posted
For me I'd have to say Beyond Good & Evil. Jack Wall did the soundtrack for that one and it's just remarkable. While the process of getting the audio into a computer-friendly format is quite cumbersome, it's definitely worth it for some of the really stand-out scores, and BG&E is definitely one of those. "Thoughtful Reflections" is a favourite of mine from that score. Also "Home Sweet Home" and "Enfants Disparus."
(Not to mention that the game itself, while a bit short, is highly underrated. It oozes polish.)
Also, I recently acquired Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean; despite the fact that it's a Japanese console RPG and follows most of the Japanese console RPG conventions (angsty teenage male protagonist, uppity teenage female sidekick, evil technology-oriented empire with mad ruler bent on world domination via the unleashing of some sort of ancient sleeping evil power) I find the orchestral portions of the score so moving that I try to advance the story just so I can hear new songs. Namco clearly knows they've got a good soundtrack on their hands, since the game includes a mode whereby you can just sit and listen to the piece of your choice (provided you've heard it in the game) without background, making the process of getting the audio onto a computer way easier. "Star-Spangled Journey" is my favourite so far. Gives me shivers every time. There are just some chord progressions that almost always work, no matter how many different composers use them.
Resident Evil 2 also had some really good music. Very atmospheric.
I used to love the WarCraft II soundtrack, but now it just sounds cheesy to me.
Rock 'n Roll Racing, obviously
But BG&E and Baten Kaitos stand head and shoulders above everything else I can think of offhand, aside from maybe RE2. Great stuff.
Anyone else have any favourite game soundtracks? Let's count the number of people who say FF7...
Posts: 10886 | Registered: Feb 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
Grim Fandango is the only game with which I bought the soundtrack (I got a release day copy of the game that didn't have the soundtrack included, like many others got).
posted
Listen to Final Fantasy anything. Nobuo Uematsu does their soundtracks, and he's a brilliant composer.
Posts: 3658 | Registered: Jan 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Actually, now that you mention it, Chrono Trigger had a pretty good soundtrack. I like Magus' theme and Zeal Palace in particular.
I've heard my fair share of FF soundtracks, though, and while I enjoyed them and thought they were pretty good, the only piece I ever bothered to get in a usable audio format on my computer was the obvious one (Sephiroth's theme). Still, they deserve a mention. There's some good stuff in there.
Posts: 10886 | Registered: Feb 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
The Chrono Trigger music would be a lot better if performed by something other then a synthesizer, which, sadly, I haven't found. I love all the FF music. Cyan's theme from FF 3 (us numbering) is probably my favorite of video game music, not because the composing is any better, but it just reaches me. A lot of FF music is like that. Maybe its not, technically, the best music in video games out there, but its certainly the stuff that reaches me on an emotional level.
Posts: 4112 | Registered: May 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
My first answer would have been Gran Turismo, but that's cheating. I like the music on Guilty Gear, and to a lesser extent, some of the weird stuff on the first Silent Hill.
Posts: 6367 | Registered: Aug 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
After all these years, the music from "ActRaiser" still stands out in my mind as some of the best music ever composed for a game.
Of course there's also "Chrono Trigger", which has already been mentioned. The music from "Skies of Arcadia" is also wonderful.
Posts: 1814 | Registered: Jul 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Random: Most of you have probably already perused this site, but if not, you have to download this song which is a Chilean song about Pac-Man. It's awesome. Posts: 6367 | Registered: Aug 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Heh, the Minibosses are pretty cool. Also the Black Mages, who do FF music. They're very good musicians.
Posts: 10886 | Registered: Feb 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
If you want a site with lots of redone video game songs...www.vgmix.com. It's got literally hundreds of remixed songs from videogame soundtracks, some of them very good. Also all free. It's actually where I get most of the music that I listen to.
Posts: 3658 | Registered: Jan 2002
| IP: Logged |
quote: Cyan's theme from FF 3 (us numbering) is probably my favorite of video game music, not because the composing is any better, but it just reaches me. A lot of FF music is like that.
FF 3(6) totally has some of the greatest video game music of all time. Rachel's Theme is so bittersweet. And yeah, Cyan's theme is awesome. Before I ever had the internet and the ability to download midis, I would piss my friends off by flying to Doma Castle and listening to Cyan's theme for 10 minutes.
Posts: 1855 | Registered: Mar 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
I still sometimes hear the theme for Megaman 2. Especially Flashman and uhh...The stickybomb guy (I forgot his name ). Cyan's theme was good. But I really liked Celes's theme. It's not as good now as it was, what, 6 years ago? But hey. Uhh...what else. Dark Reign, if anyone's ever played that game, had a great soundtrack for the time (It was to first RTS I ever played with a symphonic soundtrack to it. I often just listened to the soundtrack, even while playing other games). Tropico 2 had a fun soundtrack, very fitting for the game. Of course, I'm a fan of all the Command & Conquer soundtracks (Except Tiberian Sun, which went WAY off track, pardon the pun). Yeah, that's all I can think of right now (That hasn't been mentioned).
Posts: 3003 | Registered: Oct 2004
| IP: Logged |
quote:And yes, Mega Man 2 had the best music from any Mega Man game. Actually, it was the best Mega Man game, period.
I'm glad I'm not the only one that thinks this. And I don't understand WHY it was the best Mega Man game. They were all just kinda re-hashes of the same game, yet, Mega Man 2 was the best...Odd.
Posts: 3003 | Registered: Oct 2004
| IP: Logged |
quote:I'm glad I'm not the only one that thinks this. And I don't understand WHY it was the best Mega Man game. They were all just kinda re-hashes of the same game, yet, Mega Man 2 was the best...Odd.
I don't know either, but I do know that everyone I have talked to about the series agrees with us. The best guess I can come up with is that it expanded upon and was more versatile than the first, so it had more to offer and made for a better experience. And though later games also added certain things, by then we weren't as impressed because we had basically seen it all before. For me, at least, the first game was good, the second excellent, and each subsequent game progressively duller.
But surely there are other game series my analysis could refer to in which the second was not the best. So even if there is truth in what I've just said, there must be more to it than that.
Posts: 1814 | Registered: Jul 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
My favorite game music was in both NOLF games. While I might not rush out and buy a soundtrack, the music added to the flavor of the games perfectly. It's all about atmosphere with me, and the music to these added the perfect touch to already incredible immersive games.
I know I'm a broken record, but all the Thief games had the same quality, as well. The music was perfect for the atmosphere.
Posts: 7600 | Registered: Jan 2001
| IP: Logged |
quote: Actually, I think the North American release was in 1994.
Yeah, but I didn't play it til 98 or sometime around there.
quote: But surely there are other game series my analysis could refer to in which the second was not the best.
I'm going to say Castlevania was another series where the second game was the best. Simon's Quest rocked (Soundtrack wasn't too bad either), but I just can't get into any of the other ones (The third one was pretty close, but still not as good IMO)
Posts: 3003 | Registered: Oct 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
I would say the Sims 2 and Morrowind, but since these are the only two games I ever spent time on, it's not an objective judgment.
Posts: 3526 | Registered: Oct 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
I don't play many video games, but I used to love the music on King's Quest VI. I know, corny. Old. Out of date. But I stand by it.
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
That reminds me a bit of Zeliard, which I was so obsessed with as a kid I still have the first few levels memorized ^^
Posts: 3636 | Registered: Oct 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
The old LucasArts videogame "The Dig" had nice background music, with just the right feel. It was in the style of Howard Shore's beautiful scores for "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. I like my music to be beautiful. It has the widest range of moods and feelings.
Posts: 3742 | Registered: Dec 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
Callahan's Crosstime Saloon. No question. It's got songs by Spider Robinson with guitar work by Amos Garrett.
Posts: 7790 | Registered: Aug 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
While I still love the music to M.U.L.E., primitive though it is, I'm going to agree with Feyd that the music to Homeworld is pretty incredible.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
Final fantasy 7 (the best with Tactics) and I remember a game in 3D with a special Bowie Music : The Nomad Soul.
Posts: 1189 | Registered: Dec 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Mario.....all of it.....I love all the Mario music...........I play it in my head all the time................and can sing most of it.............if anyone knows were I can get the complete Mario soundtrack on CD I would bless you five times and...............bless you five times??? Posts: 22 | Registered: Jan 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Morrowind had a gorgeous, epic soundtrack that really made the world tangible to whoever played it.
Posts: 2258 | Registered: Aug 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
The only game soundtrack I have purchased is Space Channel 5. I would sort of like to get the soundtrack to Katamari Damacy since it plays through my head a lot.
And San Andreas? What Evah! The music in Vice City was soo much better.
Posts: 3956 | Registered: Jun 2001
| IP: Logged |
Jet Set Radio Future has some awesome music. Very Jpop and unusual.
Homeworld 2 has some good music, too. It's much more directed than the Homeworld 1 soundtrack. It's very muslim-sounding. If I could, I'd have them both on CD. Posts: 903 | Registered: May 2003
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
). ![[Frown]](frown.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Dont Know]](graemlins/dontknow.gif)
