Video Game Music You Love

[ShneekeyTheLost]

I was going to say 'your favorite video game music', but it's just impossible to pick only one for me, so why not share all your favorite? Here's some of the top scores in my opinion.

Of course, no discussion of Video Game Music can exist without mentioning the two greatest names in the field: Koji Kondo (Legend of Zelda) and Nobuo Uematsu (Final Fantasy). Both brought whole new standards of game music quality to the genre.

The original Legend of Zelda Theme Song was a masterpiece of its kind. Working with 8 bit limitations and a mere two channels, he came up with one of the most haunting and memorable songs which ANY video gamer will instantly recognize. I could have linked the orchestrated version, but really... this is the sound that caught the imagination of a generation.

Link To The Past was also absolutely full of wonderful music, but a special shout out to the dungeon theme. Haunting, creepy, sinister... yea. And let's not forget the Castle music either. It lets you know from the introductory cymbal clash that you're in for a fight.

Another song which pops up here that is found in later offerings of the Zelda series is Kakariko Village. OoT also featured it, but didn't improve much on the quality of the song, although the Orchestrated Remix is also hauntingly beautiful.

Zelda: Ocarina of Time - Gerudo Valley. Mariachi-style guitar, trumpets, a catchy beat... one of the best. I prefer the original to the symphonic. This sounds like you're going into a bar south of the border in Mexico, complete with feisty Senoritas and Antonio Banderas up on stage.


FF I - Main Theme This song has been considered by some as the song which saved Squaresoft. I know when I heard it for the first time, I was like... "Whoa... I didn't know you could do THAT with 8 bit two-track audio". It will always hold a special place in my memories.

FF VI - Aria de Mezzo Carattere (a.k.a. The Opera Music, or Celes's Theme). Do I really need to say more? This still brings a tear to my eye every time I hear it. Actually, I don't think there's a single sound track in this whole game that isn't made of win, but that one stands out among the awesome as being... well... awesomer.

The other song I simply cannot go without mentioning from VI is the Ending Theme. Not just because it incorporates all of the character themes into it, but because it... hell, I dunno. Some games let you down with a cheesy 'Game Over' once you beat the game. FF VI? Didn't. This song carries with it the memory of finally beating one of the most Nintendo Hard bosses ever put in an RPG, and one you developed a personal grudge for. This song is the sound of victory, pure and distilled. Even though it IS over 20 minutes long.

And, of course... Dancing Mad. Some of the most epic boss battle music ever composed.

FF X: Hymn of Faith. You go from a technologically advanced city with skyscrapers, wake up on a beach... and then there's this. Primal and tribal, the scene really brings home to you that You're Not In Kansas Anymore.

As far as other game songs that I simply can't NOT mention when talking about good game songs?

Chrono Trigger - Frog's Theme. Actually, again another game in which the music score was awesome, and hard to make a decision, but this song just stands out from the crowd.

Secret of Mana - Angel's Fear. When I first put this game into my SNES, I kept wanting to press the A button to start playing, but I couldn't bring myself to interrupt this music.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - Clock Tower. There's just something right about amping up the electric guitar to this remake of an older Castlevania offering. It's definitely fitting music for the fast-paced setting, and one sure to get your blood pumping.

So... share! What's some of your favorite video game music?

[Eldan]

Nerevar Rising, also known as Call of Magic, from Morrowind. You can't beat that.

[factotum]

Oh, I think I can:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGTUz4OnzdM

Tristram, from Diablo 2--my favourite video game music track ever, and I think one of the best ever created.

[Avilan the Grey]

#1 I second Tristram from D2 as the absolute #1 for me.

#2 Skyrim Theme (the best version of the Morrowind - Oblivion theme)

#3 The music that plays at especially epic cutscenes in the Mass Effect games, whatever it's called.

#4 Leliana's Song from DA:O

#5 not original game music, but "Big Iron" from Fallout: New Vegas

A number of honorable mentions:

The "Citadel Presidium Commons music". For some reason it took me several minutes to figure out why I got such a happy feeling the first time I visited there in ME3 and then it dawned on me: It was the same music playing as in ME1. It's simple, and repetative, but it is associated with very happy memories

Most other music from Diablo 1 and 2 fell JUST outside my top 5 list above.

[Zevox]

Persona 4 Arena! The only video game music I came to love so quickly that I had it on my MP3 player months before the game out (thank you, Japanese arcade version). The entire frickin' soundtrack to the game is awesome, but some of my favorites are the Reach Out to the Truth Remix, Heartful Cry, The Wandering Wolf, Missions for the Brilliant Executioner, Seeker of the Truth, and The Arena.

And of course, I can't not mentioned Persona 4 itself, with the original Reach Out to the Truth as its fight theme and the ending theme, Never More. Also, the music to the final boss, The Gensis, which is very subdued and foreboding for the most part, but then as the fight is reaching its climax you get the most amazing, truimphant-sounding version of Reach Out to the Truth imaginable, which makes the final victory so much more sweet.

Lets see here, other music...

Venus Lighthouse from Golden Sun.

The original theme to BlazBlue: Continuum Shift.

A lot of Sonic music. Of course Live and Learn and City Escape from Adventure 2, but I'm surprisingly also quite fond of the final boss music from Sonic and the Black Knight, With Me. And of course, much the music from the original games, and the remix of Angel Island Zone from Super Smash Brothers Brawl.

Speaking of, a lot of Brawl's music is amazing. Mostly comes from other games of course, but a lot of it I only heard there. King Dedede's Theme is a personal favorite, as is Bramble Blast and the Ocarina of Time Medley.

Oh, and the boss them from Blue Dragon, Eternity. Made it impossible not to like boss fights in that game.

And this music from Mega Man 2, which is pretty much what I think of whenever I think of great 8-bit music.

And I think that's enough for now.

Zevox

[nhbdy]

I for one cannot let this thread go without mentioning my pet favorite game, FFT, especially the music, which sets the mood for each scene perfectly, even out of context they are still beautiful pieces

Link to the full soundtrack (tracks are listed in the description): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bs7jI...eature=related

[Tebryn]

How has the entire Braid sound track not been mentioned exactly? Some of the best music put to video games.

[RagingKrikkit]

Too lazy to write a big post, so I'll pop up the XCOM deployment theme.

[DiscipleofBob]

If I have to pick a favorite, it'd probably be the main theme to Final Fantasy, if only because that was the main theme at my wedding.

Any music at all really from...

Final Fantasy series
Chrono Trigger
Kingdom Hearts
Baten Kaitos
Eternal Sonata
Tales series
Skies of Arcadia
Soul Caliburs 2 and 3
Super Smash Bros Brawl
Mega Man
Street Fighter

and I think that's about it...

OBJECTION!

...is where I would put a link to the Ace Attorney Cornered Theme if I wasn't at work and had access to links.

[Morty]

This thread cannot be complete without a mention of the soundtrack from Planescape: Torment. Here's an example.

[RagingKrikkit]

Nerevar Rising, also known as Call of Magic, from Morrowind. You can't beat that.

O RLY?

Song of the Dragonborn (is the exact same thing, but with lyrics instead of orchestra)

[Zevox]

OBJECTION!

...is where I would put a link to the Ace Attorney Cornered Theme if I wasn't at work and had access to links.

Here ya go.

Zevox

[Eldan]

O RLY?

Song of the Dragonborn (is the exact same thing, but with lyrics instead of orchestra)

It's... nice? I don't like it as much, really. It's certainly epic. But Morrowind... Morrowind is the feeling of coming home made into a piece of music. While also being about mystery and exploration.

[Terraoblivion]

In addition to very strongly seconding Persona 4 and Persona 4: The Arena, I have some games that deserve attention too.

Like the Touhou Project games. I'll just leave a selection of my favorite songs from it here, because it'd take literally days to listen to it all.
Beloved Tomboyish Girl
Shanghai Teahouse - Chinese Tea
Septette for the Dead Princess
Doll Judgement
Phantom Ensemble
Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke
Wind God Girl
Emotional Skyscraper - Cosmic Mind
Our Hisou Tensoku
Beloved Tomboyish Girl - Hisoutensoku version

Just a sampling of the ones that stand out for me. I might go ahead and do TWEWY later, too.

[A Rainy Knight]

I second TWEWY and third P4 and P4A. Aside from those, I'll just add one of my favorite lesser-known games, Atelier Meruru. It's got everything from whimsical slice-of-life background music and peppy theme songs to flamenco random encounters and power metal boss battles!
Cadena
Alchemy Girl Meruru's Song
Estrella
Luna
Astral Blader
Alcyone
Astarte
Inserting the White Clover Bookmark
The Usual Me
Will You Harvest With Me?
Sunbathing
Something Seen
...so, long story short, there's a lot of songs I like in this game.

[Aotrs Commander]

95% of all music I listen to is either game or TV soundtracks, so to list it all would be thunderously time-consuming...

In short, some of the most frequent stuff I listen to is Pokemon, TIE Fighter, Command & Conquer (across all the games including the non-C&C Universe at War (of which the best part was the soundtrack, especially the main and ending themes and was done by the guy who did most of C&C). There is a distinct preference towards the battle-themes of same. Out of Final Fantasy, ironically despite it being my least favourite of the series, FF8's music (especially Don't Be Afraid and Force Your Way) is the one I listen to most.

[endoperez]

Morrowind's theme is superb. I didn't even like the game, but the music still works for me. Better than the Skyrim version, even, but then I never played Skyrim.

As far as old JRPGs go, I'll nominate Grandia.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiKOxhXzv1E

[NeoVid]

The Guilty Gear and BlazBlue series both have standout soundtracks, for the simple reason that the composer was the head of developing GG.

Particular standouts for me are
Awe of She
Keep In Gates
And best of all, a full orchestra version of Holy Orders III.

As for BB,
White Requiem
Gluttony Fang
and Active Angel are probably my favorites.

Also, there are two games I've played that were built entirely around a genre of music, and besides having amazing soundtracks, a lot of star power and being funny as hell, they were also great games in their own right. I'm referring to Fight for New York and Brutal Legend. If anyone was thinking of other games from that description, I'd like to know about them!

[Derjuin]

I love pretty much every piece from the Chrono Cross soundtrack.

Lunar 2: Eternal Blue has some really great ones too.

And of course there's Porky Means Business. Dat bass line!

[Terraoblivion]

The Atelier Meruru music does sound nice, yeah. Quite a bit so, in fact.

And as promised, I return wit TWEWY music.
Calling
Three Minutes Clapping
Deja Vu
Twister
Hybrid
Give Me All Your Love (Just be careful with the lyrics. Not outright dirty, but...)

[Bit Fiend]

Let's see...

SNES

Terranigma -
Main Theme
City of Dead
Lufia 2 - Savior Of The Earth
Rise Of The Robots (crappy game, awesome soundtrack) -
Military
Sentry
Seiken Densetsu 3 -Meridian Child
Loz: ALttP - Death Mountain/Skull Woods
DKC1 - Fear Factory
DKC2 - Mining Melancholy
Megaman 7 - Robot Museum

PC

Icewind Dale - Easthaven In Peace
Icewind Dale 2 - Skeleton of a Town

Touhou

Boss
Bloom Nobly Cherry Blossoms Of Sumizome ~ Border Of Life
Septette For The Dead Princess
Emotional Skyscraper ~ Cosmic Mind
Necrofantasia
Lunar Clock ~ Luna Dial
Native Faith
Phantom Ensemble
Flight Of The Bamboo Cutter ~ Lunatic Princess
Corpse Voyage ~ Be Of Good Cheer!
Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke

Stage
Mystic Oriental Temple ~ Ancient Dream
Centennial Festival for Magical Girls
The Gensokyo the Gods Loved
The Doll Maker Of Bucuresti
Sky Ruin
Cinderella Cage ~ Kagome Kagome
Shanghai Teahouse ~ Chinese Tea
Fires of Hokkai
A Small Desire's Starry Sky
The Primal Scene of Japan the Girl Watched
Tomorrow Will Be Special, Yesterday Was Not

There's so much for Touhou because Touhou is the only series of games I started playing specifically for the soundtrack (Septette for the Dead Princess was the "breaking point").

[Mewtarthio]

The obscure game NieR had an amazing soundtrack. Here, give a listen to Song of the Ancients. Cold Steel Coffin. Or, for something a little different, The Wretched Automatons. Lastly, have the final boss theme.

I should also give a nod to Eternal Sonata. It's quite possibly the cheesiest thing I've ever played, but it's got a really pretty soundtrack.

[Divayth Fyr]

Nerevar Rising, also known as Call of Magic, from Morrowind. You can't beat that.

Agreed.

While Skyrim's version is great, this one I simply love.

[Terraoblivion]

And I believe that between us, me and Bit Fiend has quite clearly proven that Touhou has lots of awesome music...Or at least lots of music.

[psilontech]

Everything is gone. Kharak is burning. We're all that's left.

Liberi Fatali from FF8. Probably my least liked Final Fantasy for various reasons, but the intro music really is great.

Doom III theme. Again, didn't much care for the game, but I enjoyed the main theme.

Halo music in general. I enjoy the operatic epic feeling that a lot of it conveys.

[A Rainy Knight]

Guess I'll poke my head in a second time to toss Fire Emblem out there since it hasn't been mentioned yet.
Many renditions of its main theme:
Brawl
Blazing Sword
Path of Radiance
Radiant Dawn
Opera!

Many recruitment themes:
Together, We Ride!
Comrades
With Us!
Stalwarts Unite
Come, Join Us!

And a few tracks from Kakusei/Awakening (whose US release I am eagerly, eagerly awaiting )
Expedition ~ Fire
Mission ~ Fire
Don't you dare mock my sister's words!

[Craft (Cheese)]

I have no words.

[Emmerask]

no one has mentioned baldurs gate 1 & 2 yet ?!

Really from the intro to the battles to the tavern music everything was awesome


too much good to list all of it

Friendly Arms inn

Bhaalspawn

Never shall a dragon be slain without this music play´n

Saradush

[Mutant Sheep]

... I see a VERY disturbing lack of 90's stuff. But those might actually just be heavy nostalgia, to me. Hmn...

Banjo Kazooie/Tooie Music, all the way.

Majesty, but that IS nostalgia speaking.

And a load of other PC games/Rare games, and probably half of the N64 because nostalgia, too.

[Pronounceable]

Monty on the Run is the greatest thing made since clef was invented.