So... I think I like skateboarding games now? I wasn't expecting to like the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series, it just didn't seem like my type of game, but I recently played the first entry and I was stunned at how addicting it was. The gameplay was fluid, the licensed soundtrack is super energetic and fun, the Career Mode was super engaging, and most of all, the levels were incredibly memorable. So let's rank them, though keep in mind that I'm still really new to these games so this is all from a novice's perspective.
9. Burnside
Oh god, this level. Burnside probably gave me the most grief out of any of THPS's levels because of just how sparse and small it is. There's barely any grind rails (a real shame considering I'm more of a street skater), the bowls and pipes are super small and easy to bail on, and there's just so little to interact with. It's simultaneously really hard to compete well in and also just really dull, even by the standards of a skate park level. It's neat that Burnside is based on an actual skating location, but I don't think that necessarily translates to fun gameplay in an arcade skateboarding game.
8. Downhill Jam
Downhill Jam is the kind of level you either love or hate. Sadly, I lean more towards the latter. There are some fun combo lines, but getting pretty much any tape here is a pain because almost the entire track is in a slope, so permanently missing a collectible and having to reset isn't just possible but common, and you really only have so many opportunities to rack up points. The collectibles themselves are also utterly brutal to get, between the platforming gauntlet you have to go through to get the tape to that devilish E placement. It's definitely got the spectacle to beat out Burnside, but it makes you play at an insanely high level to even come close to earning it.
7. Skate Park
Skate Park is definitely the most forgettable of the THPS stages. It's not as iconic as Warehouse, as infuriating as Burnside, or as flashy as Roswell, but at the very least, it's still pretty fun. It's got pretty much everything you'd want from a good skate park, from pipes to bowls to grind rails placed in a variety of ways, making for a stage that's fun to either pall around in or compete for a medal in. It's just probably not going to stick with you once you've moved on from it.
6. Streets
Streets is kind of a shame because it has a lot of cool ideas and memorable setpieces. Being based on San Francisco, it tries to cram in large plazas, a shortened Lombard street, a dead end Chinatown, and several interior areas and windows to break down. Getting all the collectibles can be a fun challenge, between hopping across buildings, jumping up staircases, and trying to precisely land on cop cars to break them. The problem with Streets, however, is its crushing size. Everything is spread so far apart that going for any of the collectible-related tapes is a massive time-crunch, and going for the score tapes pretty much demands just staying in one spot. Streets had the potential to be one of the best stages in the game, but it just has too much dead space for its own good.
5. Warehouse
Even as someone who's never played THPS before, I recognized Warehouse. It's that iconic. This stage just has such a simple but effective layout that serves as the perfect tutorial, letting the player familiarize themselves with the game's controls while still being fun on its own merits. For a first time player, making that jump through the window to get the hidden tape is quite the bombastic moment.
4. School
I remember the awe I felt at discovering just how large School was compared to Warehouse. I had thought the whole game was just going to be small skate parks, but then I'm tossed into this huge park with multiple sections and a gym with both an interior section and a roof, even if your average player will probably keep away from it. It's a vast and open stage with a lot to discover and a lot of opportunities for points, making for loads of viable strategies for racking up a high score. Props to that one table mission that really helped me hone my grinding skills.
3. Roswell
Roswell is hands down the coolest skatepark. It's easily the biggest of the bunch even if it's not quite as dense as Skate Park, it's got a bunch of secret areas, and of course, it's based on Area 51. The sudden shift from grounded locations to confirming aliens is so funny that it makes for a truly memorable final stage, and it helps that the layout itself has a pretty nice flow to it. I just don't really have any issues with it, Roswell is a damn solid map.
2. The Mall
I am well-aware of the issues with The Mall and linear stages like it. Backtracking can be a massive time sink, and there aren't many opportunities for tricking, at least not without loads of obstacles in the way. However, The Mall was probably the make-or-break stage for me, the moment when I realized, "Hey, this game's actually really fun!". It all started with that hidden tape, hanging over those two elevated grind rails, that pretty much demands that the player has mastered rail hopping. It was getting that tape that made me realize how fun street skating was, and the sheer amount of gaps, combo lines, and alternate paths that The Mall has to offer let me really go wild when trying to get the score. Not to mention that a mall is always an awesome setting for a race track, Mario Kart fans can attest to that.
1. Downtown
As far as the original game goes, Downtown is the most visually-striking level for me. The bustling nighttime city setting has always been super appealing, and it also helps that Downtown is jam-packed with memorable settings and stuff to do. There's a really good combo line literally right in front of you when you start the level, and that's not getting into the open plaza, the streets crammed with ramps and cars, that grind-rail tunnel, and of course, the rooftops that you can even hop between with enough speed. Downtown has some pretty tough gaps but by exchange, it nets you an impressive amount of points for nailing them, making for a stage that is both fun and immensely rewarding. While it does still have a few empty spots particularly near the plaza, as a whole, this stage is everything I wanted out of Streets and then some.
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