Favorite video game soundtracks
Favorite video game soundtracks
Let's have a little rest from all the toxic news and analytical essays. I've
loved VGM since I was a small child pretty much, and for over 10 years it has
been all I've listened to. If you're looking for obscure old gems, you've found
the right place - but I do recommend more popular titles as well. I could
probably bury you with hundreds upon hundreds of tracks here, but I will try to
focus only on the toppest of the top tier (which will inevitably end up five
times bigger than I imagine, hahaha). I remember 8ch/v/ had a thread once with
"curated video game OST lists" - you can consider this to be something like
that, but "curated" to the most possible extent. Don't mind the categories,
they're just how the tracks sound to my ~~autistic~~ unique mind. They are
pretty fluid so some of the songs could fit into many, but I tried to pick the
most fitting one. Okay, let's get the party started!
"Prepare your ass" themes
Music signifying a sense of urgency. Keeps you focused during your playthrough!
Usually last level themes, or before-boss themes, but not always.
Jazz Jackrabbit 2 - Jazz be
Damned. One of my favorite games
from my childhood, especially the multiplayer aspect. This theme plays during
the last level (hell) before you meet the boss - which is underwhelming both
in gameplay and soundtrack.
Jazz Jackrabbit 2 - Jazz
Belmont. Ghostly track for a
ghostly level. Very cool and tough boss at the end of the level (much better
than the final).
Similar in style to the above. False alarm though as there's no boss at the
end. Anyway, this game has more good ones but as I said, only the very best
will go on this list. So let's move on to some other games.
Future Cop L.A.P.D - Hell's Gate
Prison. Another childhood gem. The
level itself isn't anything special, but the amazing theme almost makes you
think so.
Future Cop L.A.P.D - LAX
Spaceport. A more energetic one
than the above. Level is longer and ends with a fucking spaceship boss. As
JJ2, this one also has other good tracks, but these two stand out.
Yet another childhood favorite. The game pits you against probably the hardest
opponent before the last one, and the theme goes along with that.
LEGO Racers - Desert Adventure
Dragaway. Another one from the
above game, more energetic.
Final boss theme that doesn't sound like one (but of course, the game has no
races without a boss in them, so that's how it had to be done). Best theme in
the game. The others except these three are pretty average - good while
playing the game, not so much elsewhere.
Pokemon Red / Blue / Yellow - Indigo
Plateau. The theme that plays
before you challenge the Elite Four (the bosses of the game). Forget about the
Fire Red / Leaf Green version, it's inferior (same as most of its
soundtrack).
Pokemon Gold / Silver / Crystal - Silver
Cave. The place where you meet the
Final Final Boss. Forget about the sequels - they fucked up the soundtrack
heavily (even worse than FR / LG). If you want a non-beepy version, there are
lots of fanmade remixes that are much better.
Pokemon Gold / Silver / Crystal - Dragon's
Den. Another good one (though
there's nothing special there in-game...). Also has had a few fanmade covers.
Knowing that the OR / AS soundtrack completely outclasses vanilla Ruby /
Sapphire, I was trying to find a justification to list at least one track from
that generation. Turns out Emerald does provide it with one of the Battle
Frontier themes (a place that was taken out of the remakes, ugh).
Pokemon Diamond / Pearl / Platinum - Stark
Mountain. Holy shit, the OST of
this game is just so annoyingly average - not what we've gotten used to
with the first 3 generations. This is one of the few good themes, and it is
good.
Pokemon Omega Ruby / Alpha Sapphire - Route
111. As opposed to HG / SS, these
remakes heavily improved the soundtrack so much that the original one
isn't worth caring about anymore. And this random route theme is one of the
biggest benefactors. Could easily work as a preparation for fighting a
legendary Pokemon or something, but it's stuck in an empty desert instead
(well you do find some fossils, OK...). Whatever, enjoy your listen of what is
likely one of the best VGM from this list at all (I know I've played this for
20 times straight on occasion). Fuck it, this one is so good I almost don't
want to put up others from this game, even though they deserve it.
Pokemon Omega Ruby / Alpha Sapphire - Heavy
Rain. Hey, it's not gonna beat
Route 111, but it just has to be here. Though it's a different style than it
anyway - way more mysterious and atmospheric, but captures the attention just
as well.
The game is seriously brought down by its weak stealth mechanics, but the
atmosphere is top tier - and the soundtrack plays a big part in it. The Harbor
theme sends chills down your spine and is quite significantly better than the
others. Though the Hotel and Hospital themes are great, too.
Hitman 2: Silent Assassin - Desert
Sun. Amazing sequel to Codename 47
that fixed literally all its issues and to this day is one of the best
stealth games out there. Great soundtrack too, but this theme hits
particularly hard.
Chip n Dale - Zone J. Hey, I
like NES beeps too, and this is one of the best out there. Hint: you can try
to find remixes if the beeps don't appeal to you (there just happen to be
quite a lot of this theme).
Kamen no Ninja Hanamaru - Stage
13. Another NES one. The game had
an American remake to promote a pizza brand (capitalism in action <_<), and it
was significantly worse including the soundtracks that were changed (but this
one stayed the same).
Kabuki Quantum Fighter - Round
4. Childhood favorite, but these
days I think level 5 is even more amazing.
Kabuki Quantum Fighter - Round
5. Last level, will lift you up.
Both of these are better than the boss themes for sure.
Go Dizzy Go - World 3. These
damn NES beeps always manage to imprint themselves into your head, somehow.
The other themes from this game are pretty terrible, but this one more than
makes up for them.
I could never clear this level as a kid, so I just sat and listened to the
catchy soundtrack.
Contra - Energy Zone. Just pumps
you up. Other themes are pretty average aside from maybe Snow Field, which
doesn't come close to this one anyway. There's also an official
remix of this track (from Contra
Evolution), and it's of course way superior due to, well, not being NES beeps
(though Pokemon remakes have managed to screw up remixing the GB beeps
somehow).
Trojan - Level 5. This might be
one of the most impactful set of NES beeps around. Funny how the other themes
from this game are either annoyingly average or just outright terrible.
Exterminacja - Track 2. Old and
obscure Polish RTS. Would be a fucking crime against humanity if I didn't have
it listed. This is, without a doubt, one of the two best soundtracks on
here. If the others have impressed you, this one will blow you away.
I've been listening to this one for more than 10 years, and at no point have I
become tired of it. Without exaggeration, it's a masterpiece. ~~All songs
from this game will be on the list.~~. Actually, since the list was supposed
to be curated, I'll just put up two of my favorite ones.
Exterminacja - Track 3. Slower,
more mysterious and "out of your way" than the above, but just as amazing.
Rollercoaster Tycoon - Roman
Fanfare. There are no boss fights
in this game obviously, but the theme would be a fitting preparation for one.
Same as above. The game also contains a bunch of other tracks that are either
terrible or sound OK while playing, but aren't something you'd listen to
while doing something else. These two clearly stand out.
International Rally Championship - To the
MAX. An old, obscure as fuck
racing game. There are 8 race themes, and this is one of the 3 that are the
best. But the whole soundtrack is good.
International Rally Championship - Miles and
Miles. Another great one from the
above. Last one will be put in another category. But I heavily recommend
giving the whole OST a listen.
Ignition - Gold Rush. Another
racing game. The other themes lack the required impact, but this one has it in
spades.
Music from an old, obscure RPG that is IMO way underrated and under-known.
The atmosphere and attention to detail in it are off the fucking charts.
Anyway, name of track should reveal what to expect. It's not particularly
fast, but keeps you on your toes. What I especially love about it is how it
manages to seamlessly switch up styles / instruments many times, almost ending
up a different track in the middle of it, but keeping quality all the way
through. It's a masterpiece, like the whole game.
Now this one is much more energetic but creates atmosphere just as well.
Yes, another one from this game. This one plays in the overworld instead of
dungeons, so it's less "heavy" - but sounds just as amazing.
Amazing intro to a disappointing game. At least the theme justifies its
existence :D
By the same composer who did the soundtrack for Exterminacja. The entire
soundtrack is great here, as well. But I didn't want to put it all in, so I've
decided on this single theme that I like the most.
Evil Islands: Curse of the Lost Soul -
East. An obscure Russian RPG that
somehow hits all the spots thanks to its amazing hobo phase. Great enemy
variety, a story that keeps you wondering, and - holy shit - that crafting
mechanic which makes you excited about killing that new monster for its unique
loot. Too bad the game kind of falls of a cliff later, but what RPG doesn't?
Includes an extremely good soundtrack with a few excellent battle themes, but
I prefer this one, which conveys the "prepare your ass" feeling perfectly.
Top Gear - Frankfurt. Zero idea
about this game so I won't bother to type up a description. This song somehow
popped up in my Invidious recommendations, years ago, probably. And I liked
it, so it's here.
"Shit's going down" themes
Playtime is over! It's all on the line here and now! Mainly battle or boss
themes. Let's start with some NES beeps:
Kamen no Ninja Hanamaru - Final
Boss. Regular boss theme isn't all
that, but this one is surely worth of being the last thing you hear (except
the credits lol).
The Flinstones - The Surprise at Dinosaur's Peak -
Boss. Short, but manages to fit a
fuckload of awesome into it.
beloved beat-em-up on the NES, way before its time. First boss theme is the
best, 2 and 3 are OK and the final just sucks. But this one you can listen to
on repeat for a long time. And there are lots of remixes on the 'net if the
beeps get tiring.
Theme of the "main" character. It's a masterpiece, and it's long. Other themes
from this game are OK too, but don't come close.
He's back and better than ever. But this time has some competition:
The resident ninja might have an even better (and fucking fitting) theme than
Akira. One of my all time favorites.
Final boss, with a better theme than "she" had in the previous games. Much
better.
Virtua Fighter 4 - Dural. "She"
is back and with another great theme.
But the ninja won't give up the quest to have the best themes in the series.
Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown - Jean
Kujo. A new character enters the
party with a theme that is sure to lift you up. Used to listen to this one
many times straight, it's that good.
Last Bronx - Yusaku Kudo. Sega's
obscure fighting game with just as good of an OST as VF. And this one happens
to be the best of
those.
Last Bronx - Red Eye. But has
some competition with this one (the final boss).
this one, which plays during a doppelganger fight.
International Rally Championship -
Speedskills. If this game had
bosses, this theme would play there. Whole soundtrack is good,
but the three listed clearly stand out to me.
Seiken Densetsu 3 - Faith Total
Machine. Another one I could
listen to a bunch of times in a row. The game has many other boss
themes that are all good, but this one is just that much above them.
Pokemon Red / Blue / Yellow - Final Rival
Battle. You think you're
finally the champion, but someone got there before you and is ready to kick
Pokemon Gold / Silver / Crystal - Kanto Gym
Leader. Remake of the R/B/Y theme,
and about 10 times better than the Johto track.
Pokemon Gold / Silver / Crystal - Lance /
Red. Just an iconic theme. The
amount of remixes it has accumulated over the years is fucking insane.
Pokemon Stadium 2 also has an official
one.
of the few themes from Gen 4 that's worth putting on a portable player. But
it is REALLY good - manages to mix up styles pretty well, while still being
fast and keeping you focused on the fight. B2 / W2 and OR / AS have remixes
that are barely any different.
All other battle themes from this game are absolutely terrible. Only this one
sounds like an actual battle theme, and it's good. It's really just the
Reshiram / Zekrom theme with a few beeps added, which makes it seem faster -
so this version is chosen.
battling action with no gimmicks, you can't get better than this one. This is
actually a remix of Emerald's theme benefiting from the better hardware, more
instruments, etc. So it's here over that one. Good thing they didn't fuck it
up like the HG/SS and FR/LG's remixes...or I'd be mad!
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky - Dialga's Fight to the
Finish. Heh, no idea how I've
missed one of the best Pokemon themes of all time. Though it's energetic it's
also very sad, fitting for how the final boss fits in the story. It has many
many remixes, too.
Rollercoaster Tycoon - Rock Style
1. Remember when I said this game
has no more good themes? Well, I lied. This one just happens to sound more
like a boss theme than the others. Rock 2 and 3 suck, by the way.
Croc: Legend of the Gobbos - Boss
Fosley. Holy shit. The whole
fucking OST of this game is top quality. But I don't want to put it all in
here of course. This boss theme just feels the most impactful - the others are
either too happy or "atmospheric" for a boss fight. Just beat shit up! That's
how a boss theme should sound like.
Croc: Legend of the Gobbos - Boss
Itsy. Actually, now that I think
about it - this one is just as good.
Heroes of Might and Magic 1 - Battle
4. The other battle themes are
great too but I picked the best one. It evokes the "shit's going down" feeling
the most, for sure. Probably all of them outclass the HOMM3 themes by the
same composer that are also good, but I promised top tier only.
Etrian Odyssey II - FOE. The FOE
is here and it's calling for your death. The whole series has some
really intense battle themes but I picked the best one. There's a modern
remake but the DS version is way
tougher (personally, I think the modern version's instrument choices are all
wrong - like something that'd play in a circus, instead of during a boss
battle).
Etrian Odyssey II - Boss. Might
as well add it since it's just as good. Untold killed it, by the way - making
it sound fun instead of serious.
Etrian Odyssey III - Boss. Well,
I'm going to add a few more from this series, since it deserves it. I like
the original more than the Nexus version - stop weakening battle themes in
remakes!
Very unique theme, with those "screams". Excellent none the less.
Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millenium Girl - Ren and
Tlachtga. Couldn't have missed
this one, since it might be the best in the entire series. I was debating
whether to include this one or the original - but in the end, this version has
been heavily modernized without becoming weak, so it's in.
The regular one ends up being better than the boss one.
Ace Attorney 2: Justice For All - Core
2002. Oh man, this hits hard! It
would wake a corpse from its eternal slumber and scream, "look at what just
happened!". The most important moment in the game, and the theme is up to the
task of showcasing it. Annoyingly - in the next Ace Attorney game - this theme
plays much more often and also during irrelevant moments. Sometimes once is
enough.
Want to get this out of the way, lest I forget. A racing game from my
childhood, with stunts. Pretty fun and seemingly unknown. Decent music too,
with this theme a cut above the others.
Favorite theme for one of my favorite (recent) games, reviewed
here.
Never liked this game or cared for the franchise at all, really. But this song
is fantastic, fitting for the final boss.
Calming / exploration themes
Enough beating stuff up, time to rest!
The Flinstones - Level 1. This
NES game already hits you with this gem at the beginning. And unfortunately
for it, it doesn't get better from there. Ice level is also decent.
Another theme from the amazing RPG that somehow never gained traction. This
time playing inside towns instead, and fits the situation perfectly.
Leisure Suit Larry 7 - Peter
Purser. I liked this game as a kid
a lot, even though I didn't get what the fuck it was about. Other tracks are
not that great, but this one is strangely captivating.
Croc: Legend of the Gobbos - Forest Island
1. The first level of the game
greets us with the perfectly fitting, comfy soundtrack.
Croc: Legend of the Gobbos - Ice Island
1. And the first ice level does
the same. Seriously, I recommend listening to the whole OST - it contains
many gems such as these. And try to find the PC version, not the shitty PSX
one.
Hitman: Codename 47 - Jungle
Exploration. A less "serious"
version of Dark Jungle, you could say. Very nice to listen to while you're
chasing the Indian running away, haha.
Could also conceivably fit into the urgent category, but has enough ambient
segments (and the others are not particularly "heavy") that I've put it here.
Hitman 2: Silent Assassin - H2
Exploration. You could consider
this the SA equivalent of Jungle Exploration.
Heroes of Might and Magic 1 -
Desert. This game's terrain themes
are also great, and this is my favorite.