Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 4 is out now, and with it comes a wave of early 2000s nostalgia. Developer Iron Galaxy’s pseudo-remake perfectly recaptures the joys of grinding around airports while peppering in some new skateparks of its own. More crucially, it brings back some of the greatest punk rock bangers to ever grace a video game soundtrack. Classic songs from Adolescents and CKY return for the remake, but the soundtrack is much more robust than that. In fact, the bulk of the songs featured are entirely new additions, bringing in everything from modern hip-hop artists to gloriously sloppy punk bands.

While that may disappoint some purists, the new music is the highlight of the package. It contains a bounty of killer tracks that fit right in alongside Motörhead’s “Ace of Spades.” From my early hours spent skating around in search of secret tapes, I’ve found a music discovery tool that’s far more effective than Spotify. There’s value in a heavily curated playlist built around a specific vibe rather than the loose recommendations of an algorithm. It feels like listening to a mixtape hand-made by Tony Hawk himself.

With so many new artists featured, the idea of finding your new favorite musician in that playlist may feel a little daunting. So, in the spirit of curation, allow me to sort through the record crate and hand you a few gems. These are some of my own favorite artists featured in the game who really capture the spirit of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater and the skate culture that birthed it. If you dig the songs included in the soundtrack, consider checking out........

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