Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 guide: How to create a custom character

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 features classic skaters from the franchises legacy plus a roster of new riders to round out the package. As great and diverse as this list of athletes is, the game is sadly missing the most important skater of all: you.

Just like other entries in the series, Pro Skater 1 and 2 lets you create a character in your likeness (or anyone else’s for that matter). Unlike other games however, the process of creating a new character isn’t immediately obvious.

In this Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 guide, we’ll show you how to create your own character.

How to create a character

To create your own character in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2, press the button displayed next to your current skater’s name on the main screen. (In the PlayStation 4 version, it’s the Triangle button.) From there, you can pick a new character or use up a blank custom character slot and create your own.

Image: Vicarious Visions/Activision via Polygon

After you choose a slot, you’ll need to enter in the following:

• Your character’s name
• Their hometown
• A choice of skater style (street for those who like ground level stunts, vert for big air skating, and park for a mix between the two)
• Their stance (goofy or regular)
• Their push style (never mongo, always mongo, mongo when switch)

After setting these parameters for your character, they are locked in and cannot be changed.

Next up is the Skater screen, where you’ll continue customizing your character.

There’s a good deal of options to choose from at the start of the game, and you’ll be able to unlock many more as you complete various challenges.

Image: Vicarious Visions/Activision via Polygon

In the Look menu, you can customize your skater in several ways:

• Board lets you change the design, grip tape, trucks, and wheels of your ride.
• Gear lets you change up your top, bottom, hat, sneakers, and even your socks.
• Appearance is where you go to change up your character's look. There are several face, hair, and makeup options to choose from. You can also add tattoos to your character and change their voice here.

From this same menu, you can access options to change the types of tricks your character performs. You’ll also be able to change your skater’s stats to improve traits like their speed, how high they can jump, and how quickly they perform tricks.

As you play through each of the game’s levels, you’ll be able to pick up optional stat points that will let you further beef up your skater.