Following an unexpected Twitter exchange, Activision has officially announced Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2 for next-generation systems and Nintendo Switch. The upgraded versions of the game are coming sooner than expected.
The news comes officially from Activision, accompanied by new screenshots and a trailer. The upgraded re-release will be taking advantage of the capabilities of next-gen hardware. The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X versions will feature updated textures and shadows for better visual fidelity, including an increase in framerate. This includes a super crisp 120 FPS at 1080P, native 4K at 60 FPS[1], spatial audio, and more. A deluxe digital bundle will be available for players for a cost of $10 and feature retro skins for Tony Hawk, Steve Caballero, and Rodney Caballero, retro skins for Tony Hawk, retro skins for Create-a-Skate, and Ripper. Players who already own the Deluxe version digitally for either PS4 or Xbox One will upgrade to the next-gen versions at no extra cost. For Nintendo Switch owners, no specifics were given, except for the ability to take the game anywhere on-the-go. It is expected the game will be on par with the PS4 version.
The announcement follows a strange and unexpected exchange of tweets between Tony Hawk, Activision, and Nintendo of America. The tweets occurred a day following the 35th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda, with the Nintendo of America account not tweeting about the occasion or hinting at the future franchise. However, the press release notes that releasing the newer version of the game was no small feat, as Tony Hawk had to summon the power of Crash Bandicoot to make this happen. Finally, the press release notes the milestone of being one of the fasted games to reach 1 million copies sold.
Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2 is another exciting launch for Activision on the Nintendo Switch, perfectly accompanying Spyro The Dragon and Crash Bandicoot. Though, the announcement still continues to bring forth mystery and speculation. It seems strange that while Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2 heads to Switch, no Call of Duty exists for the Nintendo Switch, 4 years into the system’s life cycle. However, the possibility of such a game existing on the switch may rise, depending on how Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2 is received. For Nintendo, there is still no mention of Zelda and the 35th anniversary at this time, odd considering how integral the franchise is to Nintendo’s core video game portfolio. Still, with skateboarding games being very limited on Nintendo Switch, Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2 will be a nice addition to the genre on the platform.
Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2 arrives for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch on March 23rd.
