I grew up with the peak Tony Hawk’s games years. From THPS 1 to the legendary Underground games, the sports franchise was on top of the world. Over time, the series grew leggy, its longevity dwindled rapidly, and the love for manuals, wallriding, and ollying gaps lost its luster. However, in 2025, Tony Hawk games are popular again, and I’m ranking the games from worst to best to find a clear winner.
2020’s Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 was as impactful as any 900 McTwist. Grown-up gamers had their itch for kicklips rekindled, and a new generation got to see why the first two games are some of the most highly rated in history.
We’ve had to wait until 2025 for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4, but it’s been worth it. With skateboarding being rightfully back on the map, I’m gonna grind my way through history to honour true legends.
Other Tony Hawk’s Games Mentions
Before we get into the proper Tony Hawk’s ranking list, I’ll clarify some things.
Firstly, some of the Tony Hawk’s games bailed hard. A couple of them have made it into the main list—for better or worse. Releases such as Downhill Jam, Vert, Shred, and Pro Skater HD have not made the cut.
Secondly, I’m still electing to split up 1 + 2 and 3 + 4 into separate entries. They’re essentially pound-for-pound remakes of the originals (save for the odd tweak) and deserve to be recognized on their own merits.
Best Tony Hawk’s Games Ranked
11. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5
What a way to start. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 was nearly the reason why we were never going to get another Tony Hawk game again. The game’s development was hastily rushed; it ran about as smoothly as a skateboard missing one of its trucks, and subsequently became one of the worst-reviewed games ever.
I wouldn’t recommend playing this for any reason: Fun, streaming content, morbid curiosity, etc.
10. Tony Hawk: Ride
Tony Hawk: Ride nearly accomplished its mission: The series riding off into the sunset for good. With peripheral devices being all the craze because of Guitar Hero and Rock Band, what better way to reboot Tony Hawk than with a fake plastic skateboard? It turns out any other way would’ve been better.
Ride and follow-up Shred bombed critically and commercially. It was a great innovation, quite possibly ahead of its time, but it was executed poorly.
9. Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground
While I’ve covered some of Tony Hawk’s lowest points, it’s actually Proving Ground where it started to go wrong. The ninth mainline entry came out in 2007. The series had been an annual release for nearly a decade at this point, and burnout had well and truly set in. It was the first game on PS3 and Xbox 360, and didn’t do much to reinvent itself for a new generation.
It also didn’t help that Skate 1 was released in the same year. It’s not an inherently bad game, but for a game called Proving Ground, it didn’t live up to its name.
8. Tony Hawk’s Project 8
Project 8 was the first time, as a kid, I realised I was growing bored of Tony Hawk’s. I was getting them each Christmas, sinking countless hours into them, and even my younger self felt like I was playing the same game. The concept for Project 8 is spot on as you seek to become one of the best skaters in the world and complete objectives to break into the rankings.
I’d say Project 8 struggled because it arrived during the uncomfortable transition from PS2 to PS3. It’s only fitting that this sits in a respectable eighth spot on our Tony Hawk’s ranked list.
7. Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland
They say familiarity breeds contempt. After the wildly different Underground games, American Wasteland feels like a return to the games of old. TH: AW is a fantastic game with quirkiness and charm; yet, it retreads old, battered ground. A strong story isn’t enough to catapult this into heaven and its hospitable haven of halfpipes.
By trying to move forward, American Wasteland moved the series backward. Still, I had fun, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t try every trick in the book on the Ferris Wheel!
6. Tony Hawk’s Underground 2
THUG 2 was released in the midst of peak Jackass popularity. It was the mid-00s, everything was edgier, and as an impressionable kid who loved all of this, Underground 2 was my favourite Tony Hawk game at one point. Riding around Barcelona as Steve-O, with Ring of Fire playing, and a bull on the loose is peak childhood.
Its childishness still resonates with me now, to be honest, as I’m a 32-year-old who hasn’t (and never will) grown up. It’s not as refined and as complete as other Tony Hawk games, but it might be the most entertaining for those of an immature persuasion.
5. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater
The classic. The iconic debut. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater made skating cool. Throw in a charismatic name and face for the front cover and box sleeve, and you have a legendary game. It might be the greatest debut in a long-running franchise—you can argue amongst yourself in the comments on this one.
As it’s 2025, THPS1 is represented by two versions—the original and newer release. The original might fall lower down the list due to its lack of features and mechanics compared to later games. The remake factors in many of the newer accessibility features, and you get the best of both worlds. Nothing beats that first run in Warehouse and getting the secret tape from the control room up high, though.
4. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4
The only criticism I can give to Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 is that it’s more of THPS3 (more on this later). There’s fundamentally nothing wrong with it. It neatly wraps up the ‘Pro Skater’ era across the PS1 and PS2 and gives us all more of what we’d become accustomed to.
We’re at the point in the list where any of these games can be interchangeable one way or another. For me, THPS4 is unreal, but just misses out on the points required to be on the podium.
3. Tony Hawk’s Underground
Neversoft could’ve played it safe by making Pro Skater 5—not the abomination later on—and it would’ve done well, sure. It was a brave move to shift toward a concentrated narrative with a ton of off-board controls and the ability to drive a car. Underground was the biggest departure yet, and it paid off.
THUG is still heavily requested for a remake now, as we all want to punch that weaselly, backstabbing Eric Sparrow in the face again. With Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 in the bag, I’m pleading for Iron Galaxy and Activision to give us an Underground 1 + 2 Remake.
We’ll buy it, I promise!
2. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2
The second-highest rated PS1 games of all time on Metacritic are Tekken 3 and Gran Turismo at 96/100. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2’s score sits at an absurd 98/100—making it a genuine contender for the best game ever. I understand reviews and the concept of critical assessments are considered insignificant to some, but the fact is, review scores sell games. Praise instills confidence in consumers, and Tony Hawk’s 2 is a shining example of a perfect game.
It plays like a dream (either version), and the selection of levels is as close to perfect as you can get. I say that because THPS2 only makes it to number two on this list, and you probably know why.
1. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3
If THPS 1’s Warehouse was a welcome to a new era, THPS 3’s Foundry defines the era. Then again, I could say the same for the slopes of Canada, Surburbia and its haunted house, and the earth-shaking potential of Los Angeles. These are all unforgettable levels, and I’ll die on the hill that Airport is the best level of any Tony Hawk game.
It added reverts and a ton of new moves and hidden specials. It’s my favorite Tony Hawk game, it’s the one I played the most, and I think the 2025 remake has shown that it holds up.
Now for the fun part: Do you disagree with any of my selections? Are you currently running hotter than a skateboard one minute into a 100-million-point trick? Head over to the Insider Gaming forum to share your thoughts, opinions, and favorite Tony Hawk games and rank them yourself.
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We need remakes of Underground 1 and 2 now.
Underground and THPS1 should switch places in the ranking.
Those games are trash, first four only!