To unlock the elusive Suburbia secret tape in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3, you must first help the mysterious Thin Man by retrieving an axe from the construction site. This challenging task opens a hidden haunted house passage leading to a secret area filled with ramps, windows to smash, and a flagpole grind that holds the coveted tape-perfect for players ready to uncover Suburbia’s hidden depths across Nintendo, PC, PlayStation, and Xbox versions.
Old and new fans can skate around in classic maps like Suburbia in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 4. The two titles are receiving the modernizing treatment that the first two games got five years ago, but keeping the series DNA by challenging players to complete a number of goals to progress in the campaign. Among these, finding the secret tape has always been one of the most difficult missions in the games.
In this Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 guide, we show you how to get the secret tape in the Suburbia map, covering all the steps you need to go through to reach the tape.
How to get the secret tape in the Suburbia level in THPS 3
To get the secret tape in the Suburbia level of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3, you must first complete the “Help the Thin Man” objective by finding an axe at the construction site and delivering it to the Thin Man near the haunted house. This unlocks a hidden passage behind the house. Enter the newly accessible area and use the vertical ramp inside to launch yourself towards the mansion’s back window. Break through, then head upstairs and grind the flagpole above the large tree in front of the ramp where you began the level-the secret tape is suspended at the end of this flagpole.
Suburbia’s secret tape is floating on a flag pole above the big tree in front of the ramp from where we begin the level. The big question is how to reach it.
First, you need to complete the “Help the Thin Man” goal. You don’t need to complete the Thin Man’s mission and collect the tape in the same run. Focus on first completing the “Help the Thin Man,” then in the next run you can try getting the secret tape.
The Thin Man is a quite suspicious figure who is standing next to the haunted house beside where the secret tape is. To help him, you need to collect an axe that is stuck in a piece of wood in the construction site area. Slide on the wood or just pass close to the axe to grab it. The axe won’t stay in your inventory if you don’t manage to get it to the Thin Man before the level ends. So if you run out of time, you’ll need to start a new run and grab the axe again.
Delivering the axe prompts a short cutscene and opens a passage to a secret area behind the house. This passage will always be open after you have completed this goal. It will take you through a corridor that ends in a a vertical ramp. Use it to propel you to the hidden area on the other side of the wall.
In the new area, there is a bow that you need to gain velocity and reach a window at the backside of the house that you can break to enter a new corridor. Once you get there, you can jump from the other end to reach where the secret tape is.
What hidden tricks unlock the Suburbia secret tape in THPS 3
To unlock the Suburbia secret tape in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3, the main hidden trick is to first complete the “Help the Thin Man” goal. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of the key actions involved:
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Retrieve the Axe: From the starting area in Suburbia, go to the right side where there is a construction site. There you’ll find an axe stuck in a log. Slide or approach to pick up the axe.
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Assist the Thin Man: Bring the axe to the Thin Man, an enigmatic figure beside the haunted house in the level. Delivering the axe completes the “Help the Thin Man” challenge and triggers a cutscene that unlocks a secret passage to the backyard behind the haunted house.
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Access the Secret Area: Enter the new passage behind the house. Use a vertical ramp to launch yourself into the hidden backyard area.
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Gain Speed with the Bow: In this secret area, find a bow to build up speed and use it to smash through a back window of the haunted house, opening a corridor inside.
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Navigate Through the Hidden Corridor: Ride through the corridor, breaking another window on the far side.
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Grind the Flagpole: At the end of this corridor, leap out and grind the flagpole that extends above a large tree to grab the elusive secret tape.
You do not need to complete the Thin Man’s mission and collect the secret tape in the same run; completing the “Help the Thin Man” goal unlocks permanent access to the secret area, allowing you to return and get the tape later.
This process works across all platforms of the game, including Nintendo, PC, PlayStation, and Xbox versions.
In summary, the hidden tricks are about locating and using the axe, unlocking the secret haunted house passage, and carefully navigating through the hidden area to grind the flagpole where the secret tape awaits.
What specific tricks or maneuvers are best for accessing the hidden tape location
The best specific tricks and maneuvers to access the hidden Suburbia secret tape location in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 involve:
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Picking up the Axe: Slide up to the axe stuck in the log at the construction site in Suburbia, which is needed to help the Thin Man and unlock the secret area.
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Unlocking the Secret Passage: After delivering the axe to the Thin Man, a secret passage behind the haunted house opens.
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Using a Bow for Speed: In the secret backyard, find and use a bow to gain speed. This extra speed is crucial to smash through a window of the haunted house.
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Navigating the Corridor: Ride through the corridor inside the haunted house, breaking a second window along the way.
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Grinding the Flagpole: At the end, leap out to grind the tall flagpole above a large tree to grab the secret tape.
The key maneuvers are picking up and using the axe, building speed with the bow, carefully timing jumps and grinds through narrow spaces, and grinding the flagpole precisely to collect the tape. Maintaining good speed and control with grind and jump tricks, as well as a precise approach to each action, are essential across all platforms (Nintendo, PC, PlayStation, Xbox).
While this focuses on Suburbia’s secret tape, similar principles-using grinds to gain or maintain speed, precise jumps, and knowing when to bail or grab tricks-apply broadly to accessing secret tape locations in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater games[previous conversation].
No detailed special trick names beyond standard grabs, grinds, and slides are cited specifically for Suburbia’s tape, but building speed with the bow and grinding the flagpole are critical special maneuvers in this hidden challenge.
