15 Games That MUST Be On The PlayStation Classic

4. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater

Ps1 Classic Feat
Activision

Has a single game done more to set the tone of popular culture for an entire generation than Tony Hawk's Pro Skater? Grinding into stores at the back-end of the millennium, Neversoft's extreme sports 'sim' managed to exploit a market that hadn't existed previously, turning a niche interest into a global craze.

Skateboards long-gathering dust in teenager's garages were rummaged out and punk-rock earned the 'popular' adjective as names like Chad Muska and Kareem Campbell became household names. It wasn't just the undeniable 'rad' factor which made Tony Hawk's such a roaring success, but the pinpoint gameplay which set just the right balance between being accessibly simple to pick up and deviously complex to master.

The sequel took everything great about Tony Hawk's - the soundtrack, the levels, the mechanics - and made them even better. You can't have the second without the first though, and with space at a premium, the legacy title gets the nod.

Editorial Team
Editorial Team

Benjamin was born in 1987, and is still not dead. He variously enjoys classical music, old-school adventure games (they're not dead), and walks on the beach (albeit short - asthma, you know). He's currently trying to compile a comprehensive history of video game music, yet denies accusations that he purposefully targets niche audiences. He's often wrong about these things.