News : Tony Hawk personally picked Fontaines D.C. and IDLES for ‘Pro Skater’ soundtrack

Tony Hawk has revealed that he made sure the soundtrack to Pro Skater 3+4 featured the music of Fontaines D.C. and IDLES.

The Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 soundtrack features more than 60 tracks. Ten of the songs featured in the original games while another handful are new picks from classic Pro Skater artists such as The Cult, De La Soul, Iron Maiden and Sex Pistols.

The rest of the soundtrack is made up of fresh artists, with Turnstile, Run The Jewels and Kendrick Lamar making their Pro Skater debut.

There has been plenty of backlash to this decision though after 2020’s remastered Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 featured all but three songs from the original soundtracks. “It was my choice to pick some different songs by the same artists. I’m hoping that discovery is half the fun, and a big reason that these soundtracks resonated in the first place,” Hawk said shortly after the Pro Skater 3+4 soundtrack was confirmed.

In a new interview with the BBC, Hawk said that he balances nostalgia and giving opportunities to new artists “as best as I can”.

“My input into the original soundtracks was all the early punk rock, hip-hop and ska. That was the soundtrack to skateparks when I was growing up,” he continued. “The relatively newer stuff, especially in those days, was more Activision’s music department but they understood that it aligned with the same sound. These days, just what I think fits and what I’m interested in. I’m not the only decider in these soundtracks but I did manage to throw in a couple of bands that I’m stoked on – Fontaines D.C., IDLES and X-Ray Spex. Those three are my personal input.

‘Boys In The Better Land’ by Fontaines D.C., IDLES’ ‘Gift Horse’ and X-Ray Spex’ ‘Identity’ all feature.

“We wanted to keep the feel of the original games but also introduce new artists and songs,” explained Activision’s Christopher Wilson. “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.”

Last month, Alien Ant Farm said they were “disappointed” that ‘Wish’ had been cut from Pro Skater 3+4 after originally featuring in Pro Skater 3.

“I wasn’t zeroing in on them per say,” explained Hawk of the backlash. “We’re trying to make room for new acts and new songs as well. Not everything makes the cut. It’s nothing personal, and I appreciate that people have a fondness for that song especially in relation to our game, so you know, just fire it up on your streaming service if you’re so inclined.”

In other news, Nintendo has confirmed the first two actors for its upcoming live-action adaptation of The Legend Of Zelda – but some fans are happy that Hunter Schafer won’t be playing Zelda.