New Tony Hawk game ships with ‘disrespectful’ Guitar Hero reference & devs are removing it

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As an avid fan, I found myself taken aback when I discovered Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 contained a nod to Guitar Hero that some are branding as disrespectful. However, the developers at Iron Galaxy have acknowledged this issue and assured us they will be eliminating it in the upcoming update.

Approximately two full decades later, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and 4 have once again captured the limelight due to a fresh remake by Iron Galaxy. Players can create intricate combos to amass impressive scores, but it’s not just the gameplay that’s generating interest.

Exploring any of the game’s updated or brand-new settings offers an excellent opportunity to appreciate the intricacies of the remake. Unfortunately, a specific aspect has sparked controversy for the wrong reasons.

On the waterpark map, players have found an unusual box protruding from a waste bin. Upon tipping over the container, they uncovered a playful nod to Activision’s vintage Guitar Hero franchise.

Copy of (legally distinct) Guitar Hero in the trash on waterpark. Goes to show IG’s respect for Neversoft
byu/will-powers inTHPS

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 mocking Guitar Hero?

To give you a brief background, Neversoft was once an active studio responsible for creating the Guitar Hero franchise comprising five games such as Guitar Hero 3, Metallica, World Tour, and more. Before that, they gained recognition as the founding team behind the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series.

A Reddit user pointed out that this discovery demonstrates Iron Galaxy’s appreciation for Neversoft, by sharing an image of an Easter egg that strongly resembles Guitar Hero, but was found discarded. In other words, the presence of this item hints at a nod or tribute from Iron Galaxy to Neversoft.

In response, others knocked down the trash can to uncover the entire game, which goes by the name ‘Banjo Champion.’ As hinted by its popularity, it’s a rhythm game series. The packaging promises a “massive array of hits” and includes a “wireless banjo-shaped controller,” according to the text on the box.

Some people saw the discarding of Neversoft’s past work as a sign of disregard. Not surprisingly, Iron Galaxy soon released a statement about it.

The studio expressed great admiration towards game creators and is currently looking into how an unwanted element ended up in their game. They appreciate the community for pointing it out and assure they will remove the offending item from the environment art in the upcoming update.

To be honest, not everyone in the gaming community saw things the same way I did. Some folks thought the situation was just a harmless jest, but personally, I found it a bit more complicated than that.

“Keep it in please,” one player responded. “Tony Hawk games are meant to be edgy.”

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2025-07-15 03:48