Play Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 Online

Summary

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 (often shortened to THPS4) reshapes the series’ career mode into a free‑skate playground. You can wander any level without a clock, practicing tricks until you feel ready, then seek out a pro skater to hand you a specific goal. This goal‑by‑character system replaces the old timed challenges and laid the groundwork for the story‑driven modes of later entries.

The GBA version adds a few fresh mechanics that feel surprisingly deep on a handheld. Pressing the shoulder button lets you perform a spine transfer between back‑to‑back quarter‑pipes, while skitching lets you cling to moving vehicles for extra speed. Grind and lip extensions are triggered by tapping a direction while already grinding, opening up longer combos without buying new tricks.

Multiplayer shines with up to eight players online via broadband (or three on dial‑up), offering modes like Trick Attack, Graffiti, Combo Mambo, King of the Hill, Slap and Free Skate. The roster boasts fourteen real‑world pros plus unlockable characters such as Jango Fett, Eddie the Iron Maiden mascot, Mike Vallely and Daisy, voiced by Jenna Jameson.

Critics praised the handheld port, giving it scores in the high‑80s to low‑90s and naming it the runner‑up for GameSpot’s Best Sports Game on GBA, only behind Metroid Fusion. Its blend of open‑ended exploration and new tricks makes THPS4 a standout on the Game Boy Advance.