RIP Neversoft – The Pro Skaters Have Retired
Sad news for anyone who ever played the greatest PS1 demo disk in the world: Neversoft, the studio responsible for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, closed its doors yesterday.
As a video game-obsessed kid growing up in the middle of nowhere, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater was a cultural godsend. The first entry alone turned me on to Primus, Dead Kennedys, and Suicidal Tendencies. For a boy without cable television, THPS was the hippest thing in the world.
As the series progressed, the soundtracks expanded further into metal, hip hop, punk, and hardcore. Within the span of a few games I was turned onto NWA, Motörhead, and Entombed. I bet I’m not the only kid out there that learned a little something about music thanks to Tony Hawk. The games were OK too, y’know, if you were into the whole BUSTING MAD TRICKS ACROSS THE PLANET LIKE FUCKING SUPERMAN thing.
In addition to a legacy of MOSTLY killer soundtracks (looking at you Papa Roach), the Pro Skater series inspired kids across the world to try their hand at skateboarding. Though I never pulled off a Christ Air, I did manage to fracture two ankles, concuss myself, and utterly strike out hitting on the attractive woman who hit me with her SUV. So thanks for that, Neversoft.
What was your favorite THPS tune? Which game was best? How damn good is “Have a Cigar”?!
Let’s grind it out below. (image via)
