A screenshot of Leticia Bufoni in front of a ramp on Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2
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Games

5 essential Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 tips

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 is finally out and here's how you get those all-important high scores and multiple trick combos.
Written by Ben Sillis
5 min readPublished on
Whether you’re playing through the original levels featured in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, or engaging in multi-player matches against people from around the world, achieving a high score is vital in proving you’re the ultimate skater. It can take time to work out the best ways to rack up combos, especially with so many moves to master.
Some of the courses are filled with ramps and half pipes, while others feature downhill momentum without the ability to hit vertical tricks. Marseille recreates the classic Red Bull Bowl Rippers bowl, while The Hangar from THPS2 has some excellent halfpipes, where you can do Airwalks and Kickflips aplenty, while levels like The Mall in THPS1 are more about grinding railings to build up your score.
Getting over 100,000 takes practice, but there are tonnes of ways to make the most of any environment and we've got some tips to get the best combos and scores within the two-minute time window you’re given.
A screenshot of Leticia Bufoni performing a multiplier in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2.

Multipliers are great ways to build combos

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1. Know your multipliers

The more tricks you manage to link together, the better the multiplier becomes once you’ve landed your combo. For every trick you pull off while in the air, an additional multiplier will be added for each new trick. If you’re in a halfpipe, there are limited tricks you can perform before hitting the ground, but there are ways to keep that combo rolling.
You start off with a x1 and every subsequent trick adds another one onto it. But if you do the same trick more than once in any combo, it lowers your score. Using different tricks helps to build the multiplier and will improve the overall score. Certain challenges require you to hit a particular score to complete it, so variety is a necessity when attempting any combo.
Rotating your move will also add 0.5 onto your Multiplier, so landing a 720-degree trick is going to get you a much better score than simply performing it without spinning.

2. Manual and Revert to keep combos going

When Reverts were added to the Tony Hawk’s series, they became a great way to extend your combo after coming down from a vert ramp and allowing your score to grow. After landing on solid ground, switch your stance by pressing the left or right trigger buttons. This will initiate a revert as well as keeping your combo alive.
You can also link these to a Manual by pressing the up and down buttons on the D-pad or right analogue stick in quick succession. Manuals are available at any point while skating and they're a great way to build up points in any situation. If you’re jumping off a railing onto the ground, hit a Manual. If you’re coming off a ramp, use a Revert and a Manual followed by a flip trick for great results.
A screenshot of a Leticia Bufoni performing a trick in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2.

Extend your combo to get those high scores

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3. Wall Plant when you can

One of the moves you can perform that doesn’t always get mentioned is the Wall Plant. Not only can it help you avoid falling off your board at the end of a combo, but it can also keep it alive. It'll become a vital ingredient to everything you do across the various levels.
For example, in the competition in Chicago in THPS1, there’s a huge wall at the back that starts off as part of a halfpipe, then continues on its own. To get the best score across all three Heats, grind this wall while hitting various Flip Tricks and once you're about to hit the wall, double tap the X/B button to Wall Plant. This sends you in the other direction, where you can continue your combo and carry on grinding. Just make sure you keep your balance.
A screenshot of a gap being jumped over in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2.

Get an edge by taking advantage of the environment

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4. Make use of the environment

Every level in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 has an opportunity for you to make the most of the environment. For example, in School II from THPS2, there are two sets of extended benches whereby if you jump from one to the other, you’ll earn a multiplier for bridging the two gaps. Gaps exist everywhere and you have plenty of moves to get from one to the other. Jumping from one bowl to another, grinding a rail and jumping to the next rail, or performing an Ollie between two vert ramps activates a new multiplier. Not only does it bolster your score, but it also looks cool as hell.
A screenshot of a Leticia Bufoni holding her board in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2.

Master your surroundings

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5. Hit your Specials for quick points

Each skater in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 has a few special moves which you can perform by inputting two directional buttons and the kick, flip, or grind button. One great thing about these remasters is that you can switch out moves in every category, including your Specials. If you find one you don’t particularly like, or find it hard to initiate, you can choose one you’d prefer.
These moves are a little more difficult to build into a combo, but landing them gives you a nice bunch of points if you’re in need of hitting a particular score. Most special moves are best used in a halfpipe, because they require a fair amount of air to perform. Of course, when you unlock Stat Points, you can improve the distance you make after performing an Ollie, so that’s a good place to start if you want to be making these types of moves often.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 is out now on PC, PS4 and Xbox One.