Top 10 videogame songs of ALL TIME

[LocoColt04]

...which is why I'm posting this here, instead of in the Music forum. If Cain feels like it should be moved, he's more than welcome to do so, but that's his decision.

Now, let's begin! You cannot use any series more than twice, and you cannot use any game more than once. That means you get a grand total of two songs from any given series, no matter how awesome its music may be. One song per game, at that. Too difficult? If so, don't post a list. It's not that tough. I'm just looking for a bit of variety here. Surely we've all played more than five videogames, right?

Your posts don't have to be nearly as descriptive or in-depth as mine, either.

It's tough, choosing no more than two songs per series, let alone two songs per game. FFIX and Ocarina were the hardest to choose from, with FFVI/FFT as a close third.

I tried to avoid repeats as best I could... so Final Fantasy is THE only series which has two songs on my list. Talk about a challenge, huh? Here goes absolutely nothing, eh?

...oh hell, just for kicks, I've decided to upload all ten songs for any curious parties. Right-click on the links and save the music rather than just streaming it though, eh?




10 - Prologue A - Tales of Rebirth (PS2), by Motoi Sakuraba and Shinji Tamura

The Tales series as a whole has always caught me more with its stories than its music, but Prologue A has that epic feel. It's got a wide range of emotion, and is very powerful. You can tell that it's hurriedly building up to something grand.


9 - Metropolis Zone - Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Genesis), by Masato Nakamura

SONIC! With soooo many songs to choose from, it was tough to pick just one. Why this one? That's actually a good question. Metropolis Zone just seems to have a slightly different feel when compared to the other songs from this title. I like it. That's good enough for it to be on my own list, right?


8 - Zarathustra - Xenosaga, Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht (PS2), by Yasunori Mitsuda

It begins a little bland and boring, but at 0:48 turns into an entirely different song. One of the most moving pieces in the game, Zarathustra is what Xenosaga is all about. Within this single composition, the emotion of an entire game is expressed through a rather skillful full orchestra.


7 - Battle with Magus - Chrono Trigger (SNES), by Yasunori Mitsuda

In most games, most battle music seems to get lost in the same repeated chords. This song does not. Battle with Magus offers up something fresh every time it "repeats." A long song with a triumphant fanfare, this is the type of music that can really put a person in the battle spirit.


6 - Corneria - Starfox 64 (N64), by Koji Kondo, Hajime Wakai

I dunno. To me, this song IS Starfox 64. Whenever someone mentions the game (or even the series, for that matter), this is the tune that pops into my head. What can I say? Memorable songs can do that to a person.


5 - Weapons Factory - Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (SNES), by Yoko Shimomura

Why? Why not? This song is gritty and grungy and completely anti-Mario. It's not what you'd expect coming from a series known for its light and uplifting music. It's heavy, it's metal, and it's awesome. Quite a number of songs from this game share this feel, but this is the best of them. Other credits on the album go to Koji Kondo and Nobuo Uematsu, but I believe Yoko Shimomura produced the best pieces for this game. (If you didn't know, he composed over half the soundtrack himself.)


4 - Forever Rachel - Final Fantasy VI (SNES), by Nobuo Uematsu

I really looked around for the original version of this song... but couldn't find it. So you get the orchestrated version, which is really amazing. Who knew that Locke could be such a softy? If you ever wondered why he's so melodramatic all the time, the scene in the game which houses this piece should answer your question with ease. A very, VERY close second to this title is Phantom Forest, which is so incredibly creepy that it actually bothers me sometimes.


3 - Chill ~ Chill Clear - Dr. Mario (NES), by Hirokazu Tanaka

I'm absolutely in love with this game, and absolutely in love with this song. More mellow than its brother, Fever, but with enough of a kick to keep you popping those pills as those nasty little viruses threaten to kick your ass. I wasted away my childhood listening to this song.


2 - Gerudo Valley - Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time (N64), by Koji Kondo

Much like any snappy, upbeat tune, this song catches your attention with ease. How fitting for a band of thieves, eh? There really isn't much to say about this song other than the fact that it's more than worth listening to. So listen to it. Simple as that.


1 - Burmecian Kingdom - Final Fantasy IX (PSX), by Nobuo Uematsu

I had SUCH a hard time choosing between this and Freya's Theme. Both wonderfully mastered, Burmecian Kingdom brings with it one thing that no other song on the soundtrack can offer -- tears. No other song from this or any other game can make me as emotionally unstable as this one does. Despite this not being my favorite videogame soundtrack (it ranks second behind the N64's Ocarina of Time), this is undoubtedly, after weeks of deliberation, my favorite song of any videogame ever.

Don't agree? Listen to it. But you can't just listen. Play. Play the game; see the destruction; feel the rain; ...and live the song. Trust me on this one. You won't be disappointed.

[LocoColt04]

That's great, but you kinda missed the point of the thread.

You cannot use any series more than twice, and you cannot use any game more than once. That means you get a grand total of two songs from any given series, no matter how awesome its music may be. One song per game, at that. Too difficult? If so, don't post a list.

This isn't supposed to be easy. It's supposed to make you think, and think hard. My list took me over two weeks to put together. I'm not expecting any quick responses here. ^_^;;

[Cain Highwind]

No this is fine. I think we'll make it like the Intellectual Favorite FF topic and delete posts that don't fit the criteria. Especially looking at Kit's post below where he didn't even try following the guidelines.

You know "Kit", first of all, you don't need to add a quote from the bible at the end of every post we have something called a "signature". Open up your CP and just add the text into the place where it says Signature. It would probably save you a lot of time and effort and let you focus a little more thought into your posts.

Secondly, I can understand not remembering the song name or composer, but COME ON. You were just plain lazy with those "track names". You can be a little more specific. I mean Marvel vs Capcom "Battle" theme? Which one? There are several. And what's a "full map song"? Which Map theme are you talking about in Chrono Cross?

Okay, now that that's settled. *cracks knuckles*. In no particular order.

Keep in mind by SNK Sound team, there were always 6 or so composers doing the music in SNK games, and they never really specified who did which songs. Just FYI.

1)Final Fantasy VI Ending theme by Nobuo Uematsu
I figure it would only be best to choose a theme which had all the wonderfully delightful character themes from FFVI all arranged in superb way. I mean watching the FFVI Character Project Music Video recently, this song still gives goosebumps on how good it is.

2)Esaka (94)/Esaka (96)/Esaka ACID Mix/Tears/Esaka (2003) (King of Fighters 94/96/99/2003) AST versions by The SNK sound team
This is essentially the same song but just slightly different in the different KoF games (think the Chocobo themes of various FF and you get the idea). I figured nothing got me going then hearing Kyo's classic Esaka theme and all it's variants, and out of those I couldn't pick a clear favorite. The ACID mix sounds sutiably trippy, Esaka 94 has that awesome acoustic guitar, and Tears starts off with that nice guitar solo in the beginning.

3)Schala's theme-Chrono Trigger-By Yasunori Mitsuda
The funny thing about mentioning this theme is that it sounds so much like Esaka mentioned above. It almost sounds like an inverted Esaka with the first few notes. But Schala's theme really stood out when I played Chrono Trigger. It really invoked the emotion of the scene and I always looked forward to playing through the scene just to hear Schala's theme. I have to say a close second in the Chrono series is Dead Sea-Ruined tower in Chrono Cross which invoked the same feeling. Also Star Stealing Girl which can make me cry. Chrono Cross in general is one opf my favorite soundtracks overeall, but I'm doing my best to avoid repeats God Help me.

4)Blue Mary's Blues-Real Bout Fatal Fury Special by SNK and Sung by Harumi Ikoma
Ah I had to pick a song from one of my favorite fighting games. Of course Krauser's Requiem doesn't really count since that's a Classical song. RBFFS impressed me SO much I devised to get the NeoGeo CD version, so that not only I had a legit copy of the game (albeit a slightly inferior port) but I also had the music on CD (NeoCD games are nice that way). Now how about this for innovation, the Neo Geo is a powerful 16Bit system. When you beat the game in the NeoGeoCD version you're actually treated to Sound Art or basically, a 16 Bit Music Video that's NOT an FMV. Yeah it's awesome. For the uninitiated, "Blue" Mary Ryan is a sexy cop who fights using the Sambo style. And most notably her in game theme is a Blues song. The special video at the end is a vocal version of her theme sung by her own voice actress Ms. Harumi Ikoma. Yes I love her theme, it would be tiresopme to just say it ionvokes emotion, it's good, and I look forward to hearing it. But I love it, and so that's all I can say about it and nothing more. It's simply a catchy power-packed song.

5)Fate-The Last Blade-SNK Sound Team
Words can simply NOT DESCRIBE the scene that this piece sets. Hell, you can't describe the awesomeness of the Last Blade series in General. It is SO underrated with such a BEAUTIFUL score (Raine can back me up on this one, he's the only other one here whose played this series). Last Blade shows that Fighting Game Soundtracks DON'T have to be loud Heavy Metal, Rock, and Techno. Back to the theme, Fate is a really melancholy song set to a BEAUTIFUL fighting stage with falling snow as two close friends Kaede and Yuki fight each other before the final boss. Seriously, I wouldn't just call this one of my favorite songs, I'd call it one of my favorite scenes in a video game of all time. Seriously it's THAT good, whether you're listening to the 16 Bit OST version or the CD Quality Arranged version which is even BETTER and more Orchestral in quality.

6)Tantagel Castle-Dragon Quest I+II-Koichi Sugiyama
I recently heard an Orchestral Version from the Japan only Idataki Street Special. And I said to myself "My God, I haven't heard that song in years, it's so beautiful" I recently played Dragoin Quest I+II for the SNES and I fell in love with the series again. Tantagel Castle is just such a beautifully epic song. I wouldn't rate it higher on my list compared to the other songs I previously listed but it still deserves a spot on my list.

7)Temple of Time/Song of Time-Zelda Ocarina of Time by Koji Kondo
This was the song that made me especially proud that I had the OoT Soundtrack, even if it was the cut US Version that had cheap packaging and a lot of the songs missing. I played this song over and over (a close second being Gerudo Valley). Despiter the crappy synth of the N64 Hardware, this is still a beautifully simple song. Combined with the scenery this just makes you feel a total sense of awe, that makes you put down the controller and just view your surroundings.

8)Flash Man's stage-Mega Man 2-Unknown (Capcom sound team)
I'm always on the prowl for Flash Man remixes. I don't think any song quite gets my fancy like Flash Man's theme. I find myself humming this to myself every so often (and hardly anything else from Megaman). Not much more can be said.

9)Metal Cap theme-Super Mario 64-Koji Kondo
In general, I've always liked the Invinvibility theme in Mario games. Fast Paced techno, but I just really have to say the Metal Cap version of the song is my favorite just the way it starts. Again it's a song that's so simple in musical notes, and yet so catchy.

10)And probably one of my favorite themes EVER. Yes like you LocoColt, I just couldn't contain my FF love to one song. It would most definitely be Temple of Fiends/Chaos Temple from FFI. ANY version is enough to make my heart race. I particularly like the PSX version and the Symphonic Suite versions the best. It's just hard to describe. It's all about the creepy atmosphere it provides, and I really can't say more than that.

EDIT: This look took a couple of hours, man what hard work. And people wonder why I don't like making long posts like this. Good thing I have the day off.

[Rossferatu]

Here's my list for your viewing/listening pleasure, copy/pasted from Bizarro TFF. I'll sink back into oblivion now.

***

10. Suikoden II: Gothic Neclord -- Perhaps one of my top 3 favorite boss battles of all time, I had to include this one on the list. Suikoden II had great music overall, and I highly recommend playing the game or listening to the music. That said, I chose this one above the other Suikoden and Suikoden II tracks because it was the most epic. It sounded great on my sound system when I first fought the vampire named Neclord, and in my mind this is the piece of music that stands out in the series.

09. Metroid: Kraid's Chamber -- I have nothing to say about this track other than I love the way it sounds even when looped. It's as creepy as a NES chiptune can sound, and certain remixes send shivers down my spine. Phendrana Drifts from Metroid Prime was a top contender for this spot, but Kraid wins. Kraid always wins. I would much rather listen to this song on repeat for 30 minutes than 30 minutes of ANY local radio station, and a few times I've done just that.

08. Diablo: Tristram -- This song resonates as one of my favorite songs of the late 90's. Has it been that long? Diablo was the first PC game that I played online, and man did I love it. What I loved even more was the town music for its echoing acoustics and eerie flute-like instrument. It's lengthy compared to some songs on my list, and enjoyable for every minute. Of all the PC games I've played, this song is the best song I've heard in a PC game. Bar none.

07. Chrono Trigger: Sealed Door -- No, I did not pick Time Circuits. I think I've had enough of that song after nearly two dozen remixes and remakes of the damn thing. Two dozen might be an underestimation, actually. But I've liked the Sealed Door theme (better known to me as Belthasar's theme) all the while. It's NOT the seven second clip you hear when trying to open a sealed door in the game. It's not upbeat and adrenaline-inducing; it's not epic. It's sad and mysterious, and I've always enjoyed listening to it for what it is.

06. Donkey Kong Country 2: Hot Head Hop -- Great tune in a great game. Not as whimsical as some, not as action-themed as others. I think it falls right in that middle-ground of songs. I had a hard time choosing this over Aquatic Ambience of DKC, but I did so because it carried a melody that I call catchy and fun. The remixing scene has messed with this song a few times, but nothing that comes close to the original, IMO. I'd like to tackle it myself... someday. I have a few ideas for it.

05. Castlevania 2: Bloody Tears -- What can I say? This song resonates in my mind even when I am sleeping. At first I thought this might have some competition with all the other great songs in the Castlevania series, but then I thought: "Naaahh." Nothing else in the series comes close to this; Bloody Tears is a great choice. You might get an argument for a song in Symphony of the Night, but none that surpasses Bloody Tears. Bloody Tears > All.

04. Mega Man 2: Flash Man -- WOW. This was the most difficult decision I had to make in this whole process. But what better choice than Flash Man? Flash Man's music was my favorite music out of Mega Man 2, and that alone makes him a strong candidate for my favorite overall. How could I pick just one tune from such a great series of games with so many great songs? How could I, indeed! But in the end, I had to have some song represent the many games in the Mega Man genre, and that was Flash Man.

03. Super Mario 64: Dire Dire Docks -- What a great song. Considering all of the Super Mario games from which I could choose, I knew it was going to be a difficult pick. I would give this music the 1st place ribbon for "Best Water Music" in a video game even trumping Aquatic Ambience of DKC and the water music in Super Mario World. But picking this song amongst ALL of the Mario music was a task, but one I found not so difficult as I thought. Its only real competition from the Super Mario series, in my eyes, was "Beware the Forest's Mushrooms" from SM:RPG and the overworld music from Super Mario Brothers 2. Yes, 2. Get over it.

02. Final Fantasy VI: Phantom Forest -- I have to give great consideration to a number of tracks from my favorite game, and to be quite honest I didn't even consider other games in the series (except Tactics, for a brief moment). I really can't go wrong with any track from this OST. That said, this might be a surprising choice to some of you. Most people will probably cite Terra, Dancing Mad, or the opera as their favorite song. Good songs, sure, but not my favorite. My favorite overall track has always been the Phantom Forest music. I have no idea why, but it's on that unreachable level of greatness. Not even Dancing Mad in its entirety can touch it in my mind, though it comes close.

01. Link to the Past: Dark World -- Yeah, yeah, I know. Just the opposite of what you were thinking, right? "Surely he would pick the Light world, for it is based on the most memorable Zelda tune of all time," most of you were saying to yourself. Well, no. That goes completely with conventional wisdom that the recurring Zelda theme is superior to all. Normally, I would agree. Normally. It is a great song, but I've always liked the Dark World theme better. It isn't --- dare I say it --- overused. The only time I didn't like the Dark World theme better than the "Light World" (or the Zelda theme everyone knows and loves) is when the Dark World theme did not exist. That says something. But now that it does exist, it is an easy choice for my #1.

Honorable mentions: Xenogears: Leftovers from the Dreams of the Strong, TimeSplitters 2: Return to Planet X, Final Fantasy Tactics: Apoplexy

[awall]

Damn you Cesar, you made me late for class!
Me: Oh, I have half an hour before I have to leave. Lemme respond to this thread.
Me: Oh, I still have 10 minutes, I can still finish this.
Me: Eh, it's only 5 minutes past when I need to be off, I'm not that late.
Me: Eh, 5 minutes, 15 minutes, the difference is just a one in the second column.
Me:... Gaaah! To heck with this, I'll finish it when I get home.

Anyway, this is gonna be a toughie. Here are my top ten, in no particular order:

FF8 - Don't Be Afraid. But I had a really tough time choosing this one. FF8 is IMO the best game ever in terms of overall music quality, Don't Be Afraid is probably the only battle music in the entire series that I can listen to over and over and it still doesn't get repetitive. However, I feel really bad for leaving Force Your Way and The Legendary Beast off this list, because they're both totally amazing songs that's only failure was being from the same game as Don't Be Afraid.

Secret of Evermore - Halls or Collosia (I love all of it, but the part in particular I'm referring to is the background music in the room where you enter). The absolute pinnacle of background music EVER as far as I'm concerned. The first time I played this game, I ran into a corner with no enemies in it and just sat there for several minutes listening to the music. It invokes... I don't know... it's like you can feel the ancientness of the room around you, feel the mythology that must have passed through these halls, and feel the ruins that they have since become. I can't describe it. If you have never played this game, DO SO! Background music is scarce, but when it exists, it's beautiful.

Super Mario Kart 64 - Rainbow Road. I've listened to this song on it's own before... it's not great. But the effect this has when you're "in the zone" is almost hypnotic, for some reason. This is the one stage in the game where I can start out in the back of the pack and the next thing I know I'm way in the lead and halfway through my final lap, yet I have no recollection of time passing. Maybe the car engines and psychadelic track have something to do with it, but I remember this stage for the music.

Starfox 64 - Zoness. I would say Corneria, but Cesar already got to that one. Actually, I like them both for different reasons, so it's hard to compare. Corneria is more "Starfoxish" and better suits a space shootemup, but Zoness is more beautiful and evocative. It really goes well with the elegant but deadly serpents that leap out of the water as you fly past. Also, I happen to just love this stage for the "shoot all the searchlights" objective.

Chrono Trigger - Sealed Door. This song is the most evocative (I love that word) in the game, and almost made me cry the first time I heard it. Especially the second time you come back and Balthasar is gone. It's like... this song makes the room feel so... like you've just lost everything important that was here, and all that's left is a Nu that's supposed to be the culmination of his life's work... shudder.

Thanks to Lakazoo for the title to this song.

Zelda: Ocarina of Time - Forest Temple. I swear, that place is scarier than the Shadow Temple for me. The Shadow Temple reeks of death, and loves to suprise you by dropping huge invisible spiders out of nowhere. But the Forest Temple... is... so... empty... and abandoned. I feel so alone in there, like I'm deep in a haunted building with passages that rearrange themselves and ghosts that drift in and out of paintings and hands that fall from the ceiling... *shivers convulsively.* The music in this place just contributes to the feeling SO much and... well, if you've played this game, you'll understand. The music isn't nearly as impressive on its own without the foggy, haunted atmosphere, so you really have to be playing the game.

Yoshi's Island - Koopa (a.k.a. the final boss music). The execution isn't miraculous, but that's gotta be the best final boss atmosphere-feeling ever. Picture this - you're standing on the parapets of a ruined castle. Pieces of debris from the recent pre-final-boss-battle are falling from the sky around you. The music drones on one note in the background and eventually gives way to a forlorn fanfare of sorts (not sure if you can call something in a minor key a fanfare, but...). Slowly, a dark shadow rises in the background. As the background drone picks up, the shadow unfurls into something with a snout... horns... a pair of bright eyes... and HOLY CRAP, YOU MEAN I HAVE TO FIGHT THAT THING??? And then the music switches from the drone to a rock-ish synthy battle music and... well, it's just really really cool. Again, not nearly as cool for the music itself as it is for the effect it gets when you combine it with the scene.

Kingdom Hearts - Dive Into The Heart ~ Destati. This is the very first song you hear (not counting Hikari PlanitB Remix, which also kicks rear end) in the tutorial sequence. It's this kind of mystical, almost surreal chorus of voices. And then slowly, almost unnoticably, the music shifts from that to dark undertones and from there to sounding really ominous, but still recognizably Dive Into The Heart. And then there's this staircase leading off into nowhere, and as you climb it, the music starts speeding up and getting more bass, and - don't ask me how they manage to do this - but they time it so that JUST as you reach the top, the music hits its peak, and this GIANT SCARY black shadow boss materializes and rears up and the music is perfectly in sync with it and it's all amazingly done and... yeah. Wow.

Super Mario 64 - Bowser. Not the Bowser music itself, but the dungeon leading up to him. I don't remember whether it's the same each of the three times you fight him, but the one I'm thinking of is just the right combination of ominous (oooooooh crap, this is gonna be really hard) and inspiring (alright, I'm gonna go kick Bowser's arse RIGHT NOW!). In fact... I wanna play that game again.

Crono Cross - Tower of Stars. What? Not Chronopolis? It was really hard to make the choice, especially because what plays inside Terra Tower isn't strictly "music"... it's more of a collection of sounds, but it's beautiful nonetheless. I love the bell and the wailing voices and the climactic tone of the song... wonderful creation, that.

Wait... where's the second Final Fantasy? How could I not have picked two tunes by our man Nobuo? Well, the truth is that as much as I like certain FF songs (FFX's Attack, FF7's Perfect Jenova, FFT's Decisive Battle) they just don't have the same sort of effect on me that some other songs do in general. Sorry.

[LocoColt04]

Originally Posted by awall

Wait... where's the second Final Fantasy? How could I not have picked two tunes by our man Nobuo? Well, the truth is that as much as I like certain FF songs (FFX's Attack, FF7's Perfect Jenova, FFT's Decisive Battle) they just don't have the same sort of effect on me that some other songs do in general. Sorry.

No, but you did pick three Mario songs. In case you forgot, the proper game title is "Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island." Any idea which you'd like to part with?


These lists looks great. There are only a couple of songs between the three of you that weren't considered by me. Great choices, all of them. Gah, there's so much good videogame music... ^_^;;


Oh, and don't thank me for this thread. You can actually thank Kaz. It's transplanted from my forums; I figured it'd be a hell of a thread to have here as well, wouldn't you agree?

[awall]

Originally Posted by LocoColt04

No, but you did pick three Mario songs. In case you forgot, the proper game title is "Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island." Any idea which you'd like to part with?

I know they're all Mario games, but I wouldn't exactly call Mariokart the same series as Yoshi's Island and Mario 64. I'm not sure whether I'd even call the latter two part of the same series, because the gameplay is so different. I mean, Mario is also in Super Smash Bros., but I wouldn't say it counts as the same series as any of those other games.

If you really want me to drop one, Rainbow Road can be switched for one of the afforementioned FF songs. Or else, two great games that I left out, F-Zero X and Extreme G. Extreme G's soundtrack is all techno/trance stuff, which is so my favorite genre. However, I can't place any specific tracks from that game right now, because I haven't played it in years. F-Zero X is a bit more synthy and jazzy in places, but... well, a few songs (like the background music on the Silence tracks) are simply amazing. And then there's Wipeout 3, which has a great soundtrack, but that's all actually liscenced music, so that doesn't count.

[Evil Dragoon]

Oh man is this a tough thing to do, especially because of how awesome some of the remixes are. But here goes, so while I probably will forget a very important track, these are still damn good.


Super Metroid (SNES) - Brinstar 1 (Don't know the exact name so I'm going off of vgmusic.com)

Well, since Kraid was already picked I'm going to have to move on to one of my other most liked tracks from the Metroid series. It's a great melding of drums and synth sounds to create a nice groove that still gives it a metroid style feel. It just might very well be one of the best fits to a sci fi game I've ever heard.

StarFox (SNES) - Corneria

I see your N64 nomination and I raise you a Starfox for the SNES. Both are great tracks, but overall I would have to say that the pace of the SNES one beats out the N64 one. The atmosphere it creates for a game like this just feel like a better fit.

Kirby SuperStar (SNES) - Battle with Meta-Knight

This song really does make you feel like you're in a dire situation and have to finish your task quickly. Once again, the pacing just feels so right with this piece. But what helps it along so much are the weird parts that go over the rhythm of it.

Kirby 64 (N64) - Final Boss

It may not have been the greatest kirby game, well far from it, but damn did it have an awesome last boss theme. Although I would have put the Revenge of Meta-Knight finale theme, this one is equally awesome actually allowed. It does a great job of setting up an epic feel to the last part of the game and keeping it through.

Final Fantasy Tactics (PSX) - Dorter Trade City

Woah is it tough to pick a track from this game as it is certainly one of my favorite game soundtracks, and games, ever. The feeling that it is able to convey during its moments of use are hardly ever matched by other pieces. This piece just really hightens the intense feeling of the Dorter Trade City battle. Not only that but it creates a feeling of despair and a need to win the battle at any cost.

Megaman X (SNES) - Zero's Theme

Once again, another tough track to pick out of a pile of gems. The megaman series is known not only for its great gameplay, but for some of the best tracks out there. Having seen some of the other picks I decided to go with the X series. Even by limiting the series it isn't easy to pick the right track but I feel that Zero's Theme is just that. It really creates an identity for the best character in the series. Everytime you hear it in the game you know something great is going to happen.

Castlevania (NES) - Vampire Killer

I cannot stress enough how hard it is to pick out tracks for some these games. Originally I planned to go with just whatever castlevania track I was listening to, but I just switched it to this midi and instantly knew that this was it. Such a catchy melody that you can easily hum to it makes for a perfect track.

Dragon Warrior/Quest (NES) - Tantegel Castle

One of the very first tracks you hear when you start the game it stays in your ears for a very long time. You will sometimes find yourself humming it out of the blue, damn did they know how to write catchy pieces back in the NES days.

Super Mario RPG (SNES) - Forest Maze

What a great piece, it really makes you feel like you're running around forever trying to find your way out of an enchanted forest. While SMRPG has some really weird tracks, it also has some great tracks, such as this one. The soundtrack can be compared to only Earthbound in terms of weird/awesome.

Donkey Kong Country (SNES) - DK Island Swing

Back in Rare's prime music was just one of the many things you could expect to be awesome about the game. The DKC series is full of pieces that give off the right feel for the levels that they represent. This is just one of those pieces that gives the jungle levels a lot of character.


You know, my list isn't loud enough, so I'm turning it up to 11. After all, my lists go to 11

F-Zero (SNES) - Mute City

One of the few soundtracks where the music is just some good ole hard rock, this one really shines. The great leads really make the races so much more enjoyable. The song really does add to the feel of racing so fast that it just trumps any other kind of racing game out there.

[Sean]

Well, for now this list is in no particular order, nor is it final. It'll be hard to try to come up with a replacement for a certain Nobuo song, and it'll be even harder to delete a Nobuo song.





Final Fantasy VI - Terra's Theme

By far one of the most.... sad... moving.... beautiful pieces I've heard from the soundtrack of one of my favorite Final Fantasies.

Xenogears - The One Who is Torn Apart (Id's Theme)

It's a really good tune that sets some great ambiance, especially for the battle in which the music is played.

Mega Man - Cutman's Level Theme

Especially when remixed by McVaffe on piano, this piece is.... simply wonderful. It's upbeat, it's fun, and it makes me love Cutman's level, even if I do hate it. Plus it's the very first Mega Man level I ever played, therefore... yes.

The Legend of Zelda - The Overworld

Dun.... dun dun dun dun dun dunnnnn..... dun.... DUN DUN DUN DUN DUN DUNNNN....... DUN DUN! DUN DUN DUN DA DUN!

Oh man. This is a tune that'll stick in your head so easily, it's also my favorite theme to play on guitar. I drive my parents mad with it. This simple tune has evolved from 8bit blips and beeps all the way into a full orchestrated version in the most recent Zelda. A truly wonderful piece of video game history, the Zelda theme is.

Super Mario Brothers - World 1-1

This is probably the most popular, and most simple video game tune. There's not a single soul that won't know what game you're referring to when you start up with the Mario Brother's theme.

Final Fantasy VII - Cid's Theme

This is another moving piece, but at the same time it inspires a certain feeling of hope. Truly a magnificent piece.

Chrono Cross - Magic Dreamers - The Wind, The Stars, and the Sea

This is the "Nikki's Concert" version of the Marbule theme. I remember when I first got to this part of Chrono Cross I decided to take a break and sit and talk with Colin for a bit whilst this theme played. This song is also so awesome that I wasn't pissed off when I left Marbule early and had to refight my way through the entire thing over, just because I got to listen to the song longer. Easily my favorite guitar piece from a video game.

Tetris Theme

Don't ask me why. But the endless hours stacking up blocks and forcing rows to dissapear while listening to this simple tune has earned it a place in my heart.

Secret of Mana - Ice World

I can't completely remember the proper title for this, and it's actually been quite some time since I actually listened to it, but this theme was really.... well, I really liked it when I was younger. Songs of nostalgia are always well welcomed.

And finally....

Mega Man II - Dr. Wily's Stages Theme

Upbeat, fast, and just fun. I can really move and groove to this song, and has been a long time favorite of mine to learn on guitar. Still workign on it, but my fingers just can't move that fast yet. =P





Honorable Mention

Chrono Cross - Radical Dreamers - Without Taking the Jewel

While I REALLY love this song, it just didn't make the cut though I could've added it without any problems. The underlying reason I remember first hearing it during the end credits, and I'm sorry, but video game songs always make me think of the time I spent playing the game, not watching the end credits.


Final Fantasy X - Otherworld

When I first heard this, the guitar kicking in, the fast drums, the overall "RAAAAAAAH KICKASS!" of the song really inspires a good hope for the rest of the game, and the FMV it's playing over is really great. But I feel there are better songs on my list than this. Plus I can only do two FF songs.

Final Fantasy VI - Aria

This was hard to give up for Cid's Theme, but the feeling I get by hearing Cid's Theme and the thoughts it brings back from the game are a better feelign than I get by hearing Aria, I think. Aria is a veeery wonderful song, though.