One of the perenially underated and underappreciated facets of a video game is it's score. Whether it's the orchestral highs and lows of Killzone, the smooth and soft tones of Final Fantasy or the chiptune goodness of a Mario all bring their own type of engagement and style to the table. They can create suspense, elicit fear, draw passion or just create happiness/excitement and all this while being a non-visual media which is anathema to what video games themselves are centred on. Video games music is so much more integral than it seems, setting the mood and tone for scenes and even whole games.
So the reason for me creating this thread is to share and explore video game music. Something that I profess to only recently have become fully engaged and actively aware of. Below are some of my favourites.
Starting with perhaps one of the most recognisable musical pieces of the past decade is the menu theme of Halo. Epic would perhaps be the most apt description for this.
I found the music in ODST quite mellow and this has to be one of my favoured pieces from it. Going around Mombassa at night with lights flickering, darkness enshrouding all and this as a backdrop was pretty ace.
Another well done piece in the same orchestral theme is Killzone 2's 'Helghan Forever' which coincidentally is also the main menu music.
VVVVVV is a game that I do quite like. These two are probably the two best songs from the soundtrack. I find them to be the most ordered, structured and overall listenable.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcUkqxBTrCI
Pokemon Stadium Theme from SSB:B. Soooo good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xT6WhiMzIZQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsoDlV3c3r0
These two are used during the opening and closing sequences of various Kingdom Hearts games and fit the situations brilliantly especially 'Sanctuary'.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-0G_FI61a8
This piece is just absolute brilliance. Played during the pre menu opening of FFX and also sampled during other parts it is quite comfortably one of my favourite pieces of video game music from my favourite video game of all time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGe60H59yIU
Music from the best mini-game to have ever and probably will ever exist.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vW3QK6CTg2g
This piece is just so soothing, another one of my all time favourites.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agaH80PYEpY
This particular piece is just genius. Played during the 2nd best mini-game of all time (Chocobo Hot and Cold). Really is uplifting and cheery and helps set the mood of the game at the start when it is played during Zidane's sword fight with Blank.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWhIVZNDepg
Great sinister, mechanical theme to a real badass character.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvdf5o5tn6E
Licensed techno music is the entirety of WipEout's soundtrack but that doesn't make it any less good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptn7sCUifJE
One again licensed stuff but this just brings back so many memories. 0:40 and onwards.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUq11X9KpoQ
So perfect for LBP....
That's all I've got for now. Feel free to post some of your favourite tracks.
So the reason for me creating this thread is to share and explore video game music. Something that I profess to only recently have become fully engaged and actively aware of. Below are some of my favourites.
Starting with perhaps one of the most recognisable musical pieces of the past decade is the menu theme of Halo. Epic would perhaps be the most apt description for this.
I found the music in ODST quite mellow and this has to be one of my favoured pieces from it. Going around Mombassa at night with lights flickering, darkness enshrouding all and this as a backdrop was pretty ace.
Another well done piece in the same orchestral theme is Killzone 2's 'Helghan Forever' which coincidentally is also the main menu music.
VVVVVV is a game that I do quite like. These two are probably the two best songs from the soundtrack. I find them to be the most ordered, structured and overall listenable.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcUkqxBTrCI
Pokemon Stadium Theme from SSB:B. Soooo good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xT6WhiMzIZQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsoDlV3c3r0
These two are used during the opening and closing sequences of various Kingdom Hearts games and fit the situations brilliantly especially 'Sanctuary'.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-0G_FI61a8
This piece is just absolute brilliance. Played during the pre menu opening of FFX and also sampled during other parts it is quite comfortably one of my favourite pieces of video game music from my favourite video game of all time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGe60H59yIU
Music from the best mini-game to have ever and probably will ever exist.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vW3QK6CTg2g
This piece is just so soothing, another one of my all time favourites.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agaH80PYEpY
This particular piece is just genius. Played during the 2nd best mini-game of all time (Chocobo Hot and Cold). Really is uplifting and cheery and helps set the mood of the game at the start when it is played during Zidane's sword fight with Blank.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWhIVZNDepg
Great sinister, mechanical theme to a real badass character.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvdf5o5tn6E
Licensed techno music is the entirety of WipEout's soundtrack but that doesn't make it any less good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptn7sCUifJE
One again licensed stuff but this just brings back so many memories. 0:40 and onwards.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUq11X9KpoQ
So perfect for LBP....
That's all I've got for now. Feel free to post some of your favourite tracks.
