Note: This article is based on synthesized information from official Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 pages, Activision materials, Steam listing details, established gaming guides, player Q&A discussions, and reputable U.S. gaming coverage. No external source links are included in the body copy.
If you have been skating through Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 and suddenly spotted a glowing blue “V” floating in a suspiciously hard-to-reach place, you are not alone. Many players see it, grab it, land awkwardly, crash into a wall, and then ask the same very reasonable question: what is the V symbol in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2?
The short answer: the V symbol is the Vicarious Visions logo, turned into a hidden collectible. Vicarious Visions was the developer behind the 2020 remake of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2, published by Activision. The in-game V symbol is basically the studio hiding its autograph inside every park, like a developer saying, “We rebuilt your childhood, and yes, we also put our logo on a rooftop.”
It does not start a secret boss fight. It does not summon Tony Hawk from the ceiling. It does not make your skater immune to gravity, although that would be extremely helpful in Downhill Jam. Instead, it is part collectible, part tribute, part extra challenge, and part reason you will spend five minutes repeating the same jump while muttering, “Okay, one more try.”
What Does the V Symbol Mean?
The V symbol represents Vicarious Visions, the studio that developed Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2. In the game, it appears as a blue, glowing, double-V-style logo. It is hidden in each level and is treated as a secret collectible rather than a normal park goal like collecting S-K-A-T-E letters, finding the Secret Tape, smashing objects, or hitting score milestones.
That distinction matters. If you are trying to complete the basic tour objectives, you can ignore the V symbol at first. It is not required to beat the main goals of a level. However, if you are chasing full completion, unlockables, secrets, and bragging rights, the Vicarious Visions logo becomes another item on your checklist.
How Many V Symbols Are in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2?
There is one Vicarious Visions logo in each level. Since Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 includes 19 classic levels across the two games, that means there are 19 V symbols to collect in total.
Levels with V Symbols
- Warehouse
- School
- Mall
- Skate Park
- Downtown
- Downhill Jam
- Burnside
- Streets
- Roswell
- Hangar
- School II
- Marseille
- New York City
- Venice Beach
- Skatestreet
- Philadelphia
- Bullring
- Chopper Drop
- Skate Heaven
The placement is rarely random. The V symbol usually sits somewhere that encourages exploration: above a ramp, near a secret area, on a tricky transfer line, behind an awkward angle, or just high enough to make you question your skater’s life choices.
What Do You Get for Collecting the V Symbols?
Collecting the V symbols is tied to the Visionary challenge. Once you collect all of the Vicarious Visions logos, you can claim rewards connected to that challenge, including a logo and a skateboard deck. These rewards are cosmetic, but they matter if you enjoy completing challenges, customizing your skater, or turning your profile into a museum of “yes, I really did grind that rail 47 times.”
It is also important not to confuse V symbols with Alien Plushies. Alien Plushies are another hidden collectible type in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2, and they lead to a different reward path. The V symbol does not unlock the Alien skater. The Alien Plushies handle that weird little party. The V symbol is specifically connected to Vicarious Visions and the Visionary collectible challenge.
Why Did Vicarious Visions Add Its Logo as a Collectible?
The V symbol works because Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater has always been about secrets. The original games trained players to look everywhere: over rooftops, behind signs, above half-pipes, down hidden corridors, and inside places that seem designed by an architect who drank four energy drinks and said, “Let’s make a mall skateable.”
By turning the studio logo into a collectible, Vicarious Visions added a modern secret that fits the classic design. It rewards curiosity without interrupting the old-school flow. You can still chase high scores, collect tapes, and string together absurd combos, but now there is one extra glowing target quietly daring you to explore every corner.
It is also a subtle signature. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 was not a lazy visual polish job. The remake rebuilt the original experience with updated graphics, modern features, online play, expanded skater rosters, create-a-skater options, create-a-park tools, and smooth mechanics that preserved the feel of the classics. The V symbol is a small in-game reminder of the studio that handled that balancing act.
Is the V Symbol Required to Complete the Game?
No, the V symbol is not required for basic level progression. You can unlock levels, complete park goals, and enjoy the game without grabbing every Vicarious Visions logo. However, players aiming for deeper completion will want to collect them all.
Think of the V symbol as a secret-layer collectible. It is not the front door of the game; it is the strange little attic hatch you notice after you already know the house. For casual players, it is optional. For completionists, it is mandatory in spirit, because leaving one glowing collectible behind is the kind of thing that keeps people awake at night.
How to Find the V Symbol More Easily
The V symbols are usually placed in areas that require more than simply rolling forward. You often need speed, timing, and a good understanding of the level’s geometry. If you are struggling, use the tips below.
Build Speed Before the Jump
Many V symbols are placed high above ramps, quarter pipes, or transfer points. Before attempting the jump, build up speed by pumping through transitions, using ramps efficiently, and avoiding unnecessary turns. A full special meter can also help because it increases your skater’s performance.
Use Boneless and Fastplant Moves
Need a little extra height? Use moves like the Boneless or Fastplant. These can give you the extra lift needed to reach a logo that feels just out of reach. In Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, one extra inch can be the difference between victory and watching your skater fold like a lawn chair.
Look for Secret Areas
Some V symbols are connected to secret routes or hidden spaces. Skatestreet, for example, includes secret areas that must be opened before certain collectibles become accessible. Skate Heaven also requires players to activate the volcano and reach a special area to grab its Vicarious Visions logo.
Check High, Weird, and Unnatural Places
If a location looks too awkward to be useful, check it anyway. The Tony Hawk series loves placing collectibles in spots that appear decorative at first. Rooftops, high rails, small quarter pipes, ledges, pipes, signs, and corners are all fair game.
Examples of V Symbol Locations
In Warehouse, the V symbol appears near the start. Instead of simply rolling down the big slope, players can head toward the right-hand slope, wallride on the left, and jump at the end to snag the logo. It is a perfect tutorial-style placement: visible enough to teach you what the logo looks like, but tricky enough to say, “Welcome back, your reflexes are now under review.”
In Skatestreet, the V symbol is hidden in the Van secret area. Players need to open that area first, then use a small quarter pipe in the corner to ollie up and collect the logo. This is a good example of how the game ties the V symbol to exploration rather than basic level completion.
In Skate Heaven, the V symbol is even more dramatic. Players must activate the volcano, jump into it, and enter the secret area. Once inside, the logo appears above the end of a half pipe. It is ridiculous, flashy, and completely appropriate for a game where skateboarding into a volcano is treated as a reasonable navigation strategy.
Why the V Symbol Confuses New Players
The confusion makes sense. The V symbol is visible, collectible, and obviously important-looking, but the game does not always stop everything to explain it. Unlike park goals, it does not sit neatly in the main objective list. Players grab one, notice no giant celebration, and wonder if they accidentally collected a power-up, a brand logo, a challenge item, or a mysterious blue tax document.
That mystery is part of the old Tony Hawk charm. The series has always trusted players to poke around, test lines, and discover secrets through movement. In modern games, collectibles often arrive with a pop-up, a map marker, a voice line, a tutorial card, and possibly a small committee. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 is more old-school: there is the thing, it is glowing, go get it.
V Symbol vs. Other Collectibles
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 is packed with objectives and collectibles, so it helps to understand where the V symbol fits.
- S-K-A-T-E letters: Standard level objective where you collect five letters.
- Secret Tape: Classic hidden item usually placed in a difficult or elevated area.
- Stat Points: Improve skater abilities and vary based on skater style.
- Alien Plushies: Hidden collectibles tied to unlocking the Alien skater.
- V Symbols: Vicarious Visions logos tied to the Visionary challenge and cosmetic rewards.
The V symbol sits somewhere between a Secret Tape and an Alien Plushie. It is not always as famous as the Secret Tape, and it does not unlock something as wild as a playable alien, but it is still a satisfying collectible for players who like mastering every park.
Best Strategy for Collecting All V Symbols
The best approach is to collect V symbols after you are comfortable with a level. First, learn the layout. Complete the main goals. Find the tape. Grab stat points. Get used to the best lines for speed. Then return for the V symbol with a better understanding of where the ramps, rails, and secret zones connect.
Trying to grab every V symbol on your first run can be frustrating because many of them require precision. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 rewards rhythm. Once you understand the “flow” of a park, the collectible becomes easier. You stop seeing a random floating logo and start seeing the route: ramp, manual, wallride, jump, pray, land, celebrate.
Also, do not be afraid to adjust your skater’s stats. Higher air, speed, ollie, and hangtime can make difficult collectibles easier. If a jump feels impossible, the problem may not be your soul. It may just be your build.
Common Mistakes Players Make
Trying Without Enough Speed
Most failed attempts happen because players approach the logo too slowly. In Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2, speed is everything. A beautiful jump at low speed is just a stylish way to miss the collectible.
Ignoring Wallrides
Some V symbols require a wallride or wallride jump. If you are only using ramps, you may be missing the intended route.
Forgetting Secret Areas
If you cannot find a V symbol in an obvious place, look for a hidden door, transfer, or unlockable area. The game loves hiding collectibles behind environmental tricks.
Confusing It with Alien Plushies
The V symbol and Alien Plushies are separate collectibles with separate rewards. Collecting the V symbols will not unlock the Alien skater, even if you ask nicely.
Player Experience: The Joy and Pain of Chasing the V Symbol
Collecting the V symbol in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 creates a very specific emotional journey. It begins with curiosity. You are cruising through a level, maybe chasing a Sick Score, maybe pretending your combo was totally planned, when you spot a blue logo hovering somewhere inconvenient. It catches your eye immediately because the game’s classic objectives are familiar, but this thing feels different. It is not a letter. It is not a tape. It is not a stat point. It is a glowing double V sitting there like it pays rent.
The first reaction is usually confidence. “I can get that,” you think. Famous last words. You roll toward the nearest ramp, pop an ollie, miss by several feet, and slam into the floor with the grace of a shopping cart full of bricks. That is when the real Tony Hawk experience begins. The V symbol turns from a collectible into a personal challenge. Suddenly, you are not just playing a game. You are in a duel with a logo.
What makes these collectibles enjoyable is how they teach level mastery. A beginner sees the V symbol as an object. A more experienced player sees the path leading to it. You start noticing which quarter pipe gives the right angle, which rail can extend your combo, where to build speed, and when to use a Boneless instead of a normal ollie. The logo becomes a little professor of skate physics, except the classroom is a warehouse and the lesson plan involves repeated concussions.
There is also a nice rhythm to hunting them. You may begin with the easier parks, where the V symbol is visible and the route is fairly direct. Then the game starts asking more from you. Secret areas become important. Wallrides become essential. Hidden lines start appearing in places you previously ignored. A level you thought you understood suddenly has another layer. That is one of the reasons Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 works so well: the best secrets make the familiar feel new again.
The V symbol also gives returning players a fresh reason to revisit classic maps. Warehouse, School, Mall, Hangar, Venice Beach, and Philadelphia are already packed with nostalgia, but the Vicarious Visions logo adds another modern breadcrumb. It reminds players that this is not just the old game running in shinier shoes. It is a rebuilt experience with new secrets tucked into old muscle memory.
Of course, there are frustrating moments. You may overshoot the logo. You may undershoot it. You may land the jump perfectly and then bail because your skater touches the ground at the exact angle of “absolutely not.” You may repeat the same attempt until the soundtrack becomes part of your bloodstream. But when you finally collect the logo, the satisfaction is real. It is small, quick, and oddly powerful. One second you are irritated at a floating symbol; the next second you are a genius of extreme sports navigation.
That is the real charm of the V symbol. It is not the biggest reward in the game, but it captures the spirit of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater: exploration, skill, repetition, comedy, and the glorious belief that every impossible jump is only one better attempt away.
Final Thoughts
So, what is the V symbol in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2? It is the hidden Vicarious Visions logo, placed once in every level as a secret collectible. It honors the developer behind the remake, adds another layer of exploration, and contributes to the Visionary challenge, which rewards players with cosmetic items like a logo and skateboard deck.
It is optional for casual players but valuable for completionists. More importantly, it is fun. The V symbol gives you a reason to look harder, skate smarter, and occasionally launch yourself into a wall with full confidence. In other words, it fits Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater perfectly.
