Painter Neal is in trouble-dangling above shark-infested waters from a flimsy sign on the San Francisco pier, he’s just moments away from disaster. Do you have what it takes to pull off the ultimate rescue mission in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox? Here’s how to save the day and cement your legend on four wheels.
During Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4’s campaign, the San Francisco level is one of the first in which you need to complete specific goals to unlock the next locations. Even though the “Save the Painter Neal!!!” mission was present in the original game, the steps to complete it changed considerably in the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 4 version.
To assist you in ticking off items in the missions list and progressing in the game, we prepared this Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 guide explaining how to save Painter Neal.
How to save Painter Neal in THPS 4
To save Painter Neal in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4, head to the San Francisco level and locate Neal hanging from a sign above shark-infested waters between the piers. Find the large concrete ball across from him, and grind the wire wrapped around it to release the ball. Once the wire is cut, position yourself behind the ball and perform a Wallplant trick (press the ollie/jump button against it) to push the ball toward Neal. This will trigger a cutscene where the ball knocks away the threat and saves the painter, completing the goal on any platform (PC, PlayStation, or Xbox).
As the initial introduction of the San Francisco map explains, Painter Neal is a man in trouble at the pier. If you don’t save him, well, Neal will become the next meal of a giant shark who’s just waiting for the poor man to fall into the water. You can save them with the power of skateboarding.
The first step is to break the wire holding a large boulder in front of the pier. To do so, you need to slide all over it from one side to the other, which means keeping balance while your character goes up, around, and then down from the wire.
The best strategy to break the wire is to hold your character in place right in front of one of the wire’s ends, jump, and start sliding. If you don’t cover the entire length of the wire, it won’t break. If you’re struggling to get across the full length, consider turning a couple of mods on. To activate them, pause the game and access the Option menu, where you find the Game Mods section. Using mods doesn’t affect the completion of challenges and you can turn them off whenever you feel like.
With the boulder released, you still need to give it a push so it will roll toward the pier and save the painter in distress. Although simple, pushing the giant sphere requires you to perform a specific move: a wallplant, which involves placing a foot on a wall.
Like when starting to slide over the wire, the best starting position to hit the boulder with a wallplant is by stopping next to it while facing the pier. When ready, perform an ollie then a wallplant.
If you need more help completing this mission, you can go to the settings and change the wallplant command options. You want to go with the more straightforward option that sets the ollie button to perform the wallplant as well. For example, on PlayStation 5, you will be using the X button for both actions. By using this specific configuration, you just need to do an ollie and then press the same button right after to automatically execute a wallplant.
What secret tricks can help me easily save Painter Neal in THPS 4
To easily save Painter Neal in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4, the main goal is to grind the wire around the large concrete ball near the pier, then perform a wallplant to push it towards him. Here are some secret tricks and best practices to make this objective much easier:
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Use high speed and balance stats: Upgrading your skater’s speed, ollie, and rail balance stats will help you grind the tricky rope smoothly and make the jump for the wallplant with better control.
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Approach the grind at an angle: Start your grind on the wire from a low, straight approach, and line up your camera so you circle the boulder cleanly instead of accidentally bailing.
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Manual before the grind: Sometimes it helps to chain a manual into the grind for better alignment if you’re struggling to land directly on the wire.
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Wallplant timing: After the wire breaks, back up a bit and line yourself up straight behind the boulder. Use a strong ollie, then hit the wallplant button (A/X) right as you touch the boulder’s side to ensure maximum impact. This precise timing pushes the ball harder, triggering the cutscene reliably.
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Don’t overcomplicate-no need for special tricks: You don’t need to do flips or complicated combos; focus on precise control, timing, and lining up your approaches close to the objects involved.
These steps minimize risk of bailing and let you repeat attempts quickly if you miss. If you’re having trouble, practice the grind and wallplant mechanics in Free Skate mode to build confidence before going for the goal in a run.
Most guides emphasize careful camera control and stat upgrades as the crucial “secret” to making this challenge much easier, even though the mechanics themselves are simple once mastered.
What is the fastest way to break the boulder wire blocking Neal’s path
The fastest way to break the boulder wire blocking Neal’s path in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 is to grind the wire circling the large concrete ball near the San Francisco pier using high speed, precise alignment, and strong stats for grind and rail balance. Upgrading your skater’s speed and grind stats lets you hit the wire from a low, clean approach and maintain control, minimizing the risk of bailing. Start your grind straight onto the wire, circle the boulder quickly, and focus on keeping your balance centered-don’t attempt flips or advanced tricks while grinding, as these slow you down and make it easier to fail the objective.
Practicing the grind line in Free Skate mode and using the manual beforehand can help you land on the wire more reliably, speeding up each attempt. Camera control to get the right viewing angle also makes it easier to hit the grind in one go. The key to breaking the wire quickly is very tight, fast technique: approach, grind, and immediately prepare to wallplant the boulder once the wire snaps.
These strategies are affirmed by most guides and advanced players, who emphasize that grind speed, balance, and camera alignment are the real “secret” to hitting the wire and breaking it without wasted attempts[previous answer].
