Twelve Game Music Tracks Worth Keeping

The field of game music has gotten considerably better over the years, a fact that Games Radar highlights in a simple 'list article' about iPod-worthy game music. They highlight some obvious recent gems, like Coulton's "Still Alive" and "Hikari" from Kingdom Hearts, but also bring back some older goodies with choices like "Everybody Jump Around" from Jet Set Radio or "Chemical Plant" from Sonic 2. "Sonic games used to have amazing music. And while single-player Mystic Cave Zone came a close second, this has to make the list. It may be basic compared to modern CD recordings, but just listen to how each of the console's sound channels is used - it's remarkable. Intricate and dramatic, this industrial anthem builds and builds before seamlessly looping in a non-annoying way."

Comments

Katamari Damacy!!!!

[Cy Sperling]

It is criminal that Katamari Damacy is nowhere to be found on that list. The principle theme is one of the stickiest (pun intended) melodies I have heard in a game. I am listening to the soundtrack right now! That simple catchy melody is transformed into such a wide array of styles and arrangements, and remains catchy and fun in every form. It is the only game I have ever sought out a soundtrack for. If only I could get the creepy red pandas out of my subconcious when I listen to it...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpFFzWPzA2c

Twelve tracks? How about twelve hundred.

[Sciros]

Video game music has come a long way, and I have about... oh, a LOT of it on my comp00tar at this point. I can't pick 12 favorite soundtracks, let alone 12 tracks. What I *can* do is recommend composers.

1) Yasunori Mitsuda. Some dislike him, but he has a certain style that can really draw the listener in. Xenosaga's orchestral pieces are very ambitious for a game. Notable scores: Chrono Cross, Xenosaga Episode 1

2) Yoko Shimomura. She has a problem using some really low-quality samples in some tracks, which is very apparent in KH2, but is generally quite good. Legend of Mana's end credits are fantastic. Notable scores: Legend of Mana, Kingdom Hearts 1 & 2, Mario RPG

3) Jeremy Soule. Every self-respecting gamer has to recognize this name at this point. A British composer who specializes in background orchestral music. Notable scores: Morrowind, Oblivion, Guild Wars

4) Koji Kondo. Composed the original Mario and Zelda themes. Very respected in the industry, but has yet to fully adjust to more current standards of using high-quality samples.

5) Hitoshi Sakimoto. Composer of FFXII's amazing score. While quite different from Nobuo Uematsu's FF scores, focusing less on melody and more on "theme," his music is reminiscent of John Williams with its complexity and orchestral balance.

6) Nobuo Uematsu. The great master himself, composer of many Final Fantasy scores. One of the most respected men in the business. Notable scores: FFVII, FFVIII

7) David Wise. Few have heard of him but this guy is one of the greatest. He wrote the music for Rare's games during its time with Nintendo. Playing the Tawfret track from the JFG soundtrack while going through a forest or swamp in an RPG makes the experience about ten times more immersive. This guy is a genius. Notable scores: DKC, DKC2, Jet Force Gemini

There are other great composers out there, but I encourage everyone to give these a listen for sure.

Quake

[icebones]

Quake 1 - the whole soundtrack. NIN also one of if not the only PC game that was designed to be put in a CD player to listen to the soundtrack.