Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 rolled out on multiple platforms this week, and while it’s a fantastic throwback to the glory days of the series, there are obviously some differences. Apart from the changes to THPS4, the soundtrack is missing some notable classics.

The Birdman himself already explained to fans months ago how he wanted to include “some different songs” – including different songs by some of the same artists.

Now, in a recent interview with BBC News, he reiterated how this decision was not only about introducing players to new music they might not have heard before, but also reminding fans he’s not the only one who makes the call about the game’s soundtrack.

Tony Hawk: “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 a couple of bands in… I also picked songs by artists that were already in the game, but a different song, and not everyone agreed with that decision, but I feel like ‘let’s keep it fresh’ and also ‘here’s help discovering other music’, and I think in the beginning that’s what people expected of it – once the soundtrack was a prominent part of the game, people were like ‘ok’ what are you going to throw at us now?”

His latest comments about the game’s soundtrack also respond to a question about why Alien Ant Farm’s song ‘Wish’ was excluded from the latest release – with the reason once again tied to the concept of making room for “new acts and new songs”:

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

The previous release Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 adopted a similar approach with the soundtrack, and the character roster in the latest game follows the same format (like the previous game) – mixing legends and new pro talent. Tony touched on this in the same interview, along with the selection process:

“I was trying to keep it modern obviously, whilst still respecting the legends that we had in the previous games, and also it was a matter of who was still actively skating, who was still in the scene. It’s a delicate balance, but I’m really excited to have people like Chloe Covell, to have Rayssa from Brazil, and Andy Anderson.”

Skater and Jackass star Bam Magera also made it in at the late stages of development, and so Tony “immediately hit up Activision” asking it to include him. You can find out more about Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 + 4 in our review on Nintendo Life.