Videogame musical scores

[Canadave]

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nFKPVfDrgU[/yt]

Sorry, but nothing beats the original...

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tb-gI_pFog0[/yt]

 

[Servo]

^ I've never really been a fan of that one. It's a bit too basic and repetetive for my liking, and nowhere near as epic as Hell March 3. Klepacki did his best work on RA2 and RA3, for my money.

 

[Reverend]

Most of my favourites have already been mentioned (Deus Ex, Homeworld 2, C&C: Red Alert 2, Mass Effect 2) but I can probably think of a few more.

For starters the version of the MI theme from the opening of the third game remains for me the *definitive* version.
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKWT5wW4gdY[/yt]
^The steel drums really make it work IMO.

I know bot MGS and Homeworld have also been mentioned already, but these are my personal favourite tracks from those two franchises.

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn-i7QpQFKU[/yt]
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOJaXybK4_A[/yt]

Since the OP mentioned Portal, here's what I think is easily the best track on the whole Orange Box soundtrack.

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcFdB1lTIRA[/yt]

Oh and the actual title screen music for Deus Ex really deserves an honourable mention.

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-ttkbXIvyU[/yt]


[EDIT] in case anyone doesn't know already, don't use the preview or edit post functions when using embedded videos; it wipes out all the code! I just had to go back and redo all the damn links twice!

 

[Itisnotlogical]

Definitely the best licensed song in a videogame:

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ix1DT_osn3M[/yt]

It really sets the era of post-war prosperity into perspective with the nuclear landscape. Also, it's really poignant when it starts playing at the end. The end's a real shocker, but I won't spoil it for anybody who hasn't already played this excellent game.

Also, the main theme of Morrowind deserves an honorable mention. It sets an excellent tone for the game, almost like it's happening in a fantasy-world Renaissance (kind of a rare take since mixing firearms and robots with ninjas and dragons became popular). It almost feels like Lord of the Rings a bit.

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJD-Ufi1jGk[/yt]

And although I can't find any specific samples, Minecraft has some really excellent tracks that set the ambiance of being all alone in the world.

 

[iBender]

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxSYzCesxfU&feature=related[/yt]
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yev96V2Fipo[/yt]
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICTTZ-00ZR0&feature=related[/yt]
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94gmiMmowYA&feature=related[/yt]
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVnS0kMMIgM&feature=related[/yt]
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bspGsYtEZB4&feature=related[/yt]
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2I9hTVN77w&feature=related[/yt]...


This game is my retro gameage... I can play this when ever I want when I got bored one day and decided to buy it and a SNESon eBay! - For like £16/£18 (All in all under £20) - Well worth it.

 

[Canadave]

^ I've never really been a fan of that one. It's a bit too basic and repetetive for my liking, and nowhere near as epic as Hell March 3. Klepacki did his best work on RA2 and RA3, for my money.

The third one is just too heavy for my tastes. It loses the great feel of the original in a sea of noise, IMO. I've always been a fan of the electronic emphasis of the original RA soundtrack.

This could also be the fact that played the original RA a ton when I was 10 speaking.

Reverend, Homeworld definitely had some awesome music. "Adagio for Strings" was used beautifully, and very affectingly, as well. The original stuff was quite good too.

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzo4ONrI8n8[/yt]

 

[Servo]

^ I've never really been a fan of that one. It's a bit too basic and repetetive for my liking, and nowhere near as epic as Hell March 3. Klepacki did his best work on RA2 and RA3, for my money.

The third one is just too heavy for my tastes. It loses the great feel of the original in a sea of noise, IMO. I've always been a fan of the electronic emphasis of the original RA soundtrack.

Yeah, I can see how it wouldn't suit everyone's taste. I'm a fan of heavy music though, and I loved how Klepacki really went for it by metal-ing it up for the third game. Got a kick out of seeing the footage of him playing the soundtrack live with orchestral backing too.

 

[Sephiroth]

Rising Sun
[yt]1Q5yMOTJrsY[/yt]

Those chosen by the planet
[yt]3rV40ypje7o[/yt]

Breezy
[yt]YB30RVWeuP8[/yt]

Fisherman's Horizion
[yt]ZMYisFOaz1[/yt]

Vamo alla Flamenco
[yt]agaH80PYEpY[/yt]

 

[Canadave]

^ I've never really been a fan of that one. It's a bit too basic and repetetive for my liking, and nowhere near as epic as Hell March 3. Klepacki did his best work on RA2 and RA3, for my money.

The third one is just too heavy for my tastes. It loses the great feel of the original in a sea of noise, IMO. I've always been a fan of the electronic emphasis of the original RA soundtrack.

Yeah, I can see how it wouldn't suit everyone's taste. I'm a fan of heavy music though, and I loved how Klepacki really went for it by metal-ing it up for the third game. Got a kick out of seeing the footage of him playing the soundtrack live with orchestral backing too.

Yeah, it really does come down to personal taste, I think. And at least partly nostalgia for me. I mean, I can listen to this and instantly be transported back to patiently assembling a massive tank force to crush my friends with. After, of course, painstakingly spending the time to get our modems to connect to one another...

 

[CorporalClegg]

Needs more Chronotrigger:

I actually like this one better:

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwzianvb7CI[/yt]

But then I'm one of the five people on the planet who thinks Cross was the better game.

Of course, can't mention Chrono Cross without throwing this gem out there:

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J46RY4PU8a8&feature=related[/yt]

And what's a Mitsuda mention without Xenogears?

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fc3CaS97hP8&feature=related[/yt]

Which leads us to his Xenosaga work:

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQQy0Za_6CI&feature=related[/yt]

But the real magic of Xenosaga came with Yuki. I remember when it was announced she was going to replace Mitsuda and everyone was pissed, but I'd been a See-Saw fan for years and was totally psyched. And boy did she deliver.

Unfortunately, the Xeno II proluge suite isn't posted in it's entirety, and I couldn't track down all the pieces. It's definitely one of those things that many times better than the sum of its parts and needs to be heard as such. So we'll have to settle for this from Xeno III:

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fv7c0si2AEo&feature=related[/yt]

Because there's just something about chamber choirs chanting Latin that just make music so many more times epic.

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1Qkzj5bStU&feature=related[/yt]

I was happy when AC5 made IGN's 100 Greatest Games list. While the actual A2A combat was rather polarizing among long-time AC fans, there was no doubt the game was a masterfully presented both visually and sonically.

Even the trailer was amazing--so awesmone that they were able to successfully combine the previously mentioned uber choir with Puddle of Mudd

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1bRjHmAPR4[/yt]

 

[Alidar Jarok]

And to reach a little further back, Rare's games for the N64 always had awesome soundtracks, Banjo-Kazooie being my personal favourite.

It has nice whimsy. Although I still stand by my belief that Rare's big SNES game, Donkey Kong Country has the best video game music ever. It's just so catchy.

I just love the swing beat in this when they get to it. But great percussion before that.

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPTm-8YqJfw[/yt]

To help illustrate some of the diversity. This has a nice whimsical quality to it.
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEjZgTmVCg4[/yt]

Frantic mine cart chase. If you've ever played this level, the music just adds to the tension.
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oN8Ktmn_iVM&feature=related[/yt]

The atmosphere of the water levels
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDvKwSVuUGA&feature=related[/yt]

So yeah, Rare did some great work back in the day.

 

[watermelony2k]

Some top picks from Portal 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IQjG3Gxidk&feature=channel_video_title

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjWnOFMzfcc&feature=channel_video_title

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hk4OchegB-Y&feature=channel_video_title

 

[darthraidr]

Actraiser - Filmore (game version)
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ye5MhheCoE4&feature=related[/yt]

Actraiser - Filmore (orchestrated version)
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuxeyAU15NE[/yt]

WoW:Cataclysm - Night Elves (awesomeness starts at 1:16)
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaJrDePWHwc[/yt]

 

[iBender]

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGoTi1hR-1I[/yt]
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K54G7Fetg7E&feature=related[/yt]

 

[Owain Taggart]

I'm posting this because it's related, and it's just so cool. It's pretty spot on in terms of sound:

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwWYX_wtzJ0[/yt]

 

[beamMe]

The main theme from Killzone 2, by Joris de Man is epic on toast...

That sounds awesome.

 

[Jadzia]

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5fzvgTgGaU[/yt]

 

[SPCTRE]

Thank you, Brikar99, for an excellent thread. And thanks everyone for participating, I love me some game soundtracks. Will post some of my favorites soon. For now, I have a lot of stuff to listen to

 

[Brikar99]

Thank you, Brikar99, for an excellent thread. And thanks everyone for participating, I love me some game soundtracks. Will post some of my favorites soon. For now, I have a lot of stuff to listen to

Totally! I've been spending a lot of time with the youtube links here, and ther'es a lot of great stuff!

 

[darthraidr]

taking Owain's lead, here's some super mario bros 2:
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6ti5f-LHp4[/yt]

and another WoW related song, a fan parody of "Part of your world"
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3Dro2cljnY[/yt]

not a song created for the game, but still a great song, and an awesome game:
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQsRiQlB3bA[/yt]