed in the skate shop though the frame ate slows down horribly when looking at items of clothing. Fingers crossed that gets a fix! I do hope THPS 3/4 get the same treatment next!
26:17 - "Now [THPS HD] isn't a bad game, by any means" Oh yes it absolutely is. It's a bad game by all means.
Eh, I enjoyed it. It’s no 1+2, but it did scratch an itch for me. But now I own 1+2, so I’ll probably never go back to HD lol.
Nah, it was just mediocre. You have to remember that it was also only $15 (with a $5 DLC that was pretty much mandatory, but still)
Nah it was alright. Plus the new music was really good!
10:15 I love that you used Retroarch w/ borders and shaders to show off the handheld titles!
"[Apocalypse]'s a decent twin-stick shooter featuring the voice of Bruce Willis"
Is singer Poe just a joke to you?
Seriously, though: talk about a game with an interesting, convoluted backstory!
noebody noe Poe broe
Just bought for PC and downloading it now. Really enjoyed the originals and it looks like they’ve done a proper job on this. Plus, even with all the fancy new assets, it’s still only 20GB. Noice!
I hope this comes to Switch. Being a 60 fps game, I wouldn't be surprised.
I didn't grow up with 1 and 2 but Underground 1 was/is one of my all time favorites, so experiencing many of these levels for the first time with a familiar trick system has been *glorious.*
I hope they have the darth maul cheat in the game.
Darth Maul wasent a secret unlockable character until THPS 3. Stupid ass should know that
@@darkangelus2313 No need to be a dick.
@@WH250398 he called someone else a "stupid ass" and spelled wasn't "wasent" in the same RUclips comment 🤣🤣
Why would he? Activision doesn’t have the license for Star Wars.
@@WH250398 no hes right, stupid ass should also know how hard itd be to implement his request with how intellectual properties work.
Really enjoyed the background provided in the video, good job !
You can see the ingame store is completely set up for microtransactions. I'm worried.
I finally got it last week, and it runs so well on my Core i5, Gtx 1050 laptop. It's superbly optimized, light on space and loads very quickly. I got tired of waiting for it to come to Steam, but should it come to it, I might just get it again, if it's on sale.