My Ten Favorite Tracks from Video Game Soundtracks

5. Braid –  Maenam

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kWo8N4QNXM

Anther XBL indie game with a great soundtrack, Braid’s Maenam is one of those instrumental pieces that just stays with you over time.

4. Red Dead Redemption – Dead Man’s Gun

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkAvVqjbUG8

This game had many great tracks to choose from including “Far Away” by Jose Gonzales, but my favirte was Dead Man’s Gun by Ashtar Command, and I still listen to it to this day.

3. Dead Island – Theme

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DV4C9ZZjxg

Perhaps I’m cheating here as I don’t actually know if this track appeared in the actual game or not (I doubt it), but the beautiful piano/violin track from the unforgettable trailer is relaxing and emotional to listen to all by itself.

2. Deus Ex: Human Revolution – Icarus

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiN6t7K7txw

This entire soundtrack is phenomenal, but the main theme of Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Icarus, is its best track by far. It’s futuristic, hopeless and almost reverent, and I can’t get enough of it.

1. Final Fantasy X – Sky Theme

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvxkiBdbEqw

Wow, I’ve been listening to this one since…high school. Final Fantasy X is the only FF game I ever played all the way through (blaspehmy, I know), and I loved the soundtrack when I was younger. I even found sheet music for this track and re-taught myself piano just so I could play it. I was a pretty cool kid.

What are some of your favorite video game tracks? Link in the comments.

 

 

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48 Comments

  1. There’s so much great videogame soundtracks, I wouldn’t even know where to begin. I’ll try a top ten:

    10. Sonic 1 – Sonic 3/Sonic & Knuckles
    9. Mega Man X1 – X3 (X5 had a few good tracks)
    8. Mega Man 1 – 4 (8 had some damn good music as well)
    7. Ninja Gaiden NES Trilogy
    6. Castlevania SOTN (I’m sure the earlier games ost’s could go here, but I’ve only played Simon’s Quest)
    5. Chrono Trigger
    4. Need For Speed 1-5
    3. Resident Evil 1&2 (spooky ambiance FTW)
    2. Pretty much ANY Mario game (the original trilogy on NES, Mario World 1&2, RPG on SNES, and Mario 64)
    1. Metroid series, but most importantly, SUPER METROID. No game soundtrack does it better.

    Paul, I hope you’re as familiar with gh.ffshrine.org (Galbadia Hotel) as I am, because if not, GO THERE RIGHT NOW and prepare to spend the entire weekend doing nothing but downloading original vg music, as well as a PLETHORA of AWESOME remixes.

  2. In my opinion, Mass Effect 2 had the greatest soundtrack of any game ever. It’s just far and away better than the generic stuff most roleplaying games (Fable, Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim to a lesser degree) throw at you.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCk4RiKH9H0

    Unfortunately they got rid of the guy who did that soundtrack and replaced him with a film score veteran for the third game. I’ll keep my mind open, but the dude has his work cut out for him if he wants to top ME2’s music.

  3. No Kingdom Hearts 1 AND 2!!! Those were some of the best piano songs I ever heard on a video game. And lets not forget Utada singing the themes songs for both of them.

  4. Civilization IV – Baba Yetu
    Chrono Cross – Time’s Scar and Dreamwatch of Time
    Chrono Trigger – To Faraway Times
    Secret of Evermore – Greek Temple and Introduction (still Jeremy Soule’s best soundtrack)
    Secret of Mana – The Second Truth from the Left
    Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles – Kazezone
    Tales of the Abyss – Karma

    Clearly I’m a sucker for great intro and ending themes.

  5. Soul Blazer – Sad Town

    Secret of Mana – The Color of the Summer Sky

    Final Fantasy VI – Kids Run Through the City Corner

    Final Fantasy VI – Terra

    Mega Man 2 – Dr Wily’s Castle

    Street Fighter 2 – Guile’s Theme

    Castlevania SOTN – Dracula’s Castle

    Metroid – Kraid’s Theme

    Dragon Warrior – Chateau Ladutorm

    Final Fantasy – Town

    It’s possible I missed something, but this is a pretty good lineup off the top of my head. NES and SNES really can’t be beaten in the music department…

  6. Final Fantasy VIII – Fisherman’s Horizon
    Chrono Cross – the entire soundtrack is great
    Heavy Rain – Before the Storm
    Rival Schools (opening theme)
    Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver – Ozar Midrashim

  7. That song isn’t from Final Fantasy X. Here is a link that shows the music of FF X:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Fantasy_X_soundtrack#Final_Fantasy_X_Original_Soundtrack

    There are a lot of good FF songs.Here are a list of a few great FF songs:

    FF X – Besaid Island
    FF X-2 Eternity~Memories of Waves and Light
    FF VII- Cosmo Canyon
    FF VIII – Blue Fields
    FF IX – Vamo’ Alla Flamenco

    As a video game list well…

    1) Old Snake – Metal Gear Solid 4
    2) You Were There – ICO ( I find it fun to sing the course)
    3) (Sorry) Besaid Island – FFX
    4) Cohens Masterpiece – Bioshock
    5) Witchcraft – Silent Hill Homecoming
    6) Dog Ending Music – Silent Hill 2 (have that as a text ring tone pretty awesome to here people tell you that your phone was barking)
    7) Megacorp Outlet – Ratchet and Clank Going Commando
    8) King of King’s – We <3 Katamari (crazy ass song but pretty awesome)
    9) Snake Eater – Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
    10) Pool of Tears – American McGee's Alice

    ^_^

  8. Some of my favorites, can’t remember individual song titles at the moment:

    Metal Gear Solid. MGS2 was also incredible.
    Serious Sam (original). Always pumped me up to kill wave after wave of baddies.
    Quake 1. Trent has perfected the art of gloomy environments.

  9. No real addition here other than to add that I’ve had Kefka’s theme and Celes’ opera on my ipod since it came out.

    Oh, and the final Kefka battle (around 28 minutes; two tracks)… greatness.

    Excellent post…. just excellent.

  10. Silent Hill 1: Hometown

    Silent Hill 2: Room of Angel

    Silent Hill 3: You’re Not Here, I want Love

    Rule of Rose: A Love Suicide

    Dragon Age Origins: Leiliana’s Song soundtrack

    Bioshock 1: Ocean on His Shoulders, Empty Houses, and Cohen’s Masterpiece

    Seventh Guest: The Game

    Final Fantasy 10: Guardian’s sending

    Max Payne: Main Theme (Tragedy of a Bullet)

    Parasite Eve: Beauty’s Abomination

  11. Any of the Myst series soundtracks, though Riven (Myst 2) is my favourite. Composed by Robyn Miller.

    Jack Wall did the later ones and also worked on games like Mass Effect. Myst is an extremely immersive game and the soundtracks really capture the amazing worlds.

  12. Chrono Cross – Garden of the Gods, Shadow Forest & Predicament

    Okami – Harami Lake, Ushiwaka’s Appearance, Kusanagi Village & The Tribe of the Heavenly God’s Theme

    Castlevania: Symphony of the Night – Lost Painting & Prayer

    Final Fantasy VI – Terra’s Theme

    Silent Hill 3 – You’re Not Here & Memory of the Waters

    Parasite Eve – Missing Perspective, Wheel of Fortune & Kyrie

    Kyrie from Parasite Eve is probably one of the most haunting/creepy songs I’ve heard from a game soundtrack. I would really recommend the whole Parasite Eve Soundtrack since it is one of the most unique soundtracks I’ve ever heard for a game.

    On a side note: my friend gave me some Mt. Eden dubstep for Still Alive from Mirror’s Edge. I’ve been trying to find out where the original came from ’cause I really wanted to hear the song in a non-dubstep format. Now I know where the song is from, so thanks for that! I really don’t like dubstep, but that one is actually pretty nice.

  13. For me Chrono Trigger has always held a special place in my heart for all of the music in it. To me, nothing else will ever quite come close to the musical brilliance that is Chrono Trigger. From the opening of the game, to each character’s own music to battle fights and the end of the game it is a masterpiece.

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