# Video Game Soundtrack appreciation thread **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [March 26, 2008, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-soundtrack-appreciation-thread/442827 "2008-03-26T19:03:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Pithy\_Moniker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8dc957/32.png) [@Pithy\_Moniker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pithy_Moniker)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-soundtrack-appreciation-thread/442827/21 "2008-03-27T16:28:29Z")
Shadowgate on the NES had great music. It was creepy in all the right places. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-soundtrack-appreciation-thread/442827/22 "2008-03-27T17:18:29Z")
[QUOTE=Garula] Chrono Cross cannot get enough praise for its soundtrack. The soundtrack is what, in my opinion, really sells the setting of the game. For those of you who don’t know, pretty much the whole game takes place in a fairly sleepy little archipelago. The music has a very island-ish feel to it that really immerses you. [/QUOTE] Oh, totally! Chrono Cross is one of the best games of all time and the music plays a huge role in that. I still listen to it. I wish they had re-recorded it with an orchestra and actual live instruments. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-soundtrack-appreciation-thread/442827/23 "2008-03-27T18:03:01Z")
[QUOTE=Argent Towers] It’s very unlikely that anyone will know what I’m talking about, but _The Getaway_ for PS2 (an early, underrated and mostly forgotten GTA-style gangster game set in London) had an amazing score. It was all recorded by the London Session Orchestra. It’s a mix of a “jazzy” sound but with orchestral arrangements. It makes the game very distinctive. If anyone remembers this game, say so so I don’t feel like a total tool. [/QUOTE] You’d have to have been asleep when _The Getaway_ was released to have missed the ad campaign. There were TV spots that appeared to be actual news reports about how London had become a warzone with Yardies running around everywhere spraying everyone with Tec-9s, full-page ads in almost every magazine in sight (I remember seeing it in\* TIME, Maxim, Stuff\* and _Car & Driver_)… Never played it, though. Didn’t have a PS2. I know I’m always going on about _F-Zero_ in the console threads, but the second track (Big Blue) had a terrific theme. I must not be alone in thinking so, because there are dozens of YouTube videos of people playing the song on guitar. There were tons of Amiga games with awesome music - Apidya had some great [early-90s style electronica](http://www.garageband.com/song?%7Cpe1%7CS8LTM0LdsaSnZVayYW0), Shadow of the Beast had great music, although it sounds a bit dated now, and Lotus Turbo Challenge in its various incarnations had the best music of all. (downloadable tracks from tons of Amiga games are available [here](http://www.amigamusic.com/), although you’ll need the .ogg codec). _Super Metroid_ and _Metroid: Prime_ had great atmospheric stuff. I’m particularly fond of the opening theme from Metroid Prime; I just wish they’d done more with it. _Loaded_ for the PS1, a vastly underappreciated Gauntlet-style shooter, had a bunch of original tracks by Pop Will Eat Itself that ended up being the basis of _Dos Dedos Mis Amigos_, which was their last real album. 'Course, if you don’t like PWEI, and apparently lots of people don’t, you won’t like the soundtrack. _The Instinct_, the opening theme from _Killer Instinct_, is probably my fave video game “piece” ever. It’s a bit cheesy with very anime-sounding flourishes at the end of each bar but otherwise it’s a brilliant piece of synth-rock. If you really like videogame music you’ll love [OverClocked ReMix](http://www.ocremix.com), which provides free hosting for remixes of video game music of all kinds. There are some truly brilliant musicians posting stuff there. ---
**Author:** ![freekalette](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/50afbb/32.png) [@freekalette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freekalette)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-soundtrack-appreciation-thread/442827/24 "2008-03-27T20:13:42Z")
Add me to the list of _Chrono Cross_ and _Final Fantasy_ soundtrack lovers! _FF_ fans, have you heard the Black Mages’ stuff? It’s Nobuo Uematsu (the composer) and a full backing orchestra doing rock versions of songs from the game. I highly reccommend “Those Who Fight Further (Battle Theme From FFVII)”. ---
**Author:** ![fusoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-soundtrack-appreciation-thread/442827/25 "2008-03-27T22:28:47Z")
Just gonna chime back in here with a few comments. **Mega Man 2** has simply the best music ever for the NES. The band I was a member of in college covered Crashman and Dr Wily Stage themes. **Shadowgate** also has some great NES music (as does Uninvited, a similar game), as well as my [favorite OC Remix of all time](http://ocrmirror.org/Shadowgate_Mystic_Piano_OC_ReMix.mp3) (it takes about a minute to get going to the recognizable part, but trust me on this one…it’s a great example of how you can take a simple 8-bit tune and turn it into something totally crazy). Enough cannot be said for **Chrono Trigger’s** soundtrack (the composer was 22 years old when he wrote, which really gave me a reality hit as I was 22 when I discovered this), but the _Brink of Time_ album is a must-have listen - it takes 13 songs from the game and arranges them as Acid Jazz … Chrono Corridor (the floating continent theme) is one of my favorite arrangements EVER. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-soundtrack-appreciation-thread/442827/26 "2008-03-27T22:38:37Z")
[QUOTE=freekalette] Add me to the list of _Chrono Cross_ and _Final Fantasy_ soundtrack lovers! _FF_ fans, have you heard the Black Mages’ stuff? It’s Nobuo Uematsu (the composer) and a full backing orchestra doing rock versions of songs from the game. I highly reccommend “Those Who Fight Further (Battle Theme From FFVII)”. [/QUOTE] I LOVE the Black Mages! You can really tell that the composer is living out his dream. ---
**Author:** ![Fredescu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/73ab20/32.png) [@Fredescu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fredescu)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-soundtrack-appreciation-thread/442827/27 "2008-03-27T23:17:40Z")
[QUOTE=Yumblie] The most recent soundtrack I’ve fallen in love with is Mario Galaxy. The fully orchestrated tracks really capture the epic feel of flying through space but they’re also great to listen to on their own. [/QUOTE] I’m the same way, the soundtrack is amazing. I love [this video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKlJmUg5uZU), with Miyamoto bopping along to the orchestra. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2008, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-soundtrack-appreciation-thread/442827/28 "2008-03-28T04:18:11Z")
[QUOTE=fusoya] **Shadowgate** also has some great NES music (as does Uninvited, a similar game), as well as my [favorite OC Remix of all time](http://ocrmirror.org/Shadowgate_Mystic_Piano_OC_ReMix.mp3) (it takes about a minute to get going to the recognizable part, but trust me on this one…it’s a great example of how you can take a simple 8-bit tune and turn it into something totally crazy). [/QUOTE] I don’t like drum n’ bass generally but that _is_ cool. ---
**Author:** ![WF\_Tomba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d9b06d/32.png) [@WF\_Tomba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WF_Tomba)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2008, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-soundtrack-appreciation-thread/442827/29 "2008-03-28T04:25:37Z")
You know that one tune from _Metroid 2_? It’s been intermittently running through my head for years now. ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2008, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-soundtrack-appreciation-thread/442827/30 "2008-03-28T04:28:40Z")
I rarely notice video game music. But the one that’s always stood out and made me love it was the funky drums and scratches from **ToeJam and Earl**. I could just leave that game on and do something else easily to it. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2008, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-soundtrack-appreciation-thread/442827/31 "2008-03-28T04:29:25Z")
Homeworld had some truly extraordinary music - the thing that made the scene where your homeworld gets attacked is made genuinely gut-wrenching through the use of a really great cover of Barber’s “Adagio for Strings”. ---
**Author:** ![Robin\_Goodfellow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Robin\_Goodfellow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robin_Goodfellow)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2008, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-soundtrack-appreciation-thread/442827/32 "2008-03-28T05:10:36Z")
I’m gonna chime in with another vote for Final Fantasy VI. It’s still the only VG soundtrack for which I’ve paid good money to import and buy. The way Celes’ and Locke’s themes mingle in the final song is just epic. There’s a pretty fantastic remix of the main theme with dual electric guitars, called “Terra in Black,” [up for listen on OC ReMix](http://www.ocremix.org/remix/OCR00206/). Of course, anything by Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Trigger/Cross, Xenogears) gets full props in my book. I’ve still got “Emotion,” the overworld theme to Xenogears, as one of my ringtones. And I guess I’m unique in that I prefer the songs in Mega Man 3 to any other in that series - the title theme especially. Maybe I just have a thing for Protoman… ETA: Forgot to mention: the remix album for Xenogears, called ‘Creid,’ has a song of the same name that features beautiful vocals, strings, and oboe (I think) making up what is still the most beautiful song I’ve ever heard. ---
**Author:** ![Mraehtmai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Mraehtmai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mraehtmai)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2008, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-soundtrack-appreciation-thread/442827/33 "2008-03-28T11:49:40Z")
If you dig Final Fantasy and video game music, check out [THIS](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzTYVtDdMZc) guy, he tours the geek conventions doing piano renditions of game/anime music. ---
**Author:** ![fusoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2008, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-soundtrack-appreciation-thread/442827/34 "2008-03-28T15:55:17Z")
[QUOTE=WF Tomba] You know that one tune from _Metroid 2_? It’s been intermittently running through my head for years now. [/QUOTE] You said more than you probably realized. Metroid 2 only _has_ one tune. Once you beat the first section, the rest of the game is ambiance, game-boy style, rather than music. Great, now that tune is in MY head too! ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2008, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-soundtrack-appreciation-thread/442827/35 "2008-03-28T16:08:23Z")
[QUOTE=Argent Towers] It’s very unlikely that anyone will know what I’m talking about, but _The Getaway_ for PS2 (an early, underrated and mostly forgotten GTA-style gangster game set in London) had an amazing score. It was all recorded by the London Session Orchestra. It’s a mix of a “jazzy” sound but with orchestral arrangements. It makes the game very distinctive. If anyone remembers this game, say so so I don’t feel like a total tool. [/QUOTE] I remember it. It was a pretty fun game, I thought. ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2008, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-soundtrack-appreciation-thread/442827/36 "2008-03-29T22:51:13Z")
The game Outlaws has one of my favorite soundtracks ever. It’s kind of like Ennio Morricone’s spaghetti western scores. And I just discovered it’s freely [available online!](http://soundtracks.mixnmojo.com/outl) This brings back memories. I’d been thinking of buying the game again on eBay to get the soundtrack since I lost mine years ago. My favorite tracks and the ones I’d recommend checking out are: Outlaws, the main theme Sanctuary, which starts slow but picks up at 1:33 Anna’s Theme, which is beautiful. Anna is the main characters wife and was killed at the beginning of the game Sanchez the Outlaw Showdown There are some other good ones too. There are also several that are more ambient, like The Shack, which is creepy. ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2008, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-soundtrack-appreciation-thread/442827/37 "2008-03-29T23:19:16Z")
Oh, this is great. I was looking to see if anyone ripped the cutscenes from Outlaws and put them online, and sure enough, someone has. It’s a wmv file that’s over 170 mb and clocks in at 23 minutes and 23 seconds, but hopefully someone will watch it because it’s great even if some parts haven’t aged too well. It has one of the best villain death scenes ever, beginning at 13:15. [Here’s](http://www.coj-game.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=10217&sid=9f264c6d1ab45285a7ff5b6600037436) a link to a link to the file. [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Millit\_the\_Frail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@Millit\_the\_Frail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Millit_the_Frail)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2008, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-soundtrack-appreciation-thread/442827/38 "2008-03-29T23:32:11Z")
All three of my husband’s faves were mentioned in the first two posts! I completely agree on FF4. Not yet mentioned is **Earthbound** , my pet favorite video game, which spawned a huge remix project found [here](http://www.wushuplaya.com/boundtogether/). ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2008, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-soundtrack-appreciation-thread/442827/39 "2008-03-29T23:50:50Z")
I’ll always love Sonic (botht he old sonic and the newer music), Zelda (Twilight Princess sountrack is actually inspiring my composition for music theory somewhat), and Megaman (especially the theme for Megaman 3). ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2008, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-soundtrack-appreciation-thread/442827/40 "2008-03-30T00:03:34Z")
[QUOTE=Talon Karrde] Oh, this is great. I was looking to see if anyone ripped the cutscenes from Outlaws and put them online, and sure enough, someone has. It’s a wmv file that’s over 170 mb and clocks in at 23 minutes and 23 seconds, but hopefully someone will watch it because it’s great even if some parts haven’t aged too well. It has one of the best villain death scenes ever, beginning at 13:15. [Here’s](http://www.coj-game.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=10217&sid=9f264c6d1ab45285a7ff5b6600037436) a link to a link to the file. [/hijack] [/QUOTE] That was pretty awesome. _sniffle_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-soundtrack-appreciation-thread/442827.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-soundtrack-appreciation-thread/442827.md?page=3)