Many of the new goals in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4's version of THPS 4's levels reference the wacky (and iconic) missions in the open-world skating classic. In the San Francisco level of THPS 4, players could find Painter Neal dangling on a sign above a shark. To save him, players had to grind the rail dangles off of, then grind around a boulder near his friend, Painter Bob.

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In the new version of the level, players are tasked to Save Painter Neal as one of the many San Francisco level goals. However, the method to Save Painter Neal in THPS 3+4 is slightly different – follow this guide to learn how to Save Painter Neal in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 and complete this goal.

How To Save Painter Neal In THPS 3+4

San Francisco Save Painter Neal Goal Walkthrough

From the spawn point, Painter Neal can be found hanging off a sign on the smaller dock on the right side (not the main pier, which was inspired by San Francisco's Pier 39). A shark circles underneath him as he yells, "I'M IN A CRISIS!", but it's not immediately obvious what players must do to save Painter Neal in THPS 3+4.

Pay close attention to the opening goal walkthrough for the San Francisco level in THPS 3+4, and you will notice a weird boulder behind Painter Neal's friend. While the other boulders on this ledge are standing freely, this one is surrounded by what appears to be a grindable rail. Indeed, this boulder is the key to saving Painter Neal.

To complete the Save Painter Neal goal, THPS 3+4 players should follow these steps:

  1. First, skate forward, then turn left and jump up the stairs to get onto the path behind Painter Neal's friend, as shown in the goal flythrough intro video.
  2. Navigate the path until you see Painter Neal's friend in front of the boulder. This boulder is being held in place by what appears to be either ropes or chains – either way, it's a grindable surface.
  3. Jump onto the rope nailed into the ground on either side, then grind around the boulder in a tight circle until you get to the other side.
  4. The rope will break, then text will pop up at the top of your screen that says to "GIVE IT A PUSH!"
  5. Back up a little bit on the path and re-aim your camera so your skater is directly facing the boulder's back side (the side facing the path, not the shark).
  6. Ride forward, then ollie into the air to hit the boulder. Press the ollie input right as you make contact with the boulder to perform a wallplant trick and push off in the opposite direction.

If performed correctly, a cutscene will immediately play wherein the boulder becomes loose, falls off the pedestal, rolls down the dock toward Painter Neal, then slams into the shark right as it's about to jump. After the cutscene ends, you will have completed the Save Painter Neal goal in the San Francisco level!

For our full San Francisco map, check it out here!

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Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4
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Released
July 11, 2025
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WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

ESRB
Teen / Lyrics, Mild Blood, Mild Violence
Developer(s)
Iron Galaxy
Publisher(s)
Activision
Engine
Unreal Engine 4
Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer
Number of Players
1-2 players (local), 1-8 players (online)
Genre(s)
Sports
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