Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 Original Level Tier List (March 2026) Best Maps
If you’re grinding through Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 or eagerly awaiting the THPS 3+4 remake releasing July 11, 2025, knowing which levels offer the best skating experience is crucial. I’ve spent countless hours mastering every gap, discovering every secret area, and perfecting lines across all 12 original THPS4 levels to bring you this definitive tier list.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 revolutionized the series with its open-world approach and mission-based gameplay, ditching the traditional 2-minute timer for a more exploratory experience. Each level offers unique challenges, from College’s expansive campus to Alcatraz’s interconnected prison design. Whether you’re hunting for that perfect combo line or just want to know which levels deserve your replay time, this comprehensive ranking breaks down exactly what makes each map tick.
Level Ranking Factors for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4
Before diving into the tier list, here’s what I considered when ranking each THPS4 level:
- Flow and Line Potential: How well do the ramps, rails, and gaps connect for massive combos?
- Mission Variety: Does the level offer diverse, engaging objectives beyond basic score challenges?
- Visual Design: How memorable and atmospheric is the level’s theme and setting?
- Replayability: Will you want to return after completing all missions?
- Fun Factor: Simply put, how enjoyable is it to skate around?
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 Original Level Tier List (March 2026)
S-Tier Levels
| Level | Tier | Key Features | Best For | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| College | S | Tennis court, expansive campus, multiple buildings | Beginners & Pros | Easy |
| Alcatraz | S | Interconnected design, prison theme, verticality | Creative lines | Medium |
A-Tier Levels
| Level | Tier | Key Features | Best For | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | A | Street skating, Alcatraz view, realistic layout | Street skaters | Medium |
| Kona USA | A | Real skatepark replica, multiple sections | Park enthusiasts | Hard |
B-Tier Levels
| Level | Tier | Key Features | Best For | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoo | B | Animal enclosures, unique missions, open design | Mission variety | Medium |
| London | B | Verticality, landmarks, underground section | Vert skaters | Medium |
| The Sewers | B | PS1 exclusive, tight design, grungy atmosphere | Nostalgia | Easy |
C-Tier Levels
| Level | Tier | Key Features | Best For | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Big World | C | Kitchen theme, PS1 exclusive, miniature scale | Novelty | Hard |
| Carnival | C | Rides, haunted house, cramped layout | Quick sessions | Easy |
D-Tier Levels
| Level | Tier | Key Features | Best For | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shipyard | D | Industrial theme, water hazards, poor flow | Completionists | Hard |
| Chicago | D | BMX crossover, oversized layout, empty spaces | Exploration | Medium |
Detailed Analysis of Every THPS4 Level
College (S-Tier)
College stands as the crown jewel of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4’s level design. This sprawling campus offers everything a skater could want: wide-open plazas for flatland tricks, stair sets for technical lines, and even a tennis court minigame where you use your board as a racket. The genius of College lies in its accessibility – newcomers can easily navigate the straightforward layout while veterans discover endless combo possibilities across multiple interconnected buildings.
What truly elevates College to S-tier is its perfect introduction to THPS4’s mission system. The variety of objectives, from waking sleeping students to performing tricks for the mascot, showcases the game’s personality while teaching core mechanics. The level’s flow feels natural, with quarter pipes and rails positioned exactly where you’d want them. It’s no surprise this level is confirmed for the upcoming THPS 3+4 remake.
Alcatraz (S-Tier)
If College is the perfect tutorial, Alcatraz is the masterclass in level design. Set on the infamous prison island, this map rewards creativity and exploration like no other in THPS4. The interconnected multi-level design encourages players to find their own routes through cells, courtyards, and rooftops. Unlike College’s open spaces, Alcatraz packs every inch with skateable features.
The prison theme isn’t just window dressing – it’s integral to the experience. Grinding on cell bars, launching off guard towers, and discovering hidden areas in solitary confinement cells makes every session feel like a jailbreak. The mission variety shines here too, with memorable objectives that take full advantage of the setting. Alcatraz proves that constraint breeds creativity, and its confirmed return in THPS 3+4 has fans rightfully excited.
San Francisco (A-Tier)
San Francisco brings street skating to life in THPS4, offering a more realistic urban environment compared to the game’s other fantastical locations. The level strikes an excellent balance between authentic city streets and arcade-style skating opportunities. Seeing Alcatraz in the background creates a sense of continuity rarely found in Tony Hawk games, making your journey feel more cohesive.
The mixture of hills, piers, and urban architecture provides diverse skating opportunities. Flatland sections blend seamlessly with vert ramps built into the environment, while the trolley tracks offer unique grinding paths through the city. While it lacks the tight focus of S-tier levels, San Francisco’s variety and atmosphere earn it a solid A ranking. Players looking for that authentic street skating experience will find plenty to love here.
Kona USA (A-Tier)
Based on the legendary real-world Kona Skatepark in Florida, this level serves as a love letter to skateboarding history. The faithful recreation includes multiple sections focused on different skating disciplines – bowls for vert enthusiasts, street courses for technical players, and flowing snake runs that challenge your line-reading abilities. While historically significant, the level’s design can feel awkward in THPS4’s arcade-style gameplay.
The infamous Snake Run Slalom goal represents THPS4 at its most challenging and divisive. Some players relish the precision required, while others find it frustratingly at odds with the game’s usual pick-up-and-play nature. The PS1 version’s nighttime setting adds atmospheric variety, transforming the experience entirely. Despite its quirks, Kona USA remains a solid choice for players seeking authentic skatepark vibes, similar to other tier-list toppers in gaming.
Zoo (B-Tier)
Zoo exemplifies THPS4’s creative ambition – who else would think to put a skatepark in an animal habitat? The concept alone makes this level memorable, and the execution mostly delivers. Grinding over animal enclosures, using your board to feed hippos, and avoiding the wandering elephant creates scenarios you won’t find anywhere else in skating games. The level’s personality shines through every mission.
However, Zoo’s design suffers from uneven pacing. Large sections feel empty during free skate, existing solely for specific missions rather than flowing naturally into combos. The lack of verticality compared to other levels limits scoring potential, and the spread-out layout can make navigation tedious. In the THPS 3+4 remake, Zoo loses its animals entirely and becomes a competition level, stripping away much of what made it unique. It’s still fun, but falls short of greatness.
London (B-Tier)
London showcases excellent verticality in its design, with multiple levels connected by wires and transfers. The map’s split personality – one half focused on rooftop skating, the other on street-level flatland – provides variety but lacks cohesion. When you find your groove atop the buildings, chaining massive combos across gaps and wires, London truly shines. The underground section adds another layer of exploration.
The level’s British theming comes through strongly with red phone boxes, double-decker buses, and recognizable landmarks. Setting up the Zoo level with the “Free Stompy” mission creates nice continuity between maps. The PS1 version’s thunderstorm atmosphere transforms the experience, proving how much environmental effects can enhance a level. London represents solid B-tier design – good enough to enjoy but not quite essential.
The Sewers (B-Tier)
This PS1-exclusive level brings a grimy, underground aesthetic that stands out from THPS4’s generally brighter locations. The tight, focused design harkens back to classic Tony Hawk levels like Warehouse and Hangar, providing a more traditional skating experience within THPS4’s open structure. For players who miss the confined skatepark feel of earlier games, The Sewers delivers.
Limited to older hardware, The Sewers can’t match the scope of other THPS4 levels, but it makes up for it with smart design choices. Every element serves a purpose, creating excellent flow despite the constraints. The industrial theme works perfectly with the skating elements, turning waste pipes into halfpipes and maintenance walkways into perfect grind lines. With Michelangelo from TMNT joining THPS 3+4, many hope The Sewers gets reimagined for modern consoles.
Little Big World (C-Tier)
Another PS1 exclusive, Little Big World shrinks players down to skate across kitchen countertops – a concept that sounds amazing but struggles in execution. The novelty of grinding cheese wedges and dropping into the sink wears off quickly when you realize how limited the actual skating opportunities are. Wall rides become essential for navigation, making the level feel more like a puzzle than a skatepark.
The visual design deserves praise for creativity, with everyday objects transformed into skating obstacles. However, large sections of the level feel barren, forcing players to specific areas for any meaningful combos. It’s the kind of level you’ll boot up once to see the concept, then rarely return to. Little Big World represents ambitious ideas held back by technical limitations and questionable design choices.
Carnival (C-Tier)
Carnival should have been a slam dunk – a creepy amusement park filled with rideable attractions and skating opportunities. Instead, it’s one of THPS4’s most disappointing levels. The cramped layout restricts movement, while the attractions that should be highlights often interfere with your lines. The haunted house provides atmospheric moments, but atmosphere alone doesn’t make for great skating.
The level introduced the series’ iconic goat Easter egg, which became a running gag in later games. Beyond that historical footnote, Carnival offers little to recommend it. Objectives feel forced rather than organic, and the limited space prevents the kind of creative expression THPS4 usually encourages. It’s telling that Carnival appears uncertain for inclusion in THPS 3+4 – few would miss it. For better gaming experiences, check out these top-tier picks in other games.
Shipyard (D-Tier)
Shipyard represents everything that can go wrong with Tony Hawk level design. The industrial setting prioritizes aesthetics over playability, resulting in a disjointed mess of shipping containers, cranes, and water hazards. Unlike great THPS levels that guide you naturally between features, Shipyard actively fights against combo creation with its awkward geometry and poor rail placement.
The constant threat of falling into water adds frustration rather than challenge. Objectives feel like afterthoughts, sending you to remote corners of the map for minimal reward. Even dedicated completionists will struggle to find joy here. Shipyard serves as a cautionary tale about putting theme before function in skating game design. Skip this one unless you’re going for 100% completion.
Chicago (D-Tier)
As a direct port from Mat Hoffman’s Pro BMX 2, Chicago never quite fits into THPS4. The massive scale designed for BMX bikes leaves huge empty spaces when navigated on a skateboard. While seeing Chicago landmarks provides some novelty, the skating experience suffers from poor obstacle placement and a layout that doesn’t complement the game’s mechanics.
The level’s one claim to fame – backflipping off the raised bridge while skitching – can’t save it from mediocrity. Too much time is spent simply traveling between interesting sections rather than actually skating. Chicago proves that not every extreme sports level translates between games. Its absence from initial THPS 3+4 announcements suggests even the developers recognize its weaknesses.
FAQs
Which Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4 level is best for beginners?
College is hands-down the best starting level in THPS4. Its open design, clear objectives, and variety of skating options make it perfect for learning the game’s mechanics. The level eases you into the mission system while providing plenty of space to practice combos without frustration.
What happened to THPS4 levels in the remake?
The THPS 3+4 remake significantly alters how Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 levels play. Instead of the original’s open-world mission structure, levels now use the traditional 2-minute timer system from earlier games. Some levels like Zoo and Kona have been converted to competition-only maps, losing their unique missions and personality elements.
Are the PS1 exclusive levels worth playing?
The Sewers offers a solid throwback experience that many players enjoy, while Little Big World is more of a novelty. If you have access to the PS1 version, The Sewers is definitely worth experiencing for its tight design and unique atmosphere. Little Big World is skippable unless you’re a completionist.
Which THPS4 level has the best combo potential?
Alcatraz and San Francisco offer the highest combo potential in THPS4. Alcatraz’s interconnected design allows for creative lines across multiple levels, while San Francisco’s mix of street and vert elements enables diverse combo approaches. Both levels reward players who take time to learn their layouts.
What makes College the best tutorial level?
College succeeds by introducing THPS4’s mechanics gradually while maintaining the fun factor. The spacious campus allows error recovery, missions teach different aspects of gameplay naturally, and hidden areas reward exploration. It’s accessible enough for newcomers yet deep enough to satisfy veterans – the hallmark of great game design.
Will all THPS4 levels be in the remake?
Not all original levels are confirmed for THPS 3+4. Notably, Carnival and Chicago are missing from announcements, replaced by three new custom levels. However, fan favorites like College, Alcatraz, and San Francisco are confirmed to return with updated graphics and modified gameplay.
How do THPS4 levels compare to other games in the series?
THPS4 levels are generally larger and more open than earlier entries, designed around exploration rather than time limits. This makes them unique in the series but also more divisive among fans. Some players prefer the focused design of THPS 1-3 levels, while others love THPS4’s freedom.
Conclusion
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4’s levels represent both the series’ creative peak and its most experimental phase. From the perfectly crafted College campus to the disappointing Shipyard docks, each level tells a story about what works and what doesn’t in skating game design. The S-tier standouts like College and Alcatraz prove that when Neversoft nailed the formula, they created some of the best levels in gaming history.
As we await the THPS 3+4 remake this July, it’s worth revisiting these classic maps to appreciate their original vision. While not every level hits the mark, the ambition and creativity on display throughout THPS4 pushed the genre forward in ways still felt today. Whether you’re grinding for high scores or just cruising around for fun, understanding each level’s strengths and weaknesses will enhance your skating experience.
Ready to put this knowledge to use? Fire up THPS4 or mark your calendar for the remake’s release, and experience these legendary levels for yourself. And hey, if you’re looking for more tier lists to dominate your favorite games, check out our guides for Honkai Star Rail, Wuthering Waves, or Blue Archive!