What is your favorite video game soundtrack and why?

[Dagger Dias]

What is your favorite video game soundtrack and why?

I figured this would be an interesting idea for a thread, and it deals with something that I am very passionate about.... video game soundtracks. I have a playlist of exactly 999 tracks (the number is a tribute to Final Fantasy 1's HP cap of 999) that I listen to for inspiration while I program and work on the RPG that I am creating, Division Blade.

My favorite though, would have to be Tales of Symphonia's soundtrack. It has 100+ tracks in it, nearly all of which are beautiful and fit the moments in the game that they are used perfectly. Out of all 100+ there are maybe 5 that I don't like. All the rest are great. When I hear these themes I feel inspired.

A close second is Final Fantasy 7. Nostalgia is a big part of why that one ranks so high. Many of the other Final Fantasy games' soundtracks round out my top 5 with Tales of Symphonia taking 1st place.

So.... what about the rest of you, do you have a favorite video game soundtrack and why do you like it the best?

 

[Platypus Palsy]

I'll separate these by original and non-original.

Original: I really enjoy listening to Halo's theme. It sounds really cool and is one of those orchestral scores that can make a fight scene epic. Zelda is another obvious choice, maybe just for the little tune that plays when you receive an item. Mario is another Nintendo game with a great sound to it. From World 1-2 in Super Mario Bros. on the NES, to the other tunes from Super Mario World. (The classic Mario games are the only I've played.)

Non-Original: The Grand Theft Auto games has the greatest selection of music collected that wasn't original, in my opinion. While cruising down the street the music helps to create the atmosphere for the time period that the game is set in. From the early Rap and New Wave of the 80s to the "gangsta" Rap and Alternative Rock of the 90s, the music selection is perfect.

 

[Dave]

Guitar Hero 3 is probably the greatest soundtrack that I have heard to a game in all of the time I have been playing games. I know that is somewhat of a cop-out because it is set around music but it is a soundtrack all the same. I think that it is fantastically varied and has some of the best songs of this and the last few generations attached to it. You look at some of the songs that it had and you can't help but be impressed. It has an awesome array of modern greats and legendary classics. From The Killers and Bloc Party to Black Sabbath and Jimi Hendrix. I am a huge Rock fan and being able to incorporate some of my favourite songs of all time into a game that I could actually try to impersonate some legends is a stroke of genius.

With that being said, I have to agree with some of the games that have been mentioned thus far. The Final Fantasy VII soundtrack was amazing. It was dynamic when it needed to be and sombre when times called for it. I remember playing it and making a note of that in my head. Truly, FFVII would not have been the same game without it's wonderful soundtrack. The same can be said of many of the Grand Theft Auto games. My personal favourite is Grand Theft Auto: San Andrea and the K-Rose country station. I have spent many a day playing that game to listen to that soundtrack and I still have the entire playlist on my iPod to this day.

 

[Blade]

Ocarina of Time. Fans of this game will instantly agree with.

For those of you who don't know the game... Well, all I can say is that it's a game with a soundtrack so good, I'm buy for the soundtrack. Luckily, it's also one of the greatest games ever, so it's not a waste of money. The soundtrack is so incredibly beautiful. From the happy innocence of Saria's song, the grooving adventurousness of the Gerudo Valley theme, the slight insanity of the Song of Storms.

And of course, Zelda's lullaby... Simply the most beautiful piece of music I've ever heard in a game...
[YOUTUBE]_qPtuOfQbyI&feature=related[/YOUTUBE]

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Quite simply glorious.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Ocarina of Time. Fans of this game will instantly agree with.

For those of you who don't know the game... Well, all I can say is that it's a game with a soundtrack so good, I'm buy for the soundtrack. Luckily, it's also one of the greatest games ever, so it's not a waste of money. The soundtrack is so incredibly beautiful. From the happy innocence of Saria's song, the grooving adventurousness of the Gerudo Valley theme, the slight insanity of the Song of Storms.

And of course, Zelda's lullaby... Simply the most beautiful piece of music I've ever heard in a game...


Quite simply glorious.

Ocarina of time is a great one, and I have a couple of tracks from it in that 999 track inspiration playlist that I mentioned. I have to disagree on Zelda's Lullaby being the most beautiful though.... that would have to go to Aeris' theme from Final Fantasy 7, the one that plays during "the biggest spoiler of video game history". That song actually didn't make the cut for my inspiration playlist because it's SO beautiful that I often get teary eyed when I hear it, due to both nostalgia and how well done "that scene" was done.

 

[ABMorales787]

My pick would have to be Super Smash Bros. Melee. I don't know why, but the tracks just mix so well with the stage and provide great background to the fight. I love it. The alternate tracks to some stages are just awesome. I can't get enough of playing the Termina Bay stage with Saria's Song, or the Fire Emblem Mix in Zelda's Castle. I love the music when you fight a Metal Character, but my favorite has to be the alternate track in the Pokemon Stadium. It brings back memories from Pokemon Red/Blue.

 

[Dagger Dias]

My pick would have to be Super Smash Bros. Melee. I don't know why, but the tracks just mix so well with the stage and provide great background to the fight. I love it. The alternate tracks to some stages are just awesome. I can't get enough of playing the Termina Bay stage with Saria's Song, or the Fire Emblem Mix in Zelda's Castle. I love the music when you fight a Metal Character, but my favorite has to be the alternate track in the Pokemon Stadium. It brings back memories from Pokemon Red/Blue.

The Smash Bros Melee (and Brawl also) tracks are great, as a couple from both games made the cut for my inspiration playlist as well. They did a great job of remixing old classic themes to put in Smash Bros games. The best Smash bros track is the Tetris A remix from Brawl, either that one or the remix of Corneria in the original Star Fox. Can't go wrong with Smash Bros tracks because they rarely fail to impress.

 

[JenovasWitness]

I enjoy a great many soundtracks and theme songs, but the one tune that I truly enjoyed and I still love to hear, ESPECIALLY when I got the chance to hear it played live by a full symphony orchestra, was the opening theme of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty.

Great game. A bit disappointing in Kojima's choice to have Raiden as the main playable character for 85% of the game. But the opening movie with that theme song by Harry Gregson-Williams is, for lack of a better term, pitch perfect. It is exactly the correct blend of popular and classical elements that create an appropriately stirring anthem deserving of the Metal Gear Solid epic.

 

[Lee]

Ocarina of Time without a shadow of a doubt. These themese were either taken from a 16 bit game (LTTP) or completly brand new. They are now the staple of Zelda games and are a huge mix. Compare Gerudo and its Spanish guitar to the jaunty Song of Storms to Zeldas lullaby. Without the music this game would babrely make the top 10 list of games, let alone be regarded as the greatest game evah!

 

[The Doctor]

You know, everyone's talked about some great soundtracks, but I want to bring your attention to one that isn't very well-known, but is still great:

Power Quest
If you've been reading my Games No One Played thread (and I doubt you have. ) you've seen me cover this game. The game had one fantastic soundtrack that really made the game better. How Sunsoft managed to coax such sounds out of the GameBoy I'll never know. It was really great. Just great.

There's another one I want to talk about, but I've forgotten what it is.

 

[Dave]

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Quite simply glorious.

OK, I know that I might be completely ignorant and that this will not be a popular statement to make in here. However, I must say that after listening to what has been posted here, I am not very impressed with it at all. It's really strange and people will testify to this for me. I have never been a fan of retro games and I can literally see no reason why this has been mentioned in the same thread as Grand Theft Auto and games like Guitar Hero. Personally, I think that modern games are using music far better than ever before. I just fail to see the attraction in old sound tracks. I listened to what was posted and then I listened to the soundtrack of off Guitar Hero 3 and while it may not be original music, it is much better.

I don't knwo if that is something wrong with me or not but if you give me the option of listening to the OoT soundtrack or the soundtrack from GTa: San Andreas and I will take GTA every time.

 

[The Doctor]

Dave, it's people like you who need to go to OverClocked Remix (ocremix.org)
They do things with retro game music you won't believe. They arrange it and show it to be something more than a throwaway piece.

Also, if you aren't a fan of orchestral music but are a fan of popular music, of course you would pick GTA!

And stop taking a leaf out of old Sam's book. Stop bolding your posts. It makes my eyes hurt.

 

[NSL]

Am I the only one that loves the soundtrack to the original Mario game? It could start at any time, and everyone would know what it was. It changes to fit the mood of the game, and can be hummed at any time.

It'd be easy to say Guitar Hero II, but since it's not really a "soundtrack", I'll leave it off. I was also a fan of the music that went with NFSU:2, but I must admit it got boring after about the 20th race.

 

[Dave]

Am I the only one that loves the soundtrack to the original Mario game? It could start at any time, and everyone would know what it was. It changes to fit the mood of the game, and can be hummed at any time.

It'd be easy to say Guitar Hero II, but since it's not really a "soundtrack", I'll leave it off. I was also a fan of the music that went with NFSU:2, but I must admit it got boring after about the 20th race.

All of the games you have mentioned are fantastic soundtracks. The Mario one is just a great tune. It is not the fact that I do not like old retro tunes because that is untrue. I love the Mario theme and it is an instantly recognisable classic. You commonly find people humming or whistling it and it is super infectious. Then again, I don't really like a lot of soundtracks from that generation of gaming. I think that the Mario them tune is just that infectious that it has so much interest.

The Need for Speed: Underground 2 soundtrack was pretty good too If I am thinking of the correct one, it is the one with Spider Bait's rendition of Black Betty. Am I right? If so, that was a great soundtrack.

 

[Blade]

OK, I know that I might be completely ignorant and that this will not be a popular statement to make in here. However, I must say that after listening to what has been posted here, I am not very impressed with it at all. It's really strange and people will testify to this for me. I have never been a fan of retro games and I can literally see no reason why this has been mentioned in the same thread as Grand Theft Auto and games like Guitar Hero. Personally, I think that modern games are using music far better than ever before. I just fail to see the attraction in old sound tracks. I listened to what was posted and then I listened to the soundtrack of off Guitar Hero 3 and while it may not be original music, it is much better.

I don't knwo if that is something wrong with me or not but if you give me the option of listening to the OoT soundtrack or the soundtrack from GTa: San Andreas and I will take GTA every time.

So this is what you've resorted to in an attempt to up your post count, huh Boldey? Very well.

Firstly, I like games soundtracks to be original. It always adds to a game's identity and originality. You're a Final Fantasy fan, how would you feel if you were playing Final Fantasy 10 and you entered a random battle only to hear The Beatles in the background? A soundtrack needs to fit a game's atmosphere and the only way that can be done is if the soundtrack is original. It doesn't matter how many 80's hits they put into the game, it's never as good as when the soundtrack is original, the aural aspect of any video game is always important. You can listen to the GTA soundtrack all you want. All you're doing is listening to songs that were written years ago that have absolutely no relation to the game itself. If anything, it's lazy.

Remember, there was a time you didn't like Muse. So don't instantly bash OoT's music until you play the game and see how well it works and how the aural matches the visual so well. So what if you can listen to KISS while driving down a road in GTA? You can do that in real life. That's not what games is about.... Err... Unless you play the Sims.

As for you supposedly not being a fan of retro games, I've got a news flash for you. Any game that's of a previous generation is a "retro game" because it's not current, the very definition of retro. Final Fantasy X is retro. GTA San Andreas is retro. Shocking, I know.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Am I the only one that loves the soundtrack to the original Mario game? It could start at any time, and everyone would know what it was. It changes to fit the mood of the game, and can be hummed at any time.

Nope you aren't. Although none of them are close to being my favorite, I do like all 3 of the Mario Bros games soundtracks because they had good tracks in it that can be easily recognized and hummed to within seconds, and the same thing goes for Super Mario World. Those are some of the most recognizable game soundtracks ever, and I liked how some of those tracks were remixed to be used in later Mario games such as the Mario RPG series, 64, Sunshine, and Galaxy.

 

[Mr. TM]

I was always fond of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City's soundtrack. We are all probably aware of the games, and where their soundtrack is located, Everytime you step in a car, you are given the ability to surf through a tone of great tracks. They are arranged by genre as well.

Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4 was also a great soundtrack. There was a mixture of rap, Rock and punk, and I just had a fun time playing the game while busting some gaps.

 

[Y-2-Jay]

First off great topic, rep for you.

I agree with most of the soundtracks chosen in here (Defently Zelda OOT) but there is one soundtrack that has to be brought up. And that is the Resident Evil series. All of these games have awesome soundtracks but there is one from the series that sticks out the most and that is Resident Evil 4. Here is one of them.

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And while i am at it lets bring up a classic from REmake (awesome game)

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After reading this get on youtube and get listening to these classics you wont be disapointed. Opinions are welcome.

 

[DEAMONS-666]

i rather enjoyed my sonic riders 1 sound track. especially the main song because of its great rhythem and and just straight sound

 

[The People's Peep]

with each post i read, i was getting worried. until TM broke the drought.

how could no one mention any of the tony hawk games. i love the soundtracks from all of these games. so many different genres and so many good songs. the best part about this soundtrack is that it fit the games perfectly. there was no better music to skate to, than the songs that they chose in those games. they just signified skating so well.

 

[The Roid Rage]

Am I the only one that loves the soundtrack to the original Mario game?

No way. I love Mario, one of the catchiest tunes ever. I find myself singing it all the time when I am walking to the store or something.

Favorite soundtrack to a game though? God I don't want to date myself here but I have to go back to Sonic The Hedgehog 2. When I actually think back to the best soundtrack I can recall, that is the first one that pops in my head. Never got old, was very catchy, and really caught the aura of the game, the characters, and the levels. Sonic 2 would have to get my vote for best one ever.

 

[MasterShakeIz4Real]

I have so many, but I think my absolute favorite is the Tekken Tag Tournament OST. Not only is it a bad ass electronica album but it's a kick ass game soundtrack to play to. Nearly every song on there can get me either pumped up or feeling calm. (Ogre's Theme is the calmest song I've ever played a game to. Whereas Lei's Theme is the most adrenaline producing track.) I can't honestly describe how this soundtrack is, you have to take a listen for yourself to understand what I mean. So go to youtube and listen to EVERY track or go download it. [Make sure you don't listen to the "Arcade" versions; they suck. Go for the console version or whatever it's called.]

Honorable Mentions:
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time
Final Fantasy 7,8,9,10
Devil May Cry
Metal Gear Solid
Legend of Dragoon
Legend of Legaia
Chrono Trigger
Street Fighter II