A fan-favorite feature from the Tony Hawk games has always been unlocking strange and fun characters. If you ever wanted to do an ollie as an alien, then you are definitely in luck. Unfortunately, licensing rights are a far tricker minefield than they were back in the 90s. Back then, everyone desperately wanted to be associated with skateboarding because it was just the right combination of marketable and extreme — but times have changed.
If you are wondering if you can unlock Spider-Man in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2, the answer is no. It’s a shame, but many cool unlockables have had to be left in the past in these new versions. Why? Those complicated licensing rights that we mentioned.
One of the main reasons that Spider-Man was in the original game at all was the fact the developer, Neversoft, was working on a Spider-Man game which would end up releasing smack bang in the middle of their glut of Tony Hawk games. At the time it just felt like a cool addition to the game, but a cold and cynical eye now paints it as a calculated marketing move. Still, fans got to skateboard as Spider-Man, which is all that really matters.
These days, the video game rights for Spider-Man rest firmly with Sony, and after the monumental success of their most recent Spider-Man game, it is unlikely that we will see the wall-crawler appear in other games any time soon. It is a shame that this fun element of the games couldn’t remain intact, but time and intellectual property rights wait for no man — not even a Spider-Man.
