Video Game Soundtracks

#1

Kinda surprised there isn’t a video game soundtrack thread already!

I love the mix of imagination and functionality that a lot of soundtracks have because of the technological limits of the consoles, anyway here is a few of my favourites to start:

Regularly just put on a walk-through of this or IRL footage of dolphins with this soundtrack on in the background. It’s a masterpiece eh?

Or Shackleton on the N64 as I like to think of it. I don’t really like first person shooters and I didn’t have an N64 growing up but I mind seeing Turok at a pals and just being shit scared, probably because of this soundtrack.

“look up a video on aquatic life, mute the vid, put up this song, enjoy a half hour of soothing, relaxing, nostalgia while admiring marine animals.” - top YouTube comment, yup.

Actually the only game here that I had growing up and the first FFX I actually completed. I played FF VII but was too young to really know what was going on just thought the characters were cool. I couldn’t afford 8 or 9, so it was a big deal for me when I finally got a PS2, and FFX was one of the few games I bought and owned for it. It get’s a lot of slack, but I love it, and the soundtrack, although it’s total cheese in parts is up there with my favourites.

So much of my enjoyment of soundtracks has been discovering games later in life that I had no chance of playing growing up. This is so romantic and lovely and it makes me nostalgic for a childhood of playing games and watching anime (that I didn’t really have). Hoping that my laptop is good enough to play this now it’s just about to get re-released, but then again maybe it’s better to just leave it to imagination!

Production & Promo
#2

There are a select few soundtracks I consider as “Perfect”, so I’ll list them with a sample

David Kanaga’s ‘DYAD OGST’ (epilepsy warning)

Hideki Sakamoto’s ‘echochrome 2 -a Soundtrack-’

Jim Andron’s ‘Tetris (CD-i)’

Also I’d like to make note of a couple fascinating Genesis/Mega Drive soundtracks; Skitchin’ and Streets Of Rage 3.

Skitchin’ is notable for its wonderful instrument samples and the grungy slightly bitcrushed sound to them fit the games aesthetic perfectly.

Streets Of Rage 3 was ahead of its time. Seriously, the music was created via utilising algorithmic generation and it sounds incredible.

#3

David Kanaga is soooooooo talented, that soundtrack is so unique, utterly brilliant! Really grateful that Software reissued it as I wasn’t really gaming at all when it came out (and haven’t played Dyad either) so would definitely have slipped under the radar!

And yeah, Streets of Rage, bit criminal I didn’t include any of them in the first post. The third is definitely so far ahead of it’s time that it’s astonishing really.

The Digging In The Carts series on Red Bull was kinda fun (if a little annoying in parts), was funny to see how various game composers of the time were influenced by funk, hip hop, reggae or in Yuzo Koshiro’s case techno, and in turn influence generations of hip hop/house and techno musicians, I mean I think for a lot of electronic music fans of a certain age our first exposure to a lot of these kinds of music would have been on SNES/MegaDrive and it’s just mind blowing what they did on the technology they had, not just because of the technological achievement but also musically.

#4

You neeeeed to get onto trying DYAD out at some point, it’s easily one of the most wonderful gaming experiences I’ve had. Throw the lights off, play with a controller and zone out.

#5

Haha I really do. For some reason I assumed it was Playstation only, how silly!

Love you’re choices btw, first time I’ve heard of Skitchin’, gonna try find a rom somewhere, the soundtrack is really cool! Echochrome looks really trippy as well, enjoying what I’ve listened to so far.

Oh and that Tetris soundtrack is like the best vaporwave release I’ve ever heard, I can see myself listening to this loads!

#6

Skitchin’ the game is not too great, it’s a bit mediocre honestly; the soundtrack is definitely the highlight.

Echochrome is a neat puzzle game thats worth trying at least once. 2 is only available on the PS3 whilst the original is only on the PSP. Both games share similar soundtrack styles.

Tetris CD-i’s soundtrack is, absolutely wonderful honestly. I’ve always had a soft spot for New Age music personally and that OST tickles it so wonderfully. Bit unrelated, but if you want another good album in the same vein, I highly recommend this

#7

Aside from the obvious “Nobuo Uematsu is a goddamn genius” that I’m legally obligated to post, I’m also gonna stick my oar in and say that the DOOM (2016) soundtrack is not only perfect for the game, but also an incredible record on its own, and managed to be my favourite album of that year. I LOVE what Mick Gordon did with it, turning this industrial metal sound into something uneven and blistered

#8

its cool that video game soundtracks are getting the vinyl treatment now

#9

Wow. 35 mins in on SoR3, sounds like an Autechre demo.

#10

Only on the first track, but wow this Michael Wehr album is gorgeous! Thanks for sharing :slight_smile:

#11

#12

some shameless self promotion

i write articles about video game music for the online gaming magazine “Memory Cards”

mostly Japanese exclusive games from the 90s

http://www.memrycards.com/vgm-cafe-kaze-no-notam-bargain-bin-strikes-again/

#13

Look forward to reading through, nice one! That Solvalou track is pretty amazing, just watching some footage now and it’s a proper trip with all the lazer sounds.

Tekken 1-4 has some gems on them, and the Silent Hill soundtracks are up there with some of my favourite music, everything here is great actually!

This thread is delivering so far. My choices were pretty mainstream but loving all these more obscure soundtracks :heart:

#14

Another one I’m a big fan of, can’t remember where I read about it first but these two themes are perfect.

#15

biiiig fan of the Bloodborne soundtrack and overall audio vibe, my kind of haunting!

Final Fantasy 7 is the main childhood favourite and most memorable soundtrack for me from an older game (other than the brainworm sounds of pokemon battles).

Taz’s Escape from Mars, some of the slickest space funk to grace the megadrive, just what

Special mention to the Tony Hawk’s series for introducing me to a hell of a lot of artists too though

#16

the Katamari Damacy OST is such unbridled joy, nothing really comes close.

Shout out to the incredible Wii menu music as well

#17

The THPS and GTA series soundtracks are so so legendary. You could do a fairly comprehensive bluffers guide to the last ~~50 years of Western music just using songs that have featured on a GTA radio station.

#18

this mix might make some folks here happy:

ambient video game mix focusing on the best of save room and pause screen bgms (maybe a title here and there too)

#19

The Waterworld soundtack is amazing!!!

#20

On repeat for days: