"Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2" hopes to completely refresh the series, which recorded embarrassingly low levels in this console generation The last attempted remake, THPS HD, failed to live up to fans' expectations due to the completely different gameplay feel brought about by the Unreal Engine 3 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5, on the other hand, was a disappointing failure both critically and commercially

The remastered version developed by Vicarious Visions remakes the first two titles released in 1999 and 2000 for the current generation through a back-to-basics approach This includes utilizing the original game's handling code while adding abilities introduced in later titles, such as the revert capability introduced in THPS3 all classic environments in Warehouse to School II, new art assets, level geometry, lighting, and completely updated with the ability to output 4K resolution The same level of care given to the visuals and gameplay mechanics also extends to the audio department

"In the late 90s and 2000s, there was more compression in the game with regard to sound quality," says Justin Joyner, audio lead at Vicarious Visions 'Things like that have come a long way with the improvements in memory and processing power' We can expect higher quality in that regard as well"

One element is the much-loved licensed soundtrack that has essentially made songs like Goldfinger's "Superman" synonymous with the series Music licensing agreements in video game development have changed dramatically since the original THPS 20 years ago According to Joiner, obtaining the music was even more difficult than it otherwise would have been, since it is now difficult to track down the publishing rights holders for lesser-known artists Confirming the songs required a lot of coordination work between Activision's licensing team and the publishing rights holders

"I haven't seen it myself, but I'm sure the legal documentation is thicker now than it was in 1999 or 2000 of this sort," he explained

This meant some disappointment when Activision teased the officially licensed soundtrack through a playlist it released on Spotify in May Fans were ecstatic to see classic songs like "Superman," Rage Against The Machine's "Guerrilla Radio," and Naughty By Nature's "Pin The Tail On The Donkey" selected, while artists like Evenrude and Speedealer Artists were not featured on the playlist, but were featured on the official art

However, "Bring the Noise" by Anthrax and Public Enemy, "Cyco Vision" by Suicidal Tendencies, and "B-Boy Document '99" by The High & Mighty featuring Mos Def and Mad Skillz Fans noticed that they were excluded

"We didn't get everything we wanted to get," Joyner says"

"I can say with certainty that 'B-Boy Document' will not be included in the game, but most of the best tracks from the original two games will definitely be there"

When asked about the possibility of old or new tracks being included in THPS 1+2 depending on post-release content, Joyner responded with no comment

As with the licensed soundtrack, many improvements were made to the sound effects

"All of the sounds you hear are real and are broken down in several different layers to work with the animation All of this is constructed to sound authentic" It takes a team to do that, and they worked hard on it We didn't cut any corners to achieve that"

Every sound the player hears in "THPS 1+2" has been created with great attention to detail According to Joyner, some of the individual sound effects took days, weeks, or months to complete The sound effects were combined with real skateboards in the field and in the recording studio Improved sound effects for tricks and various surfaces, combined with ambient sounds, make the environment feel alive

"In the Venice Beach area, you can hear seagulls passing in the distance and the wind blowing 'Turn off the music and stop the skaters and you'll be quite impressed,' he said We're dealing with hi-fi audio, so you'll feel like you're actually in that environment"

Between the licensed soundtrack and updated sound effects, THPS 1 + 2 hopes the audio experience will match the improved gameplay mechanics and visuals Look for the remake to be released on September 4 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC