games confirmed during the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct. It's no surprise the game's coming to Nintendo's highly anticipated sequel console, as it's also releasing for the Switch 1, but the trailer shown offered something else. Near the end of the trailer, it shows the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 level Skater Island and reveals a secret area into Bikini Bottom from SpongeBob SquarePants.

Iron Galaxy's remaster has received criticism over several features, and even I was unsure about pre-ordering the game. With this SpongeBob SquarePants collaboration, however, I have to pick this game up. As an old-school SpongeBob fan growing up in the early to mid-2000s, I feel this collaboration fits so well, and hopefully, there's more to it than just a secret area.

At First, I Wasn't Looking Forward To Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4

Missing Skaters And The Career Mode Was A Dealbreaker

After hearing about all the initial details in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4, I wasn't keen on buying the game, especially as someone who still owns an Xbox copy of 3 and 4, along with a modded original Xbox ready to play. Two major pro skaters initially appeared to be missing: Bam Margera and Mike Vallely.

Bam was in all the Neversoft Tony Hawk games from Pro Skater 3 all the way to 2007's Proving Ground, so it was a bummer to see him go. However, according to The Nine Club podcast (via VGC), Bam was added at Tony Hawk's request at the very last minute. While official confirmation on the subject remains to be seen, the situation might be looking up.

The other dealbreaker that made me just want to play the original was the missing career mode in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4. The big new feature that made Pro Skater 4 a huge innovative entry into the series was the career mode, cutting the two-minute clock. All the levels were designed around the new career mode, as they were much bigger, and making it the same two-minute run not only removes what made Pro Skater 4 special but also breaks the game a bit.

I'm Definitely Buying Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 Now With This New SpongeBob Collab

Possible SpongeBob Secret Skaters Is An Offer I Can't Refuse

One thing that people also wondered about Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 was the secret skaters. The Tony Hawk franchise is famous for its secret characters, with 3 and 4 having the likes of Darth Maul, Jango Fett, Wolverine, and even Doomguy. While Doomguy is returning, the return of other characters is highly questionable, given the licenses involved and the fact that Spider-Man got cut from Pro Skater 1+2. However, the Switch 2 Announcement Trailer showed a sweet taste of what's to come with a SpongeBob SquarePants collaboration.

Doomguy/Doom Slayer is only available in the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 Digital Deluxe Edition.

The new SpongeBob SquarePants-themed secret area inside the Skater Island level. This collaboration fits like a glove as both franchises were incredibly popular in the early to mid-2000s, with both fan communities considering the era as the series' peak. It takes some money or serious negotiating to include a licensed property like this, and surely, it can't stop at just a secret area. Considering that Activision included this SpongeBob collaboration at the end, it has to mean something.

A full-blown SpongeBob SquarePants level or, better yet, playable skaters like SpongeBob, Patrick, or Squidward would push this game over the edge and mitigate all the downsides. If the game commits to the concept, I'll be a lot more excited to buy it, as being able to play as SpongeBob is something one can't say about the classic titles. Marvel characters, music artists, and even Shrek were playable in the Tony Hawk franchise, but never SpongeBob. The pure awesomeness of that makes Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 irresistible.

Source: The Nine Club/YouTube, VGC, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater/YouTube