The soundtrack for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 includes only 10 tracks from the original two games, after Tony Hawk himself wanted to emphasise music discovery.
The full soundtrack was revealed at the start of June by publisher Activision, but ahead of the game’s full release this week, reviews have criticised changes to the soundtrack and its lack of songs from the original games.
Out of the 69 songs across both Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and 4, only 10 from the original games have been included. Instead, in some instances, a different song from the same artist has been used – the remainder are new to the series.
Those 10 returning songs are:
- The Faction – Skate & Destroy
- Gang Starr – Mass Appeal
- JFA – Beach Blanket Bongout
- RUN-D.M.C. – My Adidas
- Motörhead – Ace of Spades
- Del the Funky Homosapien – If You Must
- AFI – The Boy Who Destroyed the World
- Adolescents – Amoeba
- CKY – 96 Quite Bitter Beings
- Bodyjar – Not the Same
One major reason for not including certain songs may be licensing issues.
However, in the same blog post revealing the soundtrack, Christopher Wilson, VP of production at Activision Publishing stated: “We wanted to keep the feel of the original games but also introduce new artists and songs.”
He added: “Throughout the project, Tony added tracks and suggested using different songs from artists that were featured on the original games.
“The soundtrack is meant to be a love letter to the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater franchise, skateboarding in general, and be an opportunity to showcase music that falls outside of the mainstream.”
Wilson’s comments mirror those of Hawk himself, who previously stated on an Instagram post it was his choice “to pick some different songs by the same artists featured in THPS3+4 OST”.
“I’m hoping that discovery is half the fun, and a big reason that these soundtracks resonated in the first place,” he said. “So listen and enjoy the ride.”
Still, the soundtracks to all the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater games are iconic, reflecting the musical tastes of the early 00s. The changes have left some fans disappointed, in response to reviews by critics.
Also returning for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 is skater Bam Margera, after Hawk intervened.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 will be released on 11th July across Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, Switch, Switch 2, and PC (Steam, Battle.net, Microsoft). It’s available in early access now for those who pre-ordered.