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Doctor_Fruitbat
Jun 2, 2013


Later Alligator is a short, hand drawn point and click game with a bunch of minigames to complete.

Vintage Gator Games

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gf5ixahRw5o

Mandy, Do You Know Any Other Songs?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxD9tYuF60g

Alligator Blues

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYV4AKjxSzM

Since I could only post three, I'd like to give a special mention to the birthday theme played entirely on kazoo. :yotj:

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Doctor_Fruitbat
Jun 2, 2013


Final Fantasy XIV

This is a quick taster, but this game needs a proper, multi-part rundown for each expansion and patch. The Realm Reborn OST is fine, but since the expansions the game has been one amazing track after another. Everyone talks about the incredible turnaround they managed with the gameplay, but it applies equally well to the soundtrack.

Shiva, Phase 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHkMfJBDFZM

The Copied Factory

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVAgd9dbYIs

Ruby Weapon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dc79dfqb44s

AngryRobotsInc
Aug 2, 2011

Mana Khemia

Nefertiti
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_l1k3oJM7So

Stigmata
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipNKfOEdDDM

Run For Your Life
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1xyXXB04hM

Erghh
Sep 24, 2007

"Let him speak!"

VideoGames posted:

Please do add licensed music. If it is a track that is in a video game then go for it! :)

Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag

The shanties really kick up the atmosphere here. Also good for doing work/chores unsurprisingly.

Third
Whisky Johnny O'

Second
Roll, Boys, Roll!

First
Leave Her Johnny

Regalingualius
Jan 7, 2012

We gazed into the eyes of madness... And all we found was horny.




Doctor_Fruitbat posted:

Later Alligator is a short, hand drawn point and click game with a bunch of minigames to complete.

Vintage Gator Games

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gf5ixahRw5o

Mandy, Do You Know Any Other Songs?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxD9tYuF60g

Alligator Blues

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYV4AKjxSzM

Since I could only post three, I'd like to give a special mention to the birthday theme played entirely on kazoo. :yotj:

Not quite on-topic with this thread, but you just know that if Sega ever made a Jet Set Radio 3, at least one of the tracks from 2 Mello’s tribute to the series would make it’s way into the OST.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBt8ioYEXBw



Actually, hell, speaking of...

Jet Set Radio Future is always going to hold a place in my heart for one of the greatest OSTs of all time; I’m legitimately struggling to narrow it down to any three specific tracks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WknLZ0X2PZQ

The Scrappy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skRfTDEx7_E

Statement of Intent

And, of course, the very first track you’d ever hear...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4V4IEV8l-gA

Concept of Love

Weedle
May 31, 2006




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xwOL20HwCE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GmLz3k9328

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2vnJhva0MQ

hotline miami
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_38h0A65pc

gta 4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WivhbQkzcdg

al-azad
May 28, 2009



Before we knew Doug TenNapel was an evangelical homophobe who hung out with Breitbart he was involved in some of the more informative video games of my life. I became a dumb animation nerd with a penchant for lounge jazz because of his games so I owe the talented composers some respect who made these games what they were.

Earthworm Jim Special Edition Tommy Tallarico

#3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_-6L-2FJ2A
An exclusive song to the Special Edition, actually horrifying and atmospheric for a game about a cartoon worm in a bodysuit

#2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcZ-ToHnyl4
The first level is such a bopper. It establishes the mood and gets you pumped for what's to come

#1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf6Bjz7DKFw
This is the first (and one of the rare) video game songs I can think of that's a straight parody. Opening with the classic Night on Bald Mountain that record skips into loving elevator music punctuated by screams of agony. Brilliant.

Earthworm Jim 2 Tommy Tallarico
Overall a step down from the original because it's a lot of remixing of classical songs but the standouts are truly exceptional

#3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJsFv3agnbQ

Masterful chord progression trough and through in a genre most video games don't really touch on.

#2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE8y3h3CnVI

Tallarico tops New Junk City as a first level song. When people talk about iconic songs in first levels this is the one I invariably go to.

#1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2BLJZnqq4U

An amazing riff on Sadeness that transcends parody into just *chef's kiss* the perfect video game song. A loving angelic piece, goddamn.

The Neverhood Terry Scott Taylor

So much of this soundtrack is like what if Randy Newman was drunk while composing Toy Story. It's nuts and Taylor creates this weird bluegrass soundtrack with nonsense scat singing that really sells a surreal clay world.

#3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKbJLCZsIOA

#2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQfSEphF5lo

#1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wh4WnHlsbvM

People who played Telltale's Sam & Max I'm pretty sure this was the direct inspiration for so much of Jared Emerson-Johnson's work (also fantastic, not enough is said about that series' music)

Skullmonkeys Terry Scott Taylor
Being an action platformer for PlayStation I feel like someone told Taylor he had to tone things down, make it more videogame like. The composition is more complex but it loses a little of Neverhood's personality. Still the result feels like Donkey Kong Country on acid. It's a good jam.

#3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8XecssPb9k

#2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9BFMGjrJTI

#1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fnluOMVISc
(I'll never leave you)

BoomBots composed by... idk, maybe TST or someone hired to rip him off?
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

#3 or whatever

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siH7kgkYJzE

#2 who cares

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgQV5fbDZkw

#1 ugh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmJvUTPJ2iM

Armikrog Terry Scott Taylor

I think this is Taylor's best work. It blends the absurdity of Neverhood while finding its own unique voice as an adventure game soundtrack.

#3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYFRcQDcoZg

#2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-XqzxplMzE

#1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDqxJPgPArg

VideoGames
Aug 18, 2003
(I have to say this thread is going even better than I had hoped!)

Thomas Was Alone

Third Place
Hope
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_wnAvXWzg4

Second Place
Where Are You?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1V0GoRo2Vw

First Place
Escape
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDGVmdnWQlA

This track gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. Thomas Was Alone was a game that I played during a particularly dark patch in my life and so many of the themes that it tackles helped keep me afloat in ways that I might never properly express. This track happening when it did in the game lifted me and the lingering memories that I have mostly shut out occasionally bubble when I hear it. It is a positive thing to me, showing how far I have come and how this track reminds me that I could get back up again. I love it. :)

VideoGames
Aug 18, 2003
Nier:Automata

Alright, this was EXCEPTIONALLY difficult to narrow down. This is my second favourite game of all time, and my favourite game soundtrack. So many of these songs are magnificent that picking three was almost impossible (except for my number #1 pick.) Almost the whole soundtrack employs layered, dynamic music too. They are subtle changes in some and stark in others. In the rebel encampment there is a jukebox that allows you to chill and listen to each of the layers seperately or build them up.

This is one of the all time great soundtracks and I cannot say enough good things! :D

Third Place
Memories of Dust
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvUMJ17jG6Q

Second Place
City Ruins (Rays of Light)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uIo3bYlpwE

First Place
Weight of the World
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihqln0-FlDI

I am extremely biased when it comes to this track. I have played Nier:Automata and so what this track means to me matters and matters deeply because of what it represents within the construct of the game. It is a gorgeous bit of music, this is for certain, but its weight is defined by what is happening in game when it plays.

This track is the culmination of a game that punctured my mind and heart. If this sounds like hyperbole then it probably is. I will never not hype this game because not one single game has ever affected me the way this one did. I got pulled into something I was unprepared for and explored themes I usually only read about. It still ranks as one of my favourite video game endings and if Portal 2 did not exist then this would be unbeatable in every sense. If you have not played it, please give it a try. I hope you connect to it in the same way I did.

VideoGames
Aug 18, 2003
Mass Effect

Third Place
The Normandy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2i-4g3yx9as

Second Place
Vigil
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hV1pPgpcAVw
(In my music library I renamed this: mass_effect.mp3 because basically, this is it :D)

First Place
Uncharted Worlds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TICn16U-rI

I will never forget the first time I heard this. It immediately stoked in me the sense of wonder of exploring a galaxy that neither of the other two games ever recaptured. It humbled the Normandy and caused me to believe that the galaxy I was about to face was huge and full of all these places I could touch down and see for myself, like an ancient explorer. :D It is the most important track for writing, for me, and I have an extended version that is an hour-long on in the background while I am being creative because it has one of the most pleasant and soothing main themes there is.

Erghh
Sep 24, 2007

"Let him speak!"
Far Cry 3

Knew a dude who worked on this game and generally have IRL memories related to it. Anyway, have some more hard to narrow down music for the edge of the world.

3.
Heat

2.
Falling Into a Dream

1.
Further

ajkalan
Aug 17, 2011

Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
This one was torture to pare down to three. Unfortunately, none of the atmospheric dungeon themes made the list, nor any of the moody, misty cutscene tracks. The whole soundtrack is great!

3. Large Map ~Last Area~
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQuEwWJHYM4

2. Reason Boss Battle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fylg8zp4Pzo

1. Demons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UR6pHaeRV3w
This one is really meant to be paired with TALK, but that's not allowed so it will stand on its own. One of my favorite battle themes from any game. It sounds like it's blowing itself up.

AngryRobotsInc
Aug 2, 2011

Astyanax - NES

Completely garbage game, but good music

Remlia Castle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9D-LXjKVe8

Prologue
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfFt0ipCtcE

Title Screen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1m0YYy2OU8

CharlieFoxtrot
Mar 27, 2007

organize digital employees



Final Fantasy XIV (2013-present, composers Masayoshi Soken and Nobuo Uematsu)

I posted a 14-track mixtape in the 2019 GOTY thread covering how wide and weird and wonderful this OST gets, so I'm avoiding duplicates here. I also heard our OP was not a fan of the metal tracks (which is fair) so I am deploying more orchestral-choral tracks which tap into the epic spirit of the game

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWtVj3OnCPc
Torn from the Heavens (from A Realm Reborn)
This contains the main leitmotif for the game (initially on flute)!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRISdYOQ5o0
Triumph (from Stormblood)
This contain lyrics from the anthem from one of the nations in the game and is a hymn of liberation (love that piano trill)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-T1k-9UvdlU
Equilibrium (from post-Heavensward)
This song tells the story of lasting consequences of imperial war and how it shatters the most marginalized. No I didn't put one of the most Nier-like songs in the last slot for any particular reason why do you ask

Erghh
Sep 24, 2007

"Let him speak!"
Ecco the Dolphin Sega CD version

Don't know if they're really favorites/the best but they're memorable I think. Whole thing is kind of classic 90s electronica.

3.
Undercaves
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kflIO9Junec&list=PLE04532A909911E6B&index=5

2.
Home Bay
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ8iYn0y4vc&list=PLE04532A909911E6B&index=12

1.
Title Screen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCiLK-9pgJs&list=PLE04532A909911E6B

Erghh
Sep 24, 2007

"Let him speak!"
Deus Ex

Speaking of classics here's this. Spent a lot of time with this one and still have the original CD for it. Another great all around ost for amibient/atmosphere stuff.

3.
'Deus Ex' (Orchestrated)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0H2v9TRESjQ&list=PL1C572B526934FD97&index=42

2.
'DuClare Chateau'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaVUJpCl-Yc&list=PL1C572B526934FD97&index=17

1.
Paris Streets
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2i61z1Wlj6s&list=PL1C572B526934FD97&index=16

100YrsofAttitude
Apr 29, 2013




This is a great thread that I don't want to die so I'll be adding stuff bit by bit as I carve down these soundtracks to only 3 tracks, which is super tough. So instead of one long post with a bunch of things in it I'll be doing a bunch of shorter ones.

So I only first played Katamari Damacy on my Switch and I was very taken in by it, but I was taken aback by the sheer quality of the soundtrack. It's an incredible soundtrack by any accounts and well-worth repeated listens thanks to its wildly shifting soundscapes.

Three tracks is super hard to pin-down, but there are no rules against honorable mentions. You'll just have to look them up yourself: Gin & Tonic & Red Red Roses
for it's super cool jazz and scatting and Wanda Wanda, the genre escapes me, and Angel Gifts for whatever that is. I just love how it crescendos (a thing with me).

Maybe my choices are conventional but I'm not a particular surprising person.

#3
Katamari Nah-Nah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7FPfxscmBs

I went with the boot-up version of the main theme and the song you hear in the tutorial. It's immediately weird and catchy and beats out the bombastic Katamari on the Rocks and the incredibly fun The Last Samba. It does a good job of presenting what exactly you're getting into.

#2
Walking on a Star!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o64PW1LE-0E

This is the main menu screen song. This little gem of a tune is on a screen you'll never spend more than 20 seconds on. It has this great upbeat sound with instruments and electronic beeps and it just crescendos amazingly well. It's just about everything I love about this soundtrack in general condensed onto a single track. Angel Gifts kinda does what this one does a bit differently.

#1
Lonely Rolling Star
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okEluVGlWio

This is possibly a conventional pick, but I'm a sucker for a good pop song and this is some fine synth pop. More importantly, I generally hate video game songs with lyrics. Something about them always feels cheesy and overdone, whether sung in English or Japanese. But for whatever reason they just sound like they work here (I don't understand Japanese), and the staccato phrasing works well with the drums and bass. Just very well-constructed pop music.

100YrsofAttitude
Apr 29, 2013




Now if someone actually remembers when these songs play that'd be fantastic.

Age of Empires was one of the things I could run on our old Mac. Then when I couldn't run it anymore, not knowing anything about computers I put it in my new Macbook, thinking it'd prompt me to do something cool so I could play it. It prompted instead to play the music of it in iTunes, and that was my first ever video game music soundtrack that I had outside of a game! It's great atmospheric stuff, and I don't even know if the names are even right. I wish that they weren't Windows only on Steam because I'd pick up all these games in a heartbeat.

#3 Dawn of a New Age
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Llo8ckcrYgI

#2 The Emergence
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOciUztoshk

#1 The Wind Gods

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTeC4k7EuqQ
I love the different layers and motifs on this song, it makes it sound complex, and it feels very exploration to me.

Honorable Mention: Rain on this playlist and I'm pretty sure on iTunes, these 4 songs were played one after the other but in the order of 312 and then Rain. These are the best tracks to just melt into. Though I don't really remember when they play in game.

100YrsofAttitude
Apr 29, 2013




So I want to tackle one of my earliest game memories, and one of the ones where the music is at its best. The Donkey Kong Country series, holds a special place in many 90's kids hearts and its music by David Wise and Eveline Fischer is really amazing.

This wasn't easy to whittle down and I don't care if my choices are conventional or not but here are the top 3.

#3 Ice Cave Chant
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lyRI_M8ZXE

This plays during the only ice cave level (hence the title) and I love the mix of atmospheric synths in the background alongside the chipper melody. It's a very pretty and fun song. The level that features it is fine. Honorable mention goes to Northern Hemispheres, the other ice-stage song, that has an amazing second half but takes a bit to build up to it.

#2 Funky's Fugue
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecpMeFI4wyM

This song is just way too fun. The vocals, the driving beat and rhythm, and the electric steel drum bit with a Jackson like whoo! What more could you want? It's a power track, and it just screams the quality of this soundtrack when this is used merely as the background music to a side character.

#1 Fear Factory
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v18pEFQb3EM

Is this conventional? Maybe. I didn't go with Aquatic Ambiance because ultimately I like this more rock-like songs, even if the atmosphere ones are great. This is played in the first of the industrial levels and it really ups the ante in the game at the time. It's just a really complex song with tons of layers and it just rocks.

VideoGames
Aug 18, 2003
I have not forgotten about this thread, I just wanted others to post :)

Portal 2
My most favourite game of all time. I listen to this soundtrack a lot and thinking about these tracks without hearing them will actually give me goosebumps like the Nier:Automata soundtrack does. I think it absolutely is wonderful and does the same really cool layering thing (though not to the extent) that Nier:Automata does - as in, depending on the gels you have sound effects that could be part of the overall music. It is a neat little trick and enhances the mood.


Third Place
Reconstructing Science
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAeiqxNH3W0

The 'theme song' of portal. Punchy, fun and completely representing the state of Portal 2 compared to Portal 1's reconstructing science and the general environment of Aperture Science.


Second Place
Exile Vilify (by The National)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-Vg2YS-sFE

This song can only be found and heard in game by locating a radio off in a corner of one test chamber. It is haunting and thoughtful and fits the hinted backstory superbly. I was blown away when I came across it the first time and just ended up waiting and listening to the whole thing while holding the radio. One of those gaming moments you never forget because it was so unexpected. I think it was the first time Portal 2 went from great game to something truly special to me.


First Place
Your Precious Moon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c624QWR3CXI

This is it. This is my favourite track from the whole game. It often starts 'playing' in my head when I go about my business because the moment of the game when it began playing coupled with the ending is so burned into my mind that it is almost overwhelming when I recall it. One day I will probably try to write out my feelings on this game because everything it does is the most perfect definition of a video game for the kind of person I am. To me, and my personality, it is a flawless masterpiece.

100YrsofAttitude
Apr 29, 2013




These top 3 rules are so tough. So I spent a lot of time on my SNES as a kid, and most of that time was spent on 5 games, 3 of which were the Donkey Kong Country series. So now my favorite tracks from: Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kong's Quest, which is my favorite of the three games.

I had to whittle this down from 15 songs or so, and it was tougher because this soundtrack really has 3 flavors: atmosphere, boppers, and villainous themes. If I could choose 3 from each of those then that'd be easy, but nope.

Honorable Mentions Like I said I had to choose from 15 tracks. I won't put them all up, but I will say I was sad not to include Mining Melancholy. The anvil notes are ingrained in my mind and I can tap out that beat at any given moment. The anvil sounds were first heard in DKC so it's cool to hear them repurposed here for such a good track. Disco Train is just so unique for what it is. It's very memorable. K. Rool Returns I didn't add it because it's so short, but you hear it pretty much every time you boot up the game and it introduces the nautical theme very well.

3: Forest Interlude
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5EgRk0mQM8

DKC 2 is the king of atmospheric tracks and this is a fine example. I don't really know how this was supposed to work to get me in the mood to traverse the level, but it's great for just walking or slowly driving.

2: Jibjig
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9815dOsSb6c

The game doesn't stick to its pirate aesthetic for very long, but this song just got me into it. Growing up by the sea this song would often come to mind.

1: Stickerbrush Symphony
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdPlcKg-qFs

This is as conventional as it gets, but this was undoubtedly one of the first songs that made me realize just what was happening sonically in a game. Most songs up until this helped convey the action or adventure in a game, or they'd be catchy if repetitive tunes. But this song is just layers of composition.

100YrsofAttitude
Apr 29, 2013




Might as well finish this.

I never quite liked Donkey Kong Country 3 as much as the other two. Could be the timing of the game. It came later, and at a point where it felt like what it wanted to do had been done. Note I say felt, because the game is incredibly good in retrospect. It doesn't really have the charm of the two former games, and it's already indulging the Collect-a-thon nature of later platformers, for better or for worse, but it's the tightest of the three and it has some really good level design. Musically it's more atomspheric, though the main composer is no longer David Wise but Eveline Fischer. So this game doesn't quite move me as the others, but there are songs that still get to me.

It was far easier to pick three here as I only had to whittle down from about 6 or so. I have far less memories of this game.

#3 Rocket Run
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vifrjlAyREE

A lot of the songs in this game are actually pretty stressful, but it shows that they were really meant to be part of the active experience. I'll never forget this level, it just struck me as super novel, flying through a rocket barrel.

#2 Mill Fever
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8m3UpEIOnI

The more classic DK sound is in this one and again it had some interesting gameplay, with an Elephant who can't see a rat. I can still hear those sound effects when playing this song.

#1 Submap Shuffle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpRVRL7nrso

I'm not sure if it's a sign of the lack quality in the soundtrack or the just the sheer quality of this one track (probably the latter), but I really love the stage selection song. It really sets you up for adventure and exploration, and considering the amount of time spent on the screen it adds plenty of mystery, while fitting with all the different geographical regions in the game.

DKC music was always at its best when it was atmospheric and slightly exotic, both giving you the feel and sounds of a jungle through its instrumentation.

100YrsofAttitude
Apr 29, 2013




My most played SNES game was almost without a doubt SMW2: Yoshi's Island. I never owned Super Mario World, and I technically didn't own Yoshi's Island. We were lent it by a Japanese neighbor that ended moving back to Japan before we remembered we still had it. A lot of songs in this game really just stuck with me over time and a lot of them are just Koji Kondo at his best. Yoshi's Island is among one of the best platformers and the music matches it's feel perfectly, which is impressive considering there really isn't all that many level themes.

Honorable Mentions: Map Theme: Another Stage select screen worth lingering on. This is a bit like the Katamari song I posted earlier, because it takes a simple hook and just builds on it. Crescendoes just kill me. Big Boss Theme I didn't want to be redundant so I didn't choose it even though it's a great rock song, both unexpected, and it super pumps you up. The solos kick rear end. Athletic I don't necessarily love this song, but the intense jazz manouche vibes are incredible. Listen to that clarinet just going off! We loved the skiing sequences a lot so this was playing A LOT.



#3 Bowser
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44vSEmdSNww

Considering the average level track, this song rips. It's super metal and it wouldn't be out of place in more violent games like Doom or as the final boss theme in a gritty RPG. Why is it here in a Mario game? Who made these solos? It's pretty fantastic.

#2 Yoshi's Island Title Screen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7bmXBT22PI

I love this song, and incidentally it was the first video game bass line I bothered to learn (here tonight while choosing these songs!) Again I would let this screen linger for this song that is both tropical and whimsical and already setting up the game sonically.

#1 Flower Garden
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shl6hvn4_IE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqQq4hla0xo

While I may admit this is not the best song in the game (it's probably Bowser's theme, because come on) this is the song that I'll randomly tap along to in my head without even noticing. This is the song that I'll catch myself humming and thinking "I should play Yoshi's Island". This song and this game are the reason I bought an SNES Mini, I just wanted an easy way to play Yoshi's Island. That's a fun system so I wasn't mad that it came out on Switch Online, just another chance to 100% again and listen to this fantastic bouncy tune forever. Just listening to the bridge and the percussion... it's just about, just almost the best song in the game. I find the horn a touch whiny is all. I did cheat a bit and include the level intro drum beat. They are inseparable in my mind.

rargphlam
Dec 16, 2008
Final Fantasy VIII is a weird rear end divisive game. The draw system is...bad, junctions are not intuitive, the plot is a mess, the original English translation has some glaring issues, and yet I still love the whole experience. And it has some solid music. I wouldn't describe the VIII soundtrack as one of the best in the Final Fantasy series, but it is somber, reflective, and at times surprisingly energized. I tried to pick the three tracks that are the most emotive of the FFVIII experience.

#3 - The Man with the Machine Gun https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jho-peCAKs

This is one of the more surprising tracks. It comes at a sudden transition, and the mood it sets creates a distinct contrast to what was before. Hands done the best battle music in the game.

#2 - Dance with the Balamb Fish https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XV42kmH7zc0

There's a lot of orchestral pieces to pick from in VIII, from soaring to brooding. This one in particular comes at an important moment, and is a lovely tone setter for a particular relationship.

#1 - Roses and Wine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzKHWdVMsag

I would argue that Roses and Wine above any other is the definitive track from the VIII OST. It is sad, but hopeful. Like a lot of the other music in the game, it is about love, and the possibilities that love can create.

Hwurmp
May 20, 2005

Xanadu Next

Two Love
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fzvEPXvkYE

Trechier Woods
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geDWjSbuA44

Evildoer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WZxZnpk-mU



just get every Falcom game in here

Sir_Phobos
May 24, 2011

Don't you wanna see it?
River City Girls

This has been my favorite soundtrack to listen to recently. After I finished River City Girls, I went back and listened to the soundtrack unaccompanied by gameplay, and I enjoyed it more than I did during my playthrough. Some songs, especially the boss themes, are hard to fully appreciate while playing since you're busy fighting and trying not to die. Overall, the RCG soundtrack fits perfectly to the game's tone and has a lot of variety. There's songs with lyrics, instrumentals, and wild chiptunes that play during bossfights. It's tough to narrow it down to a top 3, but here it is anyway:

#3 - Bully
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xyHC8CiBXE
My favorite of the tracks with vocals, it's super catchy and the lyrics are perfect for the game and its characters.

#2 - Boss: Abobo (feat. Chipzel)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Utu-jWKrnCA
This is such a fantastic remix of an already great song, "A Tough Fight" from River City Ransom. Listening to this made me appreciate the original track even more than I already did, but Chipzel brings out the catchiness in some of the passages and emphasizes the raw energy that the original track created through repetition.

#1 - Boss: Sabuko (feat. Chipzel)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFzb3XfTwKA
I might get yelled at for not putting Abobo's theme in the #1 spot, but I just love this track so much. It's so intense, and it feels like it's been boiled down to only the essential elements that will maximize tension. It feels like I'm having a heart attack when I listen to it. It's great.

100YrsofAttitude
Apr 29, 2013




I know the OP did VVVVVV but I can't remember if someone posted Celeste. I wanted to do The Return of the Obra Dinn, but I don't think it's been out long enough and the music is such a part of the experience, I wouldn't want to ruin that. So, let's do Celeste, where the music is also part of the experience but since it's story isn't much to be spoilered, I think it's fine posting some great tunes.

Honorable Mentions: really wanted to post all the music in Chapter 6, but I couldn't find a video that had them altogether so that idea ended there. In the Mirror is also great, but there's some passages in the song that aren't really easy to listen to, and it's a piece that works well with its atmosphere. I like it more for it's technical aspects than I do for its musicality.

#3 First Steps
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8OHSXvneOE

This is the song featured in the First Chapter of Celeste. It introduces the main motif of the game that'll be explored in different fashions. I think the tones that were used here fit the game perfectly and it's an "ice stage", and again the sounds are perfect. You here this song a lot as you first try to understand the controls of the game, and begin to die. You won't die much. This section isn't particularly hard, and later when you go back to it, you'll be zooming along in no time. I was taken in quickly by this song, the gameplay, and the aesthetic.

#2 Resurrections
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rwAvUvvQzQ

This song is the archetype of the second face to Celeste. It's dark and moody and has highs and lows. This the theme of the 2nd chapter, and it contrasts so strongly to the first, and yet it also matches it perfectly. I feel together they really represent what Raine was doing with her compositions. Chapter 2 ups the ante, but not impossibly so, but already you're getting a taste of what's to come.

#1 Reach for the Summit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDVM9KED46Q

This is the song of the final chapter of the base game, and boy does it live up. You're a veteran by this point, dashing and climbing through the hardest challenges you've yet faced (but far from the hardest in the game!), and you hear this motif again, your motif encouraging you ever higher and higher. It's a real rush and beating the game is sheer exhilaration and this song captures that whole mood perfectly. It's definitely a section to be played.

In fact researching this piece I began to replay the game, thanks to all my new-found time, and it's a real gem that I highly recommend to anyone with a passing interest in platforming.

100YrsofAttitude fucked around with this message at 14:39 on Mar 17, 2020

100YrsofAttitude
Apr 29, 2013




So here’s a series I’ve wanted to discuss for a bit, and I know we all have our opinions about it, but we can’t talk about video game music without talking about the Legend of Zelda. Not just because it has a good soundtrack, but because music becomes it’s whole deal for a few games in the series. So here’s my go at the best songs from each game.

The Legend of Zelda- I’ve beaten this a few times now and what bugs me is how stupidly good the music is. It came out in 1986 and it had no business having the range it does, and with only about 6 songs that make a soundtrack of under 8 minutes. It’s ridiculous.

#3 End Credits
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2sQKNGcp2I

I don’t necessarily like this song, but it’s so weird and out of place with the rest of the music. This sounds like Mario music or some arcadey thing that Nintendo did before hitting their stride. It’s an anomaly really.

#2- Labyrinth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMssCMqMHuk

The Labyrinth theme is so short, so repetitive, and so moody. You’re taken straight out of the adventurous Overworld theme and all of the sudden you know you’re in for some poo poo. The riff is hardly 20 seconds long and it just repeats and it’s so effective. You know you have a good hook when you can deal with listening to it for hours on end.

#1- The Opening
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyMKWJ5e1kg

This is a variation of the Overworld/Main theme, but I prefer it for being more complex. It’s slower, has more depth, and gears you up for the action to come, unlike the Overworld theme which is outright bombastic.

Link’s Adventure: I’ve only played this once, on that disc that came with a Wind Waker pre-order or something. I wouldn’t mind re-playing it but I remember it being super tough. That said the music was cool to experience having first come into contact with it in Super Smash Bros Melee. It’s a weird soundtrack because it was composed not by Koji Kondo but by Akito Nakatsuka, who worked on other arcadey games of the time, like Excitebike and Clu Clu Land. Kondo would helm the most notable games in the series, but has since moved on after the GC era.

#3 Title Screen/Prologue
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ue5KL9IFS5k

Much like the Title Screen in Zelda 1, I like this more somber take on the main motif. It’s not as upbeat and that’s ok.

#2 Ending
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0PkVJwAJHY

This is a very sweet and melancholic series of notes that you get at the end of the game before the credits. It was the reward for beating this tough game and sort of put me in mind of the difficulty of the game, not really the achievement.

#1 Palace Theme
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-VUVvvlQK8

I’ll admit this is more tied to the hours spent playing Temple in Smash, but it’s a great dungeon theme, and the Great Palace variation is good too, but habit makes me prefer this one.

A Link to the Past- Now this is the game I spent time on. It ranked alongside the DKC games and Yoshi’s Island, though it was by far the hardest and it took me a long time to figure out how to get to the Moon Pearl, because I was an idiot child. Still I love this game and the music still reminds me of those days.

Honorable Mentions: The Overworld Theme. I didn’t include because we all know it and it’s there, but I do love this version. It’s the definitive theme for me, and I just love that cymbal crash. The other two that just missed the cut were the Dark World Theme and Hyrule Castle, both which are similarly dark and bombastic in their own way.

#3 Sanctuary Dungeon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zi0APizJuRU

Like I said I spent a long time replaying the first two dungeons of the game since I was an idiot child, so I got used to this music and it was always super eerie. I love how the intro goes into the staccato string motif and it just holds from there. It’s a gorgeous theme and it fits the dungeons better than the Dark World one in my opinion.

#2 Opening Demo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=docHLu21k20

The times I would just watch this intro over and over again. It has the wonderful harmonies in Time of the Falling Rain, plus a very poignant melody line. I guess I have something for Zelda title screens! But again this sets up the urgency that carries through the beginning of the game. I don’t remember if this motif was ever revisited in the later games. I’m sure it was, most themes reappear one way or another.

#1 Turned into a rabbit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmkaqXCWlDI

I got really used to this track as I stumbled over the small patch of Death Mountain that you access before the Moon Pearl. I couldn’t figure out the trick with the Magic Mirror for ages, and I swear the solution came to me in a dream. I always thought it sucked you couldn’t hear this melody after getting the Moon Pearl, because it’s one of the coolest Dark World themes. It’s only there for a short bit, especially if you solve this puzzle. Also Link’s rabbit form is precious, and I was pretty happy with the Ravio call-back.

Next I'll tackle the GB games.

100YrsofAttitude
Apr 29, 2013




Link’s Awakening DX

Link’s Awakening DX is a drat good game. How they managed to put the big experience of Link to the Past on a Gameboy (Color) game is beyond me. It’s an undoubtedly charming game and adventure. More importantly here, it’s probably the first game in the series with a real focus on music seeing as your MacGuffin’s are all musical instruments.

This was super hard to choose 3 themes for, but I’m mostly happy with my choices, especially with my top choice. The styles range from quirky, menacing, melancholic, and your typical adventurous.

Honorable Mentions: Christine the Goat, Weird Mr Write, and the Hen House all have an incredibly catchy little hook that I just love. It’s got no real development though. It really took me ages to decide what Ballad of the Wind Fish I wanted to go with, I think it’s a good one, but the version that Link and Marin do together with the Ocarina is also terrific, as is the version with all the instruments, as short as it is.

#3: Tal Tal Heights
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhBePY-_iZ8

One of the best Overworld themes and it really fits with the rugged terrain around the Wind Fish Egg. I also love the bass breakdown before it loops and I wish they’d have run with it a bit more.

#2 Credit Roll
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUFVKgv3K-c

This is probably my favorite version of the Ballad of the Wind Fish. They let it play out, they add layers, and it ends on that wonderfully hopeful note. The latter part of the song is a great variation on the main theme as well. Having always been musically inclined it was really important to see a game where music was a main theme. My dad, a musician himself, always kind of derided video games, even if he indulged me, but I think Link’s Awakening was the first time he seemed slightly more interested in my childhood prattlings about the games I played because of that.

#1 Catfish Maw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3f0GrdSk_jI

This game has incredible dungeon tracks, and I’m pretty sure it was the first game where every dungeon had its own track. I love the Jaw-like simplicity of this track, and the sudden audio bursts are incredibly jarring. It’s super creepy. Face Shrine and Bottle Grotto are also favorites, with the first for its eeriness and the latter for it’s amazing bridge and it’s play on Tail Cave, the first dungeon, that sounds like the cave track but with just an extra bit more to really make you know this is serious.

Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons

I haven’t played these two in a while, and while Ocarina of Time pre-dates them I feel they fit better alongside Link’s Awakening sonically. They remaster a few tracks from Link’s Awakening, like the Overworld Theme and they also Gameboy-fy some tracks from Ocarina (the Windmill Hut song is particularly nice), but they’re games with a weird sound. They’re darker, more melancholic and the majority of tracks reflect that. Listening to the soundtracks again it’s funny how much people wanted “Mature Zelda” after Ocarina of Time, because these games alongside Majora’s Mask, ostensibly starred a child but they sure sound darker than any of the previous games. Or maybe it’s just my taste in these songs that tends to lead to the sadder themes.

#3 Dancing Dragon Dungeon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhGS79bPPCI

The only “bopper” worth listening to in my opinion. From Seasons.

#2 Tarm Ruins
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0EumkAeEAo

The game has a lot of these echoey effects and I think it uses them to great effect, it really works well in this area. Again from Seasons.

#1 Sad Theme
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0lDskCT9hY

From Ages this time but I do remember this scene in the city and it’s all very poignant. A fine example of the mood set by the game.

BONUS: I recently finished Link’s Awakening Switch, and WOW. They really took those songs and did a number on them, re-working and orchestrating them beautifully. So I’m including those here despite them sounding quite different. I was also curious to see if the same tracks are among my favorites or not. The whole soundtrack is delight, so choosing only 3 was particularly tough. The obvious themes are well-done but it’s amazing what they do with the tinier ones so I’ll probably focus on those.

Honorable Mentions: They made recorder versions of the more popular themes in the game, I don’t remember when they actually play in-game, they may have been merely promotional, but they are a delight and they fit the new aesthetic to a tee. Eagle’s Tower is great and creepy in a way the first one wasn’t. A lot of the dungeon songs get re-worked really well, Face Shrine is almost a song out of Majora’s Mask it’s so moody. Animal Village is so dumb but I love it, because it uses Mario Paint animal sounds. Player Select Marin is where the Wii-Shop theme went.

I realize this list is getting super long and cheating, but I just want to point out one of my favorite things about this game is the small additional instruments they added at times like the bursts of percussion in the side-scrolling sequences or the eerie cellos in the caves. They’re small touches but incredibly effective.

#3 Cucco House
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5INnttvfaE

I love what they did to this track. It’s the same little hook, but the whistling and melodica really just nail its whimsy.

#2 Angler’s Tunnel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Djsxk3RQ2aM

This is such a great version. You can still hear the main theme as an afterthought in the background, like they even knew it wasn’t worth the trouble, and instead you have these wonderful watery strings and a heavy woodwind (oboe? I don’t know). It makes it an altogether different theme. I love it.

#1 The Wise Owl
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boY0Yp9tHNk

Another small theme that was vastly improved by just adding some horns. I loved hearing this alongside the owls' hoots, and when I went back to the GBC game I was very sad to hear the lack of extra instrumentation, just really driving home it’s impact.

I think I’ll take a short break before tackling the N64 games, and explore some racing games I loved from the SNES.

100YrsofAttitude
Apr 29, 2013




F-Zero

I LOVE this soundtrack. It’s arguably some of the best 20 minutes of music on the console, on any console. I am also terrible at F-Zero, but who cares, this music is great. It’s futuristic, it’s fast, it rocks and it bops, it’s the whole package. The entire soundtrack is an honorable mention so I’ll just say that I don’t care for Death Wind. That’s it. All the other songs are amazing.

#3 White Land II
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2cKH2dz7FA

It has a bit of an edge over the first version, but listen to the echoey high hats, that unrelenting bass line. The screeching horn synth thing. You’re driving and you’re driving fast and ever faster. Just a great racing track.

#2 Port Town
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbE0GVVStQs

I think Port Town is just the right blend of speed and intensity and foreboding. There’s mystery in this track, and you’ve got to get to the bottom of the mystery FAST. I love its little riffs. I love this song.

#1 Silence
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJCmbipfnyA

Easily my favorite song, and I was so happy to see it was in Smash Bros Ultimate (along with most of the soundtrack). I love the name of the song, I love how unrelentingly joyful the song sounds, and the bass line is intensely cool. It was also just about the hardest track I could regularly get to.

We need a new F-Zero game. I’m horrible at them but I love everything about them. I found this while looking for tracks and it's WILD: F-Zero Jazz Fusion .

Amp
Sep 10, 2010

:11tea::bubblewoop::agesilaus::megaman::yoshi::squawk::supaburn::iit::spooky::axe::honked::shroom::smugdog::sg::pkmnwhy::parrot::screamy::tubular::corsair::sanix::yeeclaw::hayter::flip::redflag:
I made this youtube playlist instead of actually working from home, it has everything I could add to a youtube playlist in it. For some reason the Yoshi's Island stuff was on youtube for kids and it won't let you add those to a playlist.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLntoZNFVeQv775_KKFPU8Ti4ARbEM9v-X

Amp fucked around with this message at 20:12 on Mar 23, 2020

Amp
Sep 10, 2010

:11tea::bubblewoop::agesilaus::megaman::yoshi::squawk::supaburn::iit::spooky::axe::honked::shroom::smugdog::sg::pkmnwhy::parrot::screamy::tubular::corsair::sanix::yeeclaw::hayter::flip::redflag:
I can't really think of a game (I'm sure there are other examples, but please allow me just a bit of fancy here) that more elucidates how wildly different early PC hardware could affect a game's entire feeling and presentation via the music than Michael Land's Secret of Monkey Island soundtrack

The has been video after video after video on the topic if you're curious to poke around some history and hear some wildly different sounds that are all from the same game.

As far as my favorites?

#3 - The Scumm Bar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9X2L4nJCZE

#2 - Opening Themes & Introduction
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Onie4N5FTlE

#1 - LeChuck's Theme
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUJ-r6xru18

Sir_Phobos
May 24, 2011

Don't you wanna see it?
La-Mulana (Remake)

I just finished my third playthrough of La-Mulana over the weekend, so I thought I'd attempt to rank my favorite songs from the remake's absolutely incredible soundtrack. Seriously, if you haven't played the game, or don't want to (I wouldn't blame you), at least check out the music. Almost every song is a 10/10. I even considered putting one of the shop themes that's just a 20-second loop on here! Here's my top 3:

#3 - Grand History
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7UulnIcuC0
It's such a catchy bop, and it's got an upbeat rhythm that you can envision an ancient society dancing to.

#2 - Primitive Dance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4snogOECfU0
Speaking of dances, this one feels like it's from a forgotten land. It's also one of the longer loops, and the drums are phenomenal.

#1 - Sabbat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EEMYYpwOpg
My favorite boss theme, and my favorite boss. It kind of feels like a sea shanty with the way it swings around.

100YrsofAttitude
Apr 29, 2013




I know I've been posting more than commenting but I love hearing all this stuff.

Two smaller submissions today.

Super Mario Kart

The racing game I was actually good at. We would play Mario Kart for hours so these tunes are also burned all the way back into my lizard brain.

Honorable Mentions: The Choose your driver song is fantastic and we alway skipped it faster than you could imagine as we raced to see who could be Koopa. The fact that I raced as Koopa almost exclusively means their victory theme is also near and dear.

#3 Rainbow Road
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQ7ofQpuEHo

What a cool futuristic sound for a track. This level was horrifying to play but it was also a disco rave in the sky.

#2 Battle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfOYecKIGyc

This theme was probably the most played. We would spend so much time playing battle, hoarding feathers and red shells and jumping into inaccessible areas.

#1 Koopa Beach
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eM0J8t10FM

I liked Koopa and I liked their beach. I can still hear the tires driving through the water. What a fun soundtrack.

Pilotwings:
A weird game I finally tried out thanks to SNES Online. The music was surprisingly sophisticated. It is a weird weird game though.

#3 Hang Glider
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOkHjbbeUqY

#2 Flight Club
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsu5i6_KrdI

#1 Light Plane
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqTt9j_bHPE

This is not an easy game but its saving grace are its cool themes. It makes having to restart over and over far more bearable. Also I made this list just to share this tune. It's so good.

Amp
Sep 10, 2010

:11tea::bubblewoop::agesilaus::megaman::yoshi::squawk::supaburn::iit::spooky::axe::honked::shroom::smugdog::sg::pkmnwhy::parrot::screamy::tubular::corsair::sanix::yeeclaw::hayter::flip::redflag:
Doing a quick hit today and also sort-of cheating this one because Invincible wasn't really in-game.

World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King

#3 - Howling Fjord
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85JLNFc4eT4

#2 - Arthas, My Son
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86f_U_q4SFg

#1 - Invincible
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4n6WP9qHyRM

100YrsofAttitude
Apr 29, 2013




Ocarina of Time

The game has a soundtrack that only numbers a little over an hour. That’s an album’s worth. Yet, it’s filled with so many memorable melodies and songs. Ocarina of Time is remembered fondly by many people in many different ways. I think that Kondo managed to outdo himself on this one because music is a massive feature of the game, more so than it had ever been. The existence of proper cutscenes also led to more orchestration.
This was far easier to choose than I expected though. I mean I knew what my top two were. Listening to the soundtrack there are great and memorable tunes, but few that truly grabbed me. So that helped.

Honorable Mentions: This game has great village themes most notably Goron Village and Zora’s Domain. The first has great layers of percussion and a certain whimsy to it and the latter is far more interesting than you’d think. I also think the best fight song is the basic Battle theme. It’s a bit like Jaw’s but the constant snare drums with the deep clarinet just keep you properly on edge.

#3 Forest Temple
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKeDzFoNU68

It was between Forest Temple and Fire Temple for a while there. The dungeon’s in this game have exquisite soundtracks that are extremely evocative and atmospheric. I loved the percussion and vocal work in Fire Temple, but the loop is rather short and it gets pretty repetitive. Plus the ambient noise of the volcano drowns out that music pretty well. On the other hand Forest Temple is well known for its music, but it is the perfect first Adult temple. I also loved how it had an entrance and a veranda area. It felt like a real home.

#2 Lost Woods
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umBT4erW4Ts

Saria’s song is infectious. Saria’s song is life. Honestly though, how fun is this song? It’ll be stuck in my head for days and I won’t have any issues with that. The poo poo they did with five or six notes on the Ocarina themes is insane and this is one of the catchiest hooks imaginable.

#1 Windmill Hut
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jHN3_8bhC4

Round and Round. I’d just plunk Link in there and walk away to hear this song. It’s a hypnotic weird melody and I love it. It’s arguably my favorite Kondo composition of all time. It’s one of those songs that if I had written it, I would’ve felt satisfied with my life accomplishments forevermore.

Majora’s Mask

This is arguably my favorite Zelda game. It was the first game I got with my N64 and it’s remake led to my New 3DS. The game deserves merit for a lot of things, but it also continued with the musical themes presented in Ocarina of Time and just ran with them. Music continues to be at the fore-front of the series at this point. Majora’s Mask differs from being by far the moodiest soundtrack until now, which is fitting for the game. It does however have some wonderful moments of levity as well. It also tops out at nearly 2 hours which shows the evolution of game music as a whole.

Honorable mentions: This game has some great tunes, though I guess it was easier to choose which ones I truly loved since I’ve played it so much. I didn’t add the Zora Band songs, for being too short, but all their Bossa Nova style tracks are great, since it’s stuff my dad played himself while I grew up. I also loved the easter eggs they had of older songs being played as practice tracks. The Astral Observatory and Bremen Mask song are exemplary of the game’s weirdness and the Giant’s theme just missed out on being my melancholy song of choice.

#3 Great Bay Temple
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3a0LGVoFHnA

For a game with only 4 dungeons the dungeons are pretty brilliant. I spent far too long in Great Bay Temple, and I hate that they made it dead-easy in the 3DS remaster (which is generally good except for temples/bosses). It was a close-call between this and Woodfall temple, but I like this better for keeping to more traditional dungeon sounds overall and because I was in here for FAR TOO LONG.

#2 Mask House Theme
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnrN8uZTYnc

I had to put in the Song of Healing. It's a beautiful line, from only a few notes. I chose this version because it’s got the best Majora’s Mask sounds. The very traditional percussion and weird melodies. This game is weird, and the Mask House Man is very weird, and this is his music. Listening to it places you in no other game but Majora’s Mask.

#1 Title Demo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2vFoWcRa_s

Another great intro. I love it for featuring the Clock Town music, which I hum to myself on occasion and for also slipping into the ominous melancholy of the game as a whole. The Clock Town music is fantastic for changing as each day passes, but the versions I found of it weren’t great so let’s go with this.

JollyBoyJohn
Feb 13, 2019

For Real!
Those Monkey Island picks are top tier, I didn't play the games till the remake came out but man I'd love love to try them as a kid

Anyway after a wee think I'm going to pick God Hand, its the first game that game to mind which had a bunch of memorable tracks that maybe not everyone has heard

1. Gene's Rock-a-Bye
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsn_RwOOZiQ
This is the first levels theme, its a great boppy instrumental kind reminds me of The Shadows, it sets the tone for the game perfectly, its almost the kind of song you'd find in a Tarantino soundtrack and I love it. There is also a more uptemo version called Broncobuster -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEpGs3STXMY - but its just the same tune but faster

2. Smoking Roll
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvxD2YHc80k
This is an odd funky disco tune with a bit of a vocal Elvis like going on, its played when your fighting this fatass devil demon coincedentally named Elvis, who will cover you in cigar smoke and then sit on you with his massive bum.

3. End Credits Them
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhTL3sOINKY
The lyrics to this are silly and delivered in a breathless stupor but it nails it as an ending to a very memorable game.

100YrsofAttitude
Apr 29, 2013




Someone earlier focused on Terry Scott Taylor and their work and so I want to focus on another composer Tim Follin and his brother Greg, with whom he often worked. They made the most mind-bending prog/metal tracks among early video game consoles. I’m using this to split up my Legend of Zelda posts both to neutralize all those tunes, but also to keep a more regular flow coming. I’ve never played these games but I discovered Tim Follin listening to the Demons de Midi podcast, a French language podcast that plays video game music. After each track they explain a bit of the background, so if you don’t understand French and don’t want to learn it you can just skip ahead to the next track. I think if you liked VVVVVV you’ll like this. It’s clearly an inspiration.

So I’m just judging on how good they sound as opposed to anything else as again I have no memories associated with these games. I’ve only kept the games (there’s a lot) that had 3 tracks that I liked and I'll probably go through to Plok because that's a game I am familiar with.

Ghouls and Ghosts Commodore 64

This was my first time listening to these first two soundtracks and according to Wikipedia this one his first credit. His sound is already pretty established, but it's cool to see how it later develops.

#3 Stage 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QE0vG5F6NNo

#2 Stage 5
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sU-ss4JXe2Q

#1 Stage 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENK_HtaVlUI

Target: Renegade

#3 Track 06
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTjmCryzfH4

#2 Track 02
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6XqZ2q459Q

#1 Track 08
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nWSuvlMNVM

Pictionary

These next 3 games I was already aware of from different sources and they are still mind-blowing. Just some awesome soundtracks on nothing more than the NES. The guy never had any formal training either.

#3 Title Screen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJwh3erQlyE

#2 Mini-game 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdZGtDHmCOo

#1 Drawing Game
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8bVrwQxDXc

Silver Surfer:

To make things even more bizarre supposedly these games were hot garbage, like Silver Surfer. Follin didn't really know what the game he was composing for was supposedly like, so things could get disproportionately epic.

#3 High Score Theme
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mKJYnr_l2E

#2 Title Screen Theme
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNpSPt30uSA

#1 BGM 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGNSHNf-nlU

Solstice

#3 Ending
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDDIw8nax7s

#2 Introduction
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iM14dCmYvjI

#1 Title Screen Theme
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_gObHt1uZA

Kanfy
Jan 9, 2012

Just gotta keep walking down that road.
Good thread OP but not especially readable without a "no embedding" rule.

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Sir_Phobos
May 24, 2011

Don't you wanna see it?
La-Mulana (Original)

Since I did the remake last week, I gotta rank the original soundtrack this week. The whole album is also a very strong recommendation, just like the remake's soundtrack. It was just as hard to narrow this one down, but here's my top 3 anyways:

#3 - Moonlight Dance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wX93mkpK-k
The funkiest track in the remake is also the funkiest in the original. Love the call-and-response section, and its energy as a whole.

#2 - Curse of IRON PIPE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXWNcvz9k-k
I feel like this one really benefits from the simpler instrumentation compared to the remake's rendition. Love that intro, it gets you ready for action!

#1 - Awaking
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68jZpovCWu4
The song for the final area of the game is so spooky, mysterious, and tense. It builds up so well, and I find myself idly humming this one a lot.

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