So I love video game music. It has been extremely influential on the way I interact with songs, both musically and in production. I think have a pretty good musical memory, so for ScrewAttack’s top 10 video game music I decided to make my own list.
YouTube, as of right now, is the world’s greatest jukebox. I was glad that I could find pretty much any tune I wanted from any game I’ve ever played. With the caveat of only one song per franchise (i.e. Final Fantasy or Mario), I narrowed the list down to my own top 10. I suggested:
Final Fantasy VII - Still More Fighting (Boss Theme)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-EH6r9sSmQ
awesome beat over a 12/8 time signature. everything fits so well, it’s an unconventional beat but you don’t think twice about it because it’s executed perfectly. i looked forward to playing bosses just for the music. This narrowly beats out one million other Final Fantasy pieces that would have made this list if not for (and probably thank goodness for) the one-song-per-franchise rule.
Star Fox 64 - Star Wolf Theme
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dQM2AfSM1I
this theme reflects the character of the star fox game so well. it’s toy-ish, like a cartoon fox in space, but grandiose, like going to war against your nemesis. i love how the song builds from :50-1:05
TMNT Hyperstone Heist Boss
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pG44A8wl95U
ultra fast tempo, orchestra synth stabs, super easy hook. MIDI slap bass. love it!
X-Men (Genesis) - Magneto’s Boss
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOZ0NDh1GX4
I don’t know if I ever reached the last boss, I just kind of found this one online. it’s a banger, sounds a lot like Justice
Sonic 3 - Hydrocity Act 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPYzgCI6Q1I
this one didn’t stand out to me at first, back when I played Sonic I liked the more outspoken tunes like Flying Battery or Chemical Zone but after going through them again, I realized how intricate and harmonically interesting this one is, and the tempo is awesome to drum to. (Also, did you know Michael Jackson had a huge influence on the music of Sonic 3? He was actually supposed to do the music for the game, but then some PR thing came out and he had to back out, but his influence is still noticable)
Mario 64 - Dire Dire Docks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqwLjdJd2k0
my favorite from a mario series is a new age-y water level tune! but seriously, dire dire docks is beautiful. and, on the longer side for a video game song, because the drums don’t enter until like 1:50. listening to this calms me down.
Donkey Kong Country 2 - Stickerbrush Symphony
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J67nkzoJ_2M
my favorite video game tune of all time! perfect perfect perfect for the artfully created donkey kong country series. the beat that comes in is straight hip-hop, i don’t care what anyone says.
Mega Man X - Intro Stage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jIPUdmOR9A
awesome 1 bar intro, no futzing around, get straight to the action and straight to the music. setting the bar for an awesome soundtracked game overall, it demonstrated what the “X” in mega man was all about.
Goldeneye - Cradle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d84N6Ie-DQ8
it’s SHOWDOWN time!!!! also good, when this music came up in multiplayer.
Descent II - First Stage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jeKrdLkak4 (4:50)
descent II had a really metal soundtrack. I don’t listen to that type of music, but this game pulled it off well for me. it really pumped me up for this game
