Tony Hawk’s HD unlikely to have the original soundtrack

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD, a high definition conglomeration of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater and its sequel, probably won’t feature the soundtrack from the original games, Activision community blogger Dan Amrich has revealed.

“Probably not,” said Amrich, shattering the dreams of many a man child, before going on to explain why this is the case.

“First of all, ‘original soundtrack’ to which game? THPS HD is not a straight reissue; it’s neither THPS1 or THPS2, but a new game based on the levels and gameplay from both of those games.

“Second, music licensing is a one-time deal. The songs from the original games were only licensed for those specific games on those specific platforms at that specific time. Any other versions created later would need new licensing deals. This is also why not all songs from earlier Guitar Hero games are importable into later games: They only signed permission for it to be used in that one game. Any change means it’s a different deal.”

However, there remains a glimmer of hope that Activision can work something out regarding the soundtrack.

“Now, that does not mean they might not try to get some of the songs from the original games, but it’s simply not a sure thing. I don’t know what that song selection process is, to be honest, but if you have a request, there’s a Facebook page. But from a legal/licensing standpoint, they are back to square one. Having the same levels of the original games is not the same thing as having the same soundtrack.”

Amrich also pointed to the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater tradition of breaking new bands, and the possibility of the same thing happening with THPS HD.

“Consider that the THPS series was famous helping break new bands on its soundtracks; the reason a lot of these songs are such a strong part of people’s memories – beyond sheer repetition during gameplay! – is that THPS is the game that introduced you to that song or that artist. It’s entirely possible that the devs will stick with that tradition and mix up some classic tracks with new music. If that turns out to be the case, all you can hope is that some of those classic tracks are the ones you remember.”

Worst case, Amrich says you can create a custom playlist to listen to whilst you play.

Set for release in summer 2012, the game will feature the best levels from Pro Skater 1 and 2, rebuilt and remastered to take advantage of today’s hardware. Confirmed stages include School and Downhill.

Remakes of old games without the original music definitely lose something. SEGA’s port of Crazy Taxi to XBLA and PSN didn’t include The Offspring on the soundtrack and fans didn’t like it.

Rage Against the Machine, Primus, Dead Kennedys, Papa Roach, and Public Enemy are just a few of the bands we remember from the original games – new music would certainly lessen the nostalgia factor.