Ranking Tony Hawk Games Best to Worst

Few gaming series have been as successful as the one that bears Tony Hawk’s name. With over 40 million copies sold, the skateboarding franchise is the #3 selling sports series of all time. Spanning over 15 installments, the series has seen some of the best games ever made and some of the most disappointing.

With Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 releasing this week, it made sense to take a look back at the Tony Hawk series. From when he was simply a Pro Skater to when he became a THUG, we’ve ranked all of the Tony Hawk games from worst to best.

Before we get onto the list, here are a few things to consider. First off, only games released on PlayStation systems were considered for ranking. Secondly, and most importantly, there wasn’t some magical mathematical formula to come up with this list. It’s all just a matter of opinion.

We hope you enjoyed our look at Tony Hawk games on PlayStation. While the bottom of the list was easy to make, the rest was difficult to figure out. It was almost like picking which one of your children is your favorite.

In your opinion, which entries are the best and the worst in the franchise? Share them in the comments below.

Essential Reading:

tony hawk skater boi

He was a boy. She was a girl. Can I make it any more obvious?

Tony Hawk's Ride (2009)

By 2009 the Tony Hawk series was in need of a reinvention. Sadly, it came in the form of Tony Hawk's Ride. A gimmicky mess of a game with a skateboard peripheral. At least we got this cool video of a dog playing it.
Tony Hawk's Shred (2010)

Tony Hawk's Shred was basically Ride 2.0. The game worked much better, but sadly it still wasn't great. It also wasn't what the fanbase was looking for in a Tony Hawk title.
Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam (2006)

While Neversoft worked on Tony Hawk's Project 8 for PS3, SuperVillain Studios was porting Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam to PS2. It is the only racing game in the series, and will hopefully stay the only one.
Tony Hawk's Proving Ground (2007)

In 2007, Tony Hawk games had begun to get stale. Neversoft needed to show that the series still had legs and instead we got Proving Ground. A game that only proved that the series was in a rut. This was Neversoft's final Tony Hawk game.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD (2012)

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD is a perfect game in theory. Taking stages from the original games, and updating them to a modern console. Sadly, Robomodo's first Tony Hawk game was a major disappointment. They never nailed the feel of the series, and the stage selection was questionable at best. This is a series that deserves a better HD update.
Tony Hawk's American Wasteland (2005)

Tony Hawk's American Wasteland was a launch title for the Xbox 360. Sadly, it never came to PS3 so we have to judge the inferior PS2 version. The game's disappointing "open world" and easy difficulty lead to it being a forgettable installment in the franchise.
Tony Hawk's Project 8 (2006)

Rebounding from American Wasteland, Necrosoft delivered the last good Tony Hawk game with Project 8. Players must complete different skating goals in order to become one of the top 8 skaters in the world. The core skating mechanics were as good as ever in Project 8, as it was a joy to play.
Tony Hawk's Underground 2 (2004)

Neversoft's 2004 title was basically Tony Hawk meets Jackass. The game went from realistic to a cartoon art style, and featured plenty of juvenile humor. THUG 2's humor may not have aged well (did we really need to have Steve-O riding a mechanical bull?), but the gameplay was arguably at its peak.

Note: We are also grouping Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Remix for PSP in with this since it is largely the same game.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater (1999)

The original game that started it all! Tony Hawk's Pro Skater hasn't aged particularly well, but its impact will live on forever. While it was outdone by its sequels, it was one of the best sports titles ever made when it originally released in 1999. It managed to turn a ton of kids, including this one, into a huge skateboarding fanatic.
Tony Hawk's Underground (2003)

The big gimmick to THUG was the ability to get off your board for the first time. This was huge. Terrain was no longer rough to navigate, and players could even climb up buildings. The added mobility, and a pretty damn good story mode, helped make Tony Hawk's Underground into a classic PS2 title.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 (2002)

The classic two-minute run format died with Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4. Instead of trying to accomplish goals in a limited amount of time, players got to freely roam around larger levels, and pick up individual goals. This was a great change, but too many pink elephants keep this from being the best in the series.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 (2000)

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater was revolutionary, but Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 managed to outdo it in every way imaginable. Better mechanics, better levels, more modes. THPS 2 still has some of the best levels ever in the series, and is an undeniable classic on PlayStation.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 (2001)

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 was the final game to use the classic formula, and also was the series' debut on PlayStation 2. Neversoft gave the PS2 an all-time classic with THPS 3 as everything finally came together. Players could revert into manuals and create incredible combos that were never possible before. Not only does 3 flesh out the trick system, it also had the most creative levels such as Canada and Airport.