I’m somewhat tempted to say Chrono Trigger, but I think that answer comes to mind just because CT is my overall favorite game of all time. It does have some kick-ass songs, and “To Far Away Times” (the ending theme) might be my overall favorite video game song. But on the whole, I think I’ll give my favorite-game-music crown to none other than the SNES classic Mega Man X.
The Mega Man series has always had great soundtracks (MM2, Wily stage 1 anyone?), but I think this one tops the list. Every song is memorable, and in particular Storm Eagle’s stage, Flame Mammoth’s stage, the intro stage music, and the ending theme (the one where X is running down the highway) are just untouchable.
I have a lot of games I like, but not a lot of video game music. The only games where the music really stood out to me were the Castlevania series, the Ys series (both because the music is good and because synth rock in a super-pretty jrpg is unexpected and awesome), Terranigma (I don’t think there’s a song in that game I don’t like), this obscure Gameboy game called Magi Nation and, uh, Zero Wing. Yes, I found myself thinking “hey, this music is pretty good” as I was playing. The game is pretty fun too, believe it or not.
Individual tracks that deserve a mention are the Gerudo Valley theme from Ocarina of Time and Sorrowful Angel (the resurrection chapter song) from Disgaea. The latter I found particularly powerful because it’s this beautiful haunting song in a sea of bouncy orchestral numbers that catches you totally off-guard. And, instead of putting it in a sad cutscene of some sort, they just make it the background music of the whole chapter. And there’s nothing actually “sad” about the chapter until the ending scene, but you go through all the levels with a lump in your throat and don’t understand why. It’s beautiful and unsettling.
Donkey Kong Country 1 & 2–Set the standard for what could be achieved musically on the SNES. Brilliant. A Link to the Past–Perhaps the most memorable soundtrack of all the Zeldas. Loved the castle theme. Mario Galaxy–Absolutely beautifully orchestrated songs that truly compliment the theme and gameplay.
Chrono Trigger is good, but Chrono Cross is even better.
I love all the Final Fantasies, but especially FF6(j) and FF8. I’ve asked for a Black Mages album for Mother’s Day. If I don’t get it as a gift, I’m going to just buy it for myself.
Skipping the obvious (SquareEnix RPGs, which everybody knows by now have great soundtracks, and Rhythm games, which have them by definition)…
The Katamari games have wonderful backing tracks.
The GTA games generally have good soundtracks, but one I think deserves special mention is Liberty City Stories - unlike most of the GTA games, the two radio stations I have on most in LCS (Lips and Head, the pop and rock stations) are made up entirely (save for one song) of songs written especially for the game. But they’re really very good, even with being written in the typical GTA ethos, and the non-original song, Train, by Conor & Jay (plays on Head, the first song in the cycle), is particularly good. I find the DJ banter and ads in LCS particularly fun, too. Vice City’s soundtrack is the best of the ‘normal’ style, IMO.
The Ace Attorney games have good, if not particularly memorable, soundtracks, but a couple bits across the series rise to greatness - the Steel Samurai theme, Godot’s theme (Fragrance of Dark Coffee), and Klavier’s theme (Guilty Love) being my favourites. The Steel Samurai theme is about what you’d expect from the title, Fragrance of Dark Coffee is a strikingly laid back jazzy piece (I mean, it’s the theme track for a caffeine fiend!, and Guilty Love is a guitar heavy rock tune (it’s actually a song performed in the game by Klavier’s band, for which he plays guitar).
Wario Ware: Touched (the only game in the series I have) has a pretty boring soundtrack, on the whole, but one track stands out - Ashley’s theme.
The first Tony Hawk soundtrack was awesome but subsequent ones got really contrived and diluted!
Some of the old electronic soundtracks are still engrained in my psyche, such as Pitfall on Atari or SNAFU on Intellivision, Technobowl or Blades of Steel on NES.
Of course, the greatest of all is Super Mario Brothers! I know it’s playing in your head right now!
Enjoy it all day!
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260 songs, most of which are kick-ass orchestral remixes of the best stuff within the sizable Nintendo library. Of course, you have to unlock most of them, but still…
Plus, they never leave your head. I haven’t played We Love Katamari in at least a year and the “na na, na na na na na na na Katamari Damacy” earworm still breaks out every so often.
FYI, Vice City, San Andreas and the London '69 expansion pack for GTA2 are the only games in the series which didn’t use original music.
My favorite game soundtrack by far is from the original F-Zero (though some of the mixes on the later versions are awesome too)… but in general the Amiga had the best game soundtracks ever. Shadow of the Beast, Apidya, Lotus Turbo Challenge…
Chrono Cross is the only game soundtrack I’ve ever purchased and which I play consistently. I love the variety of music; I just wish a lot of it was longer.
I like Donkey Kong games music, but not to listen to as music–it does make the game a lot more enjoyable.
Ocarina of Time is another favorite–I think someone already mentioned the Gerudo Valley theme, which is pretty cool.
But hands down my absolute favorite piece of music from ANY game is the end-credits song from the Half-Life series game, Portal. (“Still Alive”) Not only did I laugh my butt off during the game, but that song at the end just topped it with whipped cream, nuts and a big fat cherry.
