Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 is out in the wild, letting fans check out the remake of the third and fourth games in the beloved skateboarding series. While some people aren't happy with the remake for changing the format of the THPS 4 levels, there is another aspect of the game that has people riled up. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 features a new soundtrack, opting to have a different set of songs from the original games. The series has always been known for iconic soundtracks, which is why so many people are overly sensitive about the changed soundtrack, but I urge people to give the new songs a chance, because I think the reaction has been overblown.

Only 10 songs returned from the old soundtrack

Although many of the bands have different songs on the soundtrack

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 is now officially out on nearly every platform you can think of, including Xbox Game Pass and Nintendo Switch 2, and some people aren't happy with the soundtrack. Similar to Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2, the soundtrack of THPS 3 + 4 includes some of the same songs, but also new songs. This has resulted in some outrage (via VGC), as fan favorite tracks like AC/DC's TNT and Alien Ant Farm's Wish. That said, 10 tracks in total did return, including My Adidas by Run-DMC and Amoeba by Adolescents. In some cases, though, an artist featured on the original soundtrack has a different song on the new soundtrack, like Iron Maiden having 2 Minutes to Midnight instead of The Number Of The Beast.

Tony said he wanted to introduce new music

Tony Hawk himself has said he wanted a new soundtrack

Tony Hawk himself shared on Instagram that it was his decision to have new songs on the soundtrack.

"It was my choice to pick some different songs by the same artists featured in THPS3+4 OST," Hawk said in an Instagram comment, "I’m hoping that discovery is half the fun, and a big reason that these soundtracks resonated in the first place. So listen and enjoy the ride. More to come… both old and new."

While this comment may not necessarily determine whether you like the new soundtrack or not, it does highlight an important point. The original soundtracks for THPS 3 and 4 weren't necessarily iconic prior to the game's release. Obviously, it included huge hits from popular bands, but the exact mix and feel of the soundtrack, getting a good mix of hip-hop and rock, is what made it feel iconic. And those feelings are present in the new tracks.

It still has the sound and feel of the old soundtrack

The game features a more modern skater roster. Why not have modern music?

I understand that some gamers don't like it when a remake takes too many liberties with the original game, especially when the originals are hard to play on modern platforms. But Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 is not that faithful of a remake, on purpose. While the skating itself feels phenomenal, some of the skating features, like stance switching, that weren't introduced until later in the series, were present in THPS 1 + 2. The roster of skaters is different, too. Not only does it feature professional skaters who were either children or not born when the originals came out. Even returning skaters, like Tony Hawk and Bam Margera, aren't the same skaters that were in the original; they're older.

All of this is to say that it seems necessary to have a more modern track list for THPS 3 + 4. It makes sense for a skateboarding game in 2025 to feature more modern music, including artists who started their careers after the original games were released, such as Kendrick Lamar and Vince Staples. I don't think it makes sense to keep these games time-stamped in the early 2000s, especially when other parts of the game aren't beholden to that.

The old songs likely weren't included due to licensing fees

I don't think Tony Hawk is lying, but there are likely other factors at play

While I do think there is truth in what Tony Hawk said in his Instagram comment, there is a reality that needs to be discussed when it comes to music licensing. Some of the songs included in the original, like AC/DC's TNT, are simply far more expensive now than when the originals were made, due to popularity. There is also the fact that if you are trying to license a song you have previously licensed, the owner of the song has leverage to charge more for that track. It would likely have cost significantly more to obtain the original soundtrack versus the one that was chosen, and while that might not convince people to overlook it, it's still important to know.

But the new soundtrack captures the feeling of this remake

The new soundtrack feels right for a skating game in 2025

That all said, I do think that the soundtrack was changed to match the rest of the changes in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4. It's entirely possible that some artists, or even some skaters, turned down returning to the remake. If Iron Galaxy, the developers, couldn't get every single skater and track from the original game, it makes far more sense to update those aspects to modern standards. The most important part of these games is skateboarding, and it should help bring in a new audience with modern skaters and music. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 isn't meant to replace the originals, but remake them for modern systems and gamers.