Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 for Game Boy Advance is a 2002 skateboarding game developed by Vicarious Visions and published by Activision. It brings the fourth main Pro Skater entry to Nintendo's handheld as a compact, isometric 3D take on the series rather than a direct visual match for the home-console editions. The game retains the fast, score-driven rhythm of Tony Hawk skating: choose a professional skater, explore a park, link tricks into combinations, and work through challenges to build a path toward the pro ranks.

Career mode changes the familiar early-series routine by allowing players to roam a selected level without a constant two-minute countdown. Goals begin when the skater approaches a character in the environment and accepts a challenge, which starts its own timer. Objectives range from collecting the letters that spell SKATE and locating hidden tapes to hitting score targets and completing tasks designed for particular locations. Progress earns Pro Points that open further stages, while cash, stat upgrades, secret packages, and skateboard decks encourage continued exploration.

The GBA controls translate the series' basic vocabulary to the handheld's buttons: ollies launch the skater, while flip tricks, grinds, grabs, lip tricks, manuals, and reverts create opportunities to extend a run instead of banking a score after one move. This version also includes spine transfers, letting a skater cross from one back-to-back half-pipe to another by using both shoulder buttons in the air. With a full special meter, manuals can lead into flatland tricks, adding another way to vary a combo before balance runs out or a missed landing ends it.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 GBA features a roster of real-world skateboarders led by Tony Hawk, alongside riders such as Bob Burnquist, Steve Caballero, Kareem Campbell, Eric Koston, Bucky Lasek, Bam Margera, Rodney Mullen, Chad Muska, Andrew Reynolds, Geoff Rowley, Elissa Steamer, Jamie Thomas, and Rune Glifberg. Each park is a reduced handheld interpretation of an environment from the wider release, including settings such as a college campus, a zoo, and Alcatraz. The angled viewpoint keeps the skater and the course visible on the small screen, while transparent scenery helps when a rider passes behind foreground structures.

Collectibles and progression are shared rather than requiring the same work to be repeated with every skater. After earning enough Pro Points, players can select a skater for that rider's dedicated Pro Challenge; completing it unlocks the corresponding reward movie. Away from the career route, the cartridge supports Game Link Cable multiplayer for as many as four players. Trick Attack, HORSE, Tag, and King of the Hill provide competitive alternatives centered on scores, pursuit, or control of the objective.

The Game Boy Advance release is therefore related to the 2002 console versions but has its own developer, presentation, technical compromises, and feature set. Its polygonal skaters and trick animations are built for an isometric handheld view, and its music uses synthesized tracks rather than reproducing the console releases' licensed soundtrack. By combining free exploration, timed individual goals, portable multiplayer, and the series' escalating combo system, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 gives the GBA a distinct version of the franchise's fourth installment.