Skateboard fans get ready to do a kickflip all over again when the critically acclaimed Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 makes its way to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on 26th March 2021 and lands on Nintendo Switch for the first time in 2021.

The upcoming, next-gen versions of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 will give players a variety of upgrades, such as super crisp 120 FPS at 1080P, native 4K at 60 FPS1, spatial audio and more, while the game on Nintendo Switch will give fans the chance to ollie with Tony Hawk and the line-up of pro-skaters on-the-go.

As the fastest Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater game to sell 1 million units, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 is a faithful remaster of the first two iconic games in the franchise, blending all the original levels, pro-skaters, old-school tricks and more that gamers remember from the ‘90s and 2000s with new, beautifully recreated levels.

High-fidelity atmospherics will be added to the next-gen upgrade for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2.

This unique graphical feature will allow players to enjoy the experience of sharper dynamic shadows, reflections and lens flares, as well as enhanced skater textures and more on next-gen consoles.

Digital players can upgrade to the Cross-Gen Deluxe Bundle with all the added features for an additional $15 AUD.

The upgrade includes access to the secret skater Ripper (a.k.a. the infamous Powell-Peralta mascot), retro gear for Create-A-Skater mode, and retro skins for Tony Hawk, Steve Caballero and Rodney Mullen.

Additionally, Activision Blizzard is giving fans who already own the digital deluxe version of the game on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Xbox One a next-gen upgrade at no cost (except in Japan) on 26th March 2021 and Xbox Series X versions of the game will run native 4K at 60FPS, while Xbox Series S versions will render at 1440P and upscale to 4K.

Getting to this milestone was no skate in the park. Skateboard icon Tony Hawk requested the help of videogame icon Crash Bandicoot to bring the remaster to new platforms, following the announcement that Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time would be coming to next-gen platforms and Nintendo Switch on 12th March 2021. Crash, whose Bandicoot-branded swag appeared in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 this past November, leveraged his clout in exchange for a personal skating lesson from the original birdman himself, resulting in playful Twitter banter between the two videogame icons.

Pre-orders for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch start today in select territories.

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The post TONY HAWK ENLISTS CRASH BANDICOOT’S HELP appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Crash Bandicoot goes to the core of my passion for gaming.

The first home console we owned in my house was a PS1 after my sister and I nagged our parents after playing Crash Bandicoot on a cousins PlayStation, so getting that in our house with a copy of Crash was nothing but glory. Since then my love of gaming has grown, but Crash is still king in my heart.

Toys For Bob recently remade the original games as the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy which was glorious. The game looked and played as well as I remembered it being, which is a feat given nostalgia tends to lead us to remember games looking and feeling much better than when you actually try them again. So given they were the ones tasked to make the new Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, there was potential for something to be great.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time kicks off with Neo Cortex and N. Tropy escaping their prison thanks to Uka Uka finally getting his magic right and they go on one of their usual paths of destruction. Crash teams up with Coco to find the four Quantum masks to save the world again from Cortex and his mischief. Collecting these masks though doesn’t stop the baddies alone, but actually powers the team up such as being able to move objects in and out of reality.

Now this is where I want to be careful. Playing this game with minimal information is best. I could spoil all the powers, or the characters, but intentionally going in blind I found these reveals to be a treat so will do the same here for you. There are more throwback characters and other mask powers, and they are awesome, so I will leave that there.

The gameplay in Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time is excellent. The platforming feels even better than it did in the N. Sane Trilogy and by all means feels like a platformer built for 2020.  The world design keeps the classic Crash “2D platformer in a 3D world” style which is actually good. It adds a point of difference to the game over most platformers.

The best thing about the game is the aesthetics. Crash always had a cartoony silliness, but Toys For Bob have grabbed this and run with it using newer more powerful tech. The world has those odd shapes that I associate with classic Saturday morning cartoons but with the smooth 3D animation of a high budget CGI movie. Added to this is the bizarre deaths. Whether it is a little scrapper that catches you and a cloud of cartoon fighting smoke appears, or a dude with a hammer whacking Crash’s toes before slamming him to the ground, or a poison vial having the character do an overly acted poison death. The game oozes with cute and silly cartoon fun.

Then there is the difficulty. The game looks like a game that would be for three year olds, but has the difficulty of a game to make the most grown up of us cry. Levels get hard, and I mean haaaaaard. At least with the N. Sane Trilogy you can remember what you used to do, so not much was surprising. With only new levels this isn’t an option so you need to learn as you go here and you will die, a lot.

Fortunately the game has decided to let you know how much you want to hate life. You can play the game in a classic mode where you have x number of lives, and have to get through the levels without losing them, or you can play in a modern mode. This counts up the number of times you die and doesn’t punish you for a high tally. It’s depressing to see those numbers go up, but not as depressing as starting the level from the start for a 50th time. If you die between checkpoints enough the game even sneaks some extra ones in for you.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time is a brutal relentless game in the shell of a kid friendly exterior. In that way it is the perfect sequel to the series, and well worth your time. Also getting to play as a character like Coco gives the whole experience a little lift that makes it the platformer to play in 2020, or if you want to write 2020 off then 2021.

The post Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time (Xbox One) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Bandicoots get ready fur it, Crash is moving 4-ward into 2020 with a brand-new game that’s built from the ground up and “It’s About Time.” No, literally! Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI), and developer Toys for Bob, are giving fans the true sequel to the original trilogy with Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time.

Our lovingly absurd marsupials are back and putting a fresh spin, jump and wump on conflicts of cosmic proportions, discovering expansive new worlds, unexpected allies, larger-than-life boss battles and powerful new Quantum Masks that must be united to restore order to the multiverse.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time is not a remaster, but the first original entry in the Crash franchise in more than 10 years. To celebrate, Toys for Bob is excited to introduce a fresh art style for Crash to fans that maintains the zany spirit of the franchise while also breathing new personality and charm into it. Rewinding time back to the end of Crash Bandicoot: Warped, Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time picks up after Neo Cortex, Dr. N. Tropy and Uka Uka were last stranded on a distant planet. After decades of fruitless attempts, the trio finally make their escape, ripping an Evil-Scientist-sized hole in the fabric of space-time in the process. Now all that stands between them and total dominion over the multiverse are two fuzzy marsupials from N. Sanity Island.

“Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time stands on the shoulders of the core precision gameplay we all fell in love with in the ‘90s,” said Paul Yan, Co-Studio Head at Toys for Bob. “This epic new adventure spans space and time, introducing new ways to platform that both long-time fans and new players alike will enjoy mastering. Get ready to fall in love with the mutant marsupials all over again!”

Throughout this adventure, players will uncover four Quantum Masks, the guardians of space and time, that will give them the ability to bend the rules of reality and gain advanced ways to conquer dangerous obstacles. Today we’re revealing the Time Mask, which slows everything down, and the Gravity Mask, enabling bandicoots to platform upside down. Fans will see an evolution of the Crash they know and love, equipped with advanced gameplay mechanics like wall running, rail grinding and rope swinging. They’ll be able to play as Crash or Coco on their journey to save the multiverse, and new playable characters, including the fiendish Neo Cortex, will also emerge to provide an alternative perspective on our hero bandicoots’ quest to defeat their nefarious nemeses.

“Our teams have delivered two awesome remastered Crash Bandicoot experiences and the community passion for the series continues to be incredible. Now it is time to turn the page and give players something entirely new,” said Rob Kostich, President at Activision. “Loyal fans have been patiently waiting to see the journey continue for their favourite marsupial, and we’re giving players the completely new experience they deserve with Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time.”

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time will be available for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 4 Pro, Xbox One and Xbox One X on 2nd of October, 2020. Pre-orders are available now.

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The post WUMPA HERE IT IS & It’s About Time! appeared first on Shane the Gamer.