Most Memorable Video Game Music – Part 1
Recently the television ads for the new Final Fantasy game have caught my attention. Not for the amazing CG work, but for the high production music that was playing. It got me to wondering about the influence of video game music. Pondering over this I realized that out of all the games I have played over the years the most memorable games have been one with very memorable music. Take a look online and you will find all sorts of people making variations and performing these memorable tunes in tribute. Music is such a vital component that if left out would change the entire experience. Imagine Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies without its epic soundtrack. And if you are completely honest with yourself you have music in your head as you go through life. Your life’s soundtrack. The music grips us in a way that no high powered visual ever could. The music activates our internal imagination which has limitless visual processing capacity. This list is of some of the most timeless classics in video games. If I miss a few please add them in the comments section. I would hate to do any of the great musical classics of our video gaming age a disservice by not mentioning them.
Super Mario Brothers
EVERYONE had this game. Even people with out a Nintendo seemed to end up with this game. And of course the music themes from this game are without a doubt timeless. The most memorable out of the themes in this game is the underworld theme. You know! The one that made you hang out in world 1-2 for hours just so you could groove to it. It is also a strange piece, because its creepy enough for an underworld, but it also has that swing.
Download – Super Mario Bros. Medley By: Zärpman
Sonic The Hedgehog
Throughout the lifetime of the series there have been so so many memorable songs created for these games. I wont list them all here. I will focus on the very first game since it started it all. Some of the most notable tracks are the up tempo with a bounce Marble Zone theme, the groovy Spring Yard Zone theme, and the Vegas style Starlight Zone theme. The track that is the most epic of all the tracks in Sonic 1 is the Final Zone track.
Download – Sonic the Hedgehog Final Zone
Megaman
Megaman 2 was off the hook with its tunes. Each boss had a solid track with its own unique feel that went perfectly with the stages and themes of the bosses. Its difficult to say which of the tracks is the most memorable; so I’ll just stick with my favorite Airman. Hated his weapon, but loved his music.
Download – Megaman II Airman Theme
Streets of Rage
This game’s music was just down right funky! This game really showed the sound processing capability of the Sega Genesis. The music is influenced by Urban Hip hop and Techno. Once again this is a game where it is extremely hard to just pick one as the most memorable. The track I choose here is called The Lost Soul. I picked this one because its a good representation of the overall soundtrack of the game.
Download – Streets Of Rage The Lost Soul
Legend of Zelda
Including this game isn’t even a fair fight to the rest. The Ocarina of Time was all about music. This game was ground breaking with its inclusion of music as the central focus of the game. The one song that stays with us all from this game is the Song of Storms. Mainly because of its calming melody and the fact you could go to the Windmill in town and sit for hours listening to the tune.
Download – The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time Windmill Hut
Medal of Honor
I must say this was the first game that really made me take notice to the effort that game companies were beginning to put into quality musical productions. This game came on the heals of the movie Saving Private Ryan which gave a framework of war films. This game was inspired by that film and changed the way WWII FPS games have been presented since.
Keep checking back for more as we compile the most memorable music in video games.
