Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2

This section covers various advanced techniques and tips for improving your performance and scores in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2.

Switch Tricks: Performing a trick while riding in the opposite stance of your skater (e.g., a goofy-footed skater doing a trick in a regular stance) is a switch trick. While initially thought to give bonus points, testing did not confirm this.

Fastplants: These maneuvers launch you higher than an ollie or nollie, making them useful for reaching high areas, such as the big ramp on the San Francisco level to get the hidden video.

Grinding: You can initiate a grind by pressing the triangle button without a direction. However, this method is not recommended for chaining grinds in a combo, as it can lead to falls.

Character Selection: Vert skaters (higher speed/air stats) excel on courses like Skatepark and Roswell, while street skaters (higher balance/ollie stats) are better suited for courses like San Francisco and the Mall. Street skaters typically perform 360 flips, and vert skaters perform front foot impossibiles.

Carplants: Ollies off moving vehicles result in a carplant. These can only be performed in the Downtown and Frisco levels.

Balancing: Use the left and right directional buttons to balance while grinding. Balancing becomes more difficult with more grinds in a trick; typically, a maximum of three grinds per trick is manageable without falling. Advanced players can attempt more with practice.

Scoring Big:

• Free Skate: Spend significant time in each level to experiment with tricks and identify high-scoring maneuvers.
• Combo Focus: Aim for combos and transfers rather than single tricks. Every action should contribute to a larger score.
• Nollie Usage: Make nollies (hitting up just as you release the jump button) an unconscious habit.
• Spin Button Usage: Use L1/R1 to spin grabs faster and farther for increased air time points. Use L2/R2 to spin flip tricks 180 degrees during long grind combos for substantial point bonuses.
• Avoid Bailing: Bailing forfeits combo points, degrades trick performance, and costs valuable time.
• Grind-Flip Combos: Mastering flip tricks in the middle of grinds and landing in another grind is crucial for huge scores.
• Long Grinds: Practice balancing by alternating left and right directional inputs. Consider flip-tricking out of a long grind to salvage points rather than bailing.
• First Combo: Make your initial combo in each level your biggest, as trick values decrease with repetition.

Alright, let's talk about snagging those shiny new medals in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2! These aren't just for show; they're proof you've conquered the game's challenges. We'll cover how to get those high scores and complete those tricky objectives.

Downtown: Minneapolis - Overview

This level is a wide-open playground with tons of kicker ramps and fire escapes perfect for insane grind combos. You can dodge traffic, catch air over the central fountain, and even hit the rooftops for some serious gaps. Don't be afraid to rip up everything in sight!

Videotape Challenges:

• a. Get 15,000 points
• b. Break 5 No Skating signs
• c. Get S-K-A-T-E
• d. Hidden Videotape
• e. Get 40,000 points

Challenge Walkthroughs:

1. a. Get 15,000 points:
   1. The Hard Combo: Start by fastplanting off the ramp in front of you, angling slightly right. In the air, press a direction and [Triangle] to start a grind on the edge. You can squeeze in a quick trick here. At the end of the grind, jump, kickflip right towards another rail, and grind that. You can even grind the traffic light before landing. Finish with another trick right before you hit the ground.
   2. The Easy Way: If the above sounds like too much, head straight from the start and take the first left. Follow the street until you see a huge quarter-pipe on your left. Follow it around the corner; it morphs into a weird half-pipe. Just keep riding this pipe until you rack up 15,000 points.
2. b. Destroy 5 No Skating signs:
   1. Head straight from the start until a path opens to the center court with the fountain. The first sign is in the middle of this path.
   2. In the center court, stick to the left. Another path and sign are on the other side, looking identical to the first.
   3. Exit the court, make a slight left, and head for the huge quarter-pipe. Ramp over it; the third sign is on top.
   4. Continue down the other side and down the street until you see a sign on your right.
   5. Keep going until the road makes a sharp right. There's a building on your right with a sign in front of it. Grab it for the videotape.
3. c. Get S-K-A-T-E:
   1. S: In the trick combo mentioned for 15,000 points, the 'S' is above the second rail. You'll need to jump to grab it.
   2. K: Head to the fountain; the 'K' is right above it.
   3. A: Go back the way you came, make a left up the hill (it's the first road to the right if you're just starting). Follow the road as it turns right. Just before the truck with the ramp, there's a small quarter-pipe. Jump off it to grab the 'A'.
   4. T: Head to the truck, use its ramp to get into the covered path. Continue through the path, and you'll see the 'T' in the middle.
   5. E: Keep going up until you reach the roof. Make a left and follow the left edge of the roof until it drops. Don't jump! Fall straight down while repeatedly pressing a direction and [Triangle]. If done right, you'll land on a powerline and grab the 'E'. If you miss, you can jump off one of the street ramps to reach the 'E' on the powerline.
4. d. Hidden Videotape:
   1. From the start, skate a bit, then turn around. Ramp off one of the ramps to the upper level and make a left.
   2. Continue down the path until you reach the truck with the ramp. Ramp up it and head into the small pathway.
   3. Keep going until you're on the roof. Make a slight left and head for the edge. You'll need a lot of air here to reach the videotape.

• Completing trick events earns you medals and progresses you through the game.
• Completing Videotape Challenges unlocks new areas, skaters, or upgrades.

This contest is a little tricky if this is your first time through the game. Make sure you know your characters signature moves for this one.

I usually start out by making a left after exiting that little pipe you start in. From there I head toward the quarterpipe and usually pull off a fastplant + 720 Benihana (I always start with this move the first time I go up a pipe in a level). That fills my special bar and I take another go at the pipe but this time I nollie and pull off my 4000 point signature move. I'll do this a second and a 3rd time and by then I have enough points to at least finish with a medal.

But we want gold right? To get some major points on this level, you need to head for the area surrounded by quarterpipes. Mix up your grabs with grind combos here to start really raking in the points. Also, the transfers in and out of this area really help your score.

Others areas of interest that you might want to check out are the pool and the cement blocks that are great for grinding. The pool is really small but you can still get some major air in it. Also, if you exit the pool in the right area, you can jump over a stone wall which will give you some more points and sometimes, if you're lucky enough, you'll be heading straight for a lip of one of the quarterpipes on the other side of the wall, use it to get yourself even more points. The cement blocks are way on the other side of area from the pool. These are set up perfectly for you to get some x5 or x6 multipliers and a good 15,000 points depending upon what you do.

H. Streets: San Fransisco

Skaters will recognize spots like Hubba Hideout and EMB (R.I.P) while tourists can stick to Lombard Street and Chinatown. Grind anything and everything and be sure to hit the long rails and tons of gaps along the way. Only the best can tear it up enough to get a final mystery invitation to an enigmatic, not so far off land. Hmmm...

Videotape Challenges:

• Get 25,000 points
• Wreck 5 cop cars
• Get S-K-A-T-E
• Hidden Videotape
• Get 50,000 points

a. Get 25,000 points

I don't know if it's just me but this level seems really bare in comparison to the rest. The only thing I do here is just head to the halfpipe and start doing my thing. There are a few places to do some tricks besides the halfpipe but they really aren't that great. To get to the halfpipe, travel down the hill at the start and make a left. You should run right into it not too far down there.

b. Destroy 5 Cop Cars

Right when you start a cop car is to the left of you. Jump on it and head down the hill and to the right. Not far down from there is another cop car on the right in a parking lot. Smash it and continue down the road til you can either go left or right. Make a right and smash the 2 cop cars sitting there. From there, head down the other way and follow the road around and around until you see the 5th car. It'll be on your right.

c. Get S-K-A-T-E

This course is a little tricky when it comes to the letters. The first letter we're gonna go after is "K" this time. It'll save us a bunch of trouble later on. Start the level and go up the ramp in front of you. You'll see a rail. DO NOT GRIND IT, instead stay on the inside of the rail going really slow so you don't fly off onto the street from the last drop off. When you get to the bottom level, above the street, break the glass and grab the "K" and jump to the street. On the street, go left as if you were coming down the hill in the beginning. Continue in that direction till you can go no further except up a rampway leading to the "S". The rampway hugs left wall. After grabbing the "S", go back to the street you were on and head in the opposite direction from where you originally came. Keep going that way until the road ends and you have a choice to either go left or right. Choose right and head up the hill to the little alley. At the back of the alley, the "A" waits inbetween a gap in a quarterpipe. Grab the "A" and turn around back the other way. Follow the street along about half way down til you see some ramps on the right side. Jump off of one of them and you should land on a ledge hidden by the trees. Follow that ledge through some glass into a room where the "T" resides. Grab it and exit via the window in front of you. You should be at the corner of the street now. Take the right path. Not too far down the path is a building with 2 rails seperated by a ramp, jump off the ramp into the building and into the bowl. Here, you can catch the "E" while you're catching some major air in the bowl.

d. Hidden Videotape

A well hidden videotape if I may say so myself. Start the level by going down the hill and go right on the street. take it all the way down til you see a quarterpipe lining the last building on the left before the road ends. You need to ramp off of this(push up while you ramp off of it) and up to the platform sticking out. Once on the platform, follow it as it wraps around the building up to the top. On the top of the roof is a ramp, use the first ramp to do a kickflip and the second to launch your skater over the city, crashing down right through the gazebo in the middle, grabbing the tape in the process.

I was recently informed of another way to reach the hidden videotape. You know the fountain in the center area?? Well, it turns out that the