What is your favorite video game music of all time? This is my top three:
1)Monkey Island (obviously)
2)Sonic the Hedgehog 2
3)Lode Runner (that theme music is killer!)
The Best Music in Video Games
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doc labyrinth
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I have lots of fond memories from the music soundtrack in many games... Can't really distinguish which one is better, I loved all of them.
In no particular order:
1) Monkey Island 1-3
2) Grim Fandango
3) Cyberia 1-2
4) Broken Sword 1-2
5) Outlaws
6) Hitman (all)
7) Need for Speed (most of them)
GTA: Vice City
9) Full Throttle
10) Tyrian
11) Warcraft 2 and 3
12) Starcraft
13) World of Warcraft
14) Final Fantasy 7 and 8
15) Kyrandia 1-3
16) Lands of Lore
17) Prince of Persia 2
18) Diablo 1-2
19) Heroes of Might and Magic 3
20) Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
21) Max Payne 1-2 (especially 2)
22) Crusader: No Remorse and Crusader: No Regret
23) Planescape: Torment
In no particular order:
1) Monkey Island 1-3
2) Grim Fandango
3) Cyberia 1-2
4) Broken Sword 1-2
5) Outlaws
6) Hitman (all)
7) Need for Speed (most of them)
GTA: Vice City9) Full Throttle
10) Tyrian
11) Warcraft 2 and 3
12) Starcraft
13) World of Warcraft
14) Final Fantasy 7 and 8
15) Kyrandia 1-3
16) Lands of Lore
17) Prince of Persia 2
18) Diablo 1-2
19) Heroes of Might and Magic 3
20) Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
21) Max Payne 1-2 (especially 2)
22) Crusader: No Remorse and Crusader: No Regret
23) Planescape: Torment
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dreammaster
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eriktorbjorn
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doc labyrinth
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That's one broad subject to say the least. It would be impossible for me to make a list of all my favorite video game soundtracks.
But going back to the 8-bit era, I think the first time I was really thrilled by a game tune was when playing at Guerrilla War on the Spectrum. The tape loading would take about twelve minutes (!), but you would be rewarded with a great title tune from Jonathan Dunn. Sometimes I would even load the game just for listening to it. I recall similar experiences with LED Storm (Tim Follin), Captain Blood (Stéphane Picq)...
Twenty years later, I suppose my favorite soundtrack of all time has to be Shadow of the Colossus by Kō Ōtani. Which doesn't mean I have forgotten my Speccy days :)
In between, I have a soft spot for the MT-32 soundtracks from the Legend games (especially Xanth, Hoboken, Gateway 2). In my opinion, greatest MT-32 music ever composed without any custom SysEx.
But going back to the 8-bit era, I think the first time I was really thrilled by a game tune was when playing at Guerrilla War on the Spectrum. The tape loading would take about twelve minutes (!), but you would be rewarded with a great title tune from Jonathan Dunn. Sometimes I would even load the game just for listening to it. I recall similar experiences with LED Storm (Tim Follin), Captain Blood (Stéphane Picq)...
Twenty years later, I suppose my favorite soundtrack of all time has to be Shadow of the Colossus by Kō Ōtani. Which doesn't mean I have forgotten my Speccy days :)
In between, I have a soft spot for the MT-32 soundtracks from the Legend games (especially Xanth, Hoboken, Gateway 2). In my opinion, greatest MT-32 music ever composed without any custom SysEx.
This is a nigh-infinite list, so instead of games I'll sound off the composers, if you don't mind.
Robert C. Prince III and his comrade-in-arms Lee Jackson - Duke Nukem 2, 3d, Manhattan Project; Doom 1-2; Rise of the Triad; Demon Star. The textbook definition of MIDI rock, ambiance and ambient rock
And the crazy jazz of RoTT on top.
Charles Callet and his crazy assortment of melodies for the Coktel Vision games... and beyond.
Jesper Kyd - not only in the stylish opera-and-orchestra-and-a-hint-of-techo seen and heard in Hitman 2 and Freedom Fighters, but also his initial pure electronica. Red Zone, Scorcher, Hitman Codename 47... Crazy stuff.
Allister Brimble - the one-man conversion team. Known for his arrangements of music for the Descent PSX, Driver, and a plethora of GBC, SNES and SMD games that he'd done conversions or wrote original tracks for.
Kevin Manthei - the guy whose sound we can hear in Vampire Masquerade: Redemption and my dearly beloved kill.switch. And also Twisted Metal, Army Men and a lot beyond, including the Resident Evil movie.
Frank Klepacki - If it's a Westwood game, it's got musick by this guy. Fact.
Alexander Brandon (along with Michiel Van Den Bos, Necros and so on) - the guys from Straylight have made one heckuva lotta games. There's the Jazz Jackrabbit trilogy, the mind-crunching Crusader, both of the classic Unreal episodes (i.e. Unreal and UT), and also Deus Ex, Tyrian and so on. Kinda hard to find someone who's NEVER heard a single track by these guys.
Glenn Stafford - the chief music guy of Blizzard who gave us Lost Vikings, Blackthorne, and everything Warcraft.
Mark Morgan - Planescape & Fallout. 'nuff said.
Akira Yamaoka - Silent Hill. And Shin Contra. And Snatcher. And a lot of other stuff I probably haven't even ever heard of... but these three are already more than enough.
Norihiko Hibino - Metal Gear Solid 2/3/4/TPO. Supposedly started out as a support for the guest-star of Harry Gregson-Williams, but quickly built his own vision of the soundtrack which made it quite popular out there.
Kazuki Muraoka - Metal Gear, Metal Gear Solid Ghost Babel. And probably even more stuff I've never even heard of. But this is the MEAT, the games that started it all. What Hibino and Williams do with the modern games by way of a sampler and an orchestra, he did with the 8-bit beepers of the NES and the GBC.
Mark Seibert - Quest for Glory, Space Quest, and a lot of other Sierra stuff you know and love. You can't be an adventure game fan and not have heard at least something of his.
Michael Z. Land - you know, "Deep in the Carribean... the island of Melee." I don't have to tell YOU why this guy's here.
Clint Bajakian - although reduced to a mere arranger these days, back in the golden days of MIDI he was John Williams #2, writing original musick for the Star Wars games of the time. If you've played Dark Forces, then you know what I mean
Matt Uelmen - legend has it that the fabled Diablo soundtrack was made via sampler from start to finish. Yes, even the phenomenal Tristram theme everyone remembers so fondly. It's only a legend, but the tracks do rock.
Kukeiha Club - the Konami music-meisters of old. The classic episodes of Castlevania, Contra, et al - that's them.
Michiru Yamane - the modern Castlevania musicperson. While retaining the distinct style of the Kukeiha tracks of old, she still manages to breathe a bit of uniqueness into every new game of the series.
Jeroen Tel - a.k.a. WAVE of the Five Musicians (of which the aforementioned Necros was also a member), one of the most legendary trackers and chiptuners out there. Sure, he hadn't covered a LOT of games, but it still is undisputable - those games have great music.
Nobuo Uematsu - every generation has its own favourite Final Fantasy episode and the corresponding music. Some may like "Eyes on me" more, some may prefer "Aria di Mezzo Carratere". Me? I'm all for "Clash on the Big Bridge". What about you?
Robert C. Prince III and his comrade-in-arms Lee Jackson - Duke Nukem 2, 3d, Manhattan Project; Doom 1-2; Rise of the Triad; Demon Star. The textbook definition of MIDI rock, ambiance and ambient rock
And the crazy jazz of RoTT on top.Charles Callet and his crazy assortment of melodies for the Coktel Vision games... and beyond.
Jesper Kyd - not only in the stylish opera-and-orchestra-and-a-hint-of-techo seen and heard in Hitman 2 and Freedom Fighters, but also his initial pure electronica. Red Zone, Scorcher, Hitman Codename 47... Crazy stuff.
Allister Brimble - the one-man conversion team. Known for his arrangements of music for the Descent PSX, Driver, and a plethora of GBC, SNES and SMD games that he'd done conversions or wrote original tracks for.
Kevin Manthei - the guy whose sound we can hear in Vampire Masquerade: Redemption and my dearly beloved kill.switch. And also Twisted Metal, Army Men and a lot beyond, including the Resident Evil movie.
Frank Klepacki - If it's a Westwood game, it's got musick by this guy. Fact.
Alexander Brandon (along with Michiel Van Den Bos, Necros and so on) - the guys from Straylight have made one heckuva lotta games. There's the Jazz Jackrabbit trilogy, the mind-crunching Crusader, both of the classic Unreal episodes (i.e. Unreal and UT), and also Deus Ex, Tyrian and so on. Kinda hard to find someone who's NEVER heard a single track by these guys.
Glenn Stafford - the chief music guy of Blizzard who gave us Lost Vikings, Blackthorne, and everything Warcraft.
Mark Morgan - Planescape & Fallout. 'nuff said.
Akira Yamaoka - Silent Hill. And Shin Contra. And Snatcher. And a lot of other stuff I probably haven't even ever heard of... but these three are already more than enough.
Norihiko Hibino - Metal Gear Solid 2/3/4/TPO. Supposedly started out as a support for the guest-star of Harry Gregson-Williams, but quickly built his own vision of the soundtrack which made it quite popular out there.
Kazuki Muraoka - Metal Gear, Metal Gear Solid Ghost Babel. And probably even more stuff I've never even heard of. But this is the MEAT, the games that started it all. What Hibino and Williams do with the modern games by way of a sampler and an orchestra, he did with the 8-bit beepers of the NES and the GBC.
Mark Seibert - Quest for Glory, Space Quest, and a lot of other Sierra stuff you know and love. You can't be an adventure game fan and not have heard at least something of his.
Michael Z. Land - you know, "Deep in the Carribean... the island of Melee." I don't have to tell YOU why this guy's here.
Clint Bajakian - although reduced to a mere arranger these days, back in the golden days of MIDI he was John Williams #2, writing original musick for the Star Wars games of the time. If you've played Dark Forces, then you know what I mean
Matt Uelmen - legend has it that the fabled Diablo soundtrack was made via sampler from start to finish. Yes, even the phenomenal Tristram theme everyone remembers so fondly. It's only a legend, but the tracks do rock.
Kukeiha Club - the Konami music-meisters of old. The classic episodes of Castlevania, Contra, et al - that's them.
Michiru Yamane - the modern Castlevania musicperson. While retaining the distinct style of the Kukeiha tracks of old, she still manages to breathe a bit of uniqueness into every new game of the series.
Jeroen Tel - a.k.a. WAVE of the Five Musicians (of which the aforementioned Necros was also a member), one of the most legendary trackers and chiptuners out there. Sure, he hadn't covered a LOT of games, but it still is undisputable - those games have great music.
Nobuo Uematsu - every generation has its own favourite Final Fantasy episode and the corresponding music. Some may like "Eyes on me" more, some may prefer "Aria di Mezzo Carratere". Me? I'm all for "Clash on the Big Bridge". What about you?
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Tinhead Ned
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spookypeanut
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I can't believe no-one has mentioned 7th Guest yet The music is fabulous, very intricate.
It's also available on CD:
http://www.synsoniq.de/productdetails.php?pid=43
The music is fabulous, very intricate.It's also available on CD:
http://www.synsoniq.de/productdetails.php?pid=43
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eriktorbjorn
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Some of the music can also be found on the second CD of the game - at least the version I bought - in the form of one 27 minutes, 22 seconds audio track. I don't have the soundtrack CD, and the track names don't quite match the list in the game's manual, so I can't compare the two.spookypeanut wrote:I can't believe no-one has mentioned 7th Guest yet
It's also available on CD:
http://www.synsoniq.de/productdetails.php?pid=43
Some of the music is pretty nice. Some is just strange. It's probably the best part of what is, in my not-so-humble-opinion, a thoroughly mediocre game. I understand some people like the game a lot, though, so you shouldn't take my word for it.
Yuzo Koshiro hasn't been mentioned yet - he did the music for Shinobi and Sonic on the GameGear
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doc labyrinth
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eriktorbjorn
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The theme from Ghost 'n Goblins is pretty catchy, too. It's nice to see that it at the very least made it into the trailer for the latest (?) incarnation of the game.
I have no idea who composed it, though.
I have no idea who composed it, though.
David Whittaker? Usually MobyGames lists the credits of any game for all platforms it was ported to. Check the MobyGames entry for Ghost 'n Goblins.eriktorbjorn wrote:The theme from Ghost 'n Goblins is pretty catchy, too. [...] I have no idea who composed it, though.