Video Game Soundtracks
Yes. Streets of Rage 2/3 are amazing. Meanwhile, SEGA just announcet SoR 4 and… scored the trailer with some generic cock rock. Yuzo Kushiro would be rolling in his grave if he were dead.
I was a big fan of Einhander back in the day. That, along with WipeOut and some other PSX era games, kinda got me into a lot of electronic music. ( not to mention many Grime producers too who used Music2000 to make make beats.)
Highly recommend the Redbull Digging in the Carts series too http://daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/digging-in-the-carts (which recently had a companion Hyperdub release)
Electronic music in games shaped my tastes back then, in the 90s, then electronic music in clubs/radio.
Also check out the very weird but very much official arranged album for Secret of Mana called Secret of Mana+ that is like this weird ambienty/prog/trancey type thing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DT4Xz_Dvs3M&list=RDDT4Xz_Dvs3M&t=5
Also really liked Hiroshi Iuchi’s work on Ikaruga https://youtu.be/lXlTKgkc1n4 (even more amazing is that it’s the only game he fully scored, I think?, as he’s primarily a graphic/effects designer by trade)
wow talk about a memory thread these posts are bringing back so much of my childhood thanks yall
I really like the DuckTales NES soundtrack. Here’s a well-known track from it:
I also like the Battletoads soundtrack. I think it has some really catchy tunes.
Love the original Secret of Mana soundtrack (only got round to playing it last year though so a fairly recent fave)
Had read about this version but never got round to listening, this is pretty weird, “updated” soundtrack or “remix” albums usually give me the fear, but think I dig it? Cheers for sharing!
Also, that Ikaruga track sounds almost like Mortiis or something at the beginning, really digging it!
I purchased FFXV at the weekend and loving it, being able to play soundtracks from all the other games when driving around has been fun as well.
Wouldn’t say this is has been the most memorable FF soundtrack for me (although its fun, and really good in parts) - but this track is gorgeous, it almost reminds me of Bohren & Der Club Of Gore.
Walked around the train station here more than I probably had to just listening to this, it fits the mood at this point in the game perfectly.
Square Enix 
I still think Aquatic Ambience is one of the greatest things ever recorded. It’s so troubled, so melancholic, so paranoid. It sounds less like it’s from a video game and more from some late 90s East Asian detective movie. The melody at the beginning alone is just so incredible…gives me goosebumps every time.
Oneohtrix Point Never interpolates it in “Bullet Hell Abstraction IV” and I’ve only ever heard bootlegs of it but it’s absolutely incredible.
One of my all time favourite pieces of music as well, sounds like nothing else on a console at the time.
Would love to know more about how he put it all together - a quick google brought up this, and the process of putting it together sounds fascinating.
I credit the first two Sonic games for the Mega Drive for my interest in electronic music. Absolutely wonderful, the Green Hill Zone music still gets me a bit misty-eyed. I properly love Sonic Mania and the updated versions too.
The other essential soundtracks from that era for me are Kid Chameleon and Toejam & Earl. Every time I get a mailer from Data Discs I want it to be Kid Chameleon, I am endlessly frustrated by their refusal to bend to my psychic will.
More recently, the first couple of Bit.Trip games when they came out on the Wii really captivated me. I should really go back and finish them and play the various sequels.
Recently became obsessed with the Tekken series again after watching Lil Majin kick ass with King at EVO 2018. The soundtrack is still the shit!
Quite an obvious one, but the soundtrack for the first ape escape that Soichi Terada did is, as you’d expect, really lovely.