With the release of Halo: The Master Chief Collection this week (and many other audio-rich titles), we got to thinking about our favorite soundtracks. On this snowy day here in Minnesota, our editors sound off about which games have made the biggest auditory impression on us.
Note: All release dates are first appearance in North America.
Jeff Cork
Katamari Damacy (PlayStation 2)
Namco
Composers: Yuu Miyake, Asuka Sakai, Akitaka Tohyama, Hideki Tobeta, Yoshihito Yano, Yuri Misumi
Release: September 21, 2004
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Music is such a vital part of my appreciation for gaming that it's tough for me to single out a particular soundtrack. I remember being wowed by Pitfall II's audio, which was incredible during the 2600 era. While I didn't enjoy the actual game, Wrecking Crew's peppy little title tune has stuck with me all these years. And, for my obligatory Dead Rising mention, that game featured amazing, Muzac-inspired lunacy (and that bizarro Gone Guru train wreck [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDeThz30JtQ]).
I could go on. If I had to pick one soundtrack, however, it would have to be Katamari Damacy's. I love everything about it. It's exciting and cheerful, and it suits the gameplay perfectly. Katamari on the Rocks is probably my favorite cut, but there's not a dud on it. I ripped the CD onto my Xbox 360, and I'd often swap the soundtracks from other games with it if the original audio was lacking or I was looking for a change of pace. Grinding for weapons on EDF was always a little easier while accompanied by a robotic voice intoning, "You are smart." Who knows why? It's music.
Bryan Vore
Double Dragon (NES)
Technos Japan
Composer: Kazunaka Yamane
Release: June 1988
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While the arcade version of Kazunaka Yamane's soundtrack is the original, I prefer the NES edition's brighter tones and faster pace (not to mention I played that version a hundred times more). The title theme and level 1 music get you pumped up to trash some punks.
The industrial area's theme starts off creepy and foreboding then transitions to to a happy chorus and back again. The woods level has a gritty '70s cop soundtrack feel then has a non-nonsensical noise bridge in the middle. Abobo's theme might be my favorite. Once you hear that hyped up Russian music you know it's time to jump kick that jerk right in his fat head.
Matt Kato
Gitaroo Man (PS2)
iNiS
Composers: Keiji Yamagishi, Kaori Nakabai
Release: February 18, 2002
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My favorite video game soundtrack is for Koei's PS2/PSP music game Gitaroo Man. The game came out in the States in 2002 well before the music game craze, and all the songs were written and performed by Japanese band COIL (not to be confused with the experimental band of the same name).
The songs span a range of musical styles from funk to metal to lighter fare, and COIL is not only up to the task but the songs are both suited to the gameplay while capable of standing on their own two feet outside of the game. My favorite is the wistful "The Legendary Theme (Acoustic Version)," which comes at a tender moment in the game.
I remember at the time there was the insinuation that the cost of commissioning Gitaroo Man's original soundtrack and the game's relatively low sales squelched any chance for a sequel, but I dare say with a clutch of songs this good it was worth it.
Kimberley Wallace
The Secret of Mana (SNES)
Square
Composer: Hiroki Kikuta
Release: October 3, 1993
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My late grandpa and I shared a fondness for Secret of Mana that no doubt makes the game special to me. Composer Hiroki Kikuta's score always stands because it fit every moment perfectly, from the sad "Phantom of a Rose" track that plays while you're banished from Potos village to the song "Into the Thick of It" that keeps your thirst for exploration alive as you explore the world.
The soundtrack captures the vibrant landscape and it was unique for the 16-bit era, focusing a great deal on woodwind instruments. Whenever I hear any of the tracks, I'm instantly transported to that part of the game, easily making it one of my favorite soundtracks just for the wonderment and nostalgia it instantly sparks in me.
For more on Secret of Mana's music, check out Tim's Appreciating The Music Of Secret Of Mana piece.
Matt Helgeson
Bully (PlayStation 2)
Rockstar Games
Composer: Shawn Lee
Release: October 17, 2006
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Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto soundtracks are a master class in music licensing, showing the company's deep love and knowledge of popular culture. However, my favorite Rockstar soundtrack, and my favorite game soundtrack ever, is Shawn Lee's score to the 2006 cult favorite Bully.
Bully had a much more whimsical vibe than most Rockstar games, and Lee's score perfectly matches its lovingly nostalgic vibe with music that mixed a wide range of genres and instruments with a playful grace. Some of the tracks explicitly reference DEVO founder Mark Motherbaugh's acclaimed soundtrack to Wes Anderson's Rushmore, while others recall the otherworldly vibes of jazz-fusion pioneers David Axelrod and Roy Ayers. From '50s rockabilly to electronic dance music, Bully manages to pull in a wide range of influences into a whole that seems completely natural and unforced. It's as memorable as the game that inspired it.
Matt Miller
Lair (PlayStation 3)
Factor 5
Composer: John Debney
Release: August 31, 2007
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This lesser known soundtrack by John Debney has the grandeur and scope of a John Williams movie score, but a distinct sense of mystery and wonder. Even if the game itself didn't fully tap the potential of dragonriders fighting mid-air duels, the orchestral score helped to make up for it.
Lots of people haven't played Lair, but give a listen to Rohn's Theme to get a taste for the soundtrack's rich and vibrant dynamic, mixing orchestral strings with a mournful female vocalist.
Joe Juba
Final Fantasy III (SNES)
Square
Composer: Nobuo Uematsu
Release: October 31, 1994
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A good RPG makes players connect with the world and characters, and the soundtrack's role in that process shouldn't be underestimated. Final Fantasy III (a.k.a. Final Fantasy VI) doesn't have advanced graphics, but the music tells a great deal of the story, filling in the gaps that the 16-bit sprites can't convey.
From the opening sequence to the opera house to the World of Ruin, Final Fantasy III's music creates a surprising sense of sadness. Of course, it isn't all mopey; the soundtrack is also home to exuberant gems like the Figaro Castle music and the Blackjack theme, not to mention my favorite boss music in the whole series (above). This ability to cover all of the bases, from adventure to despair, is why this soundtrack sticks with me, and is a large part of why Final Fantasy III still holds up so well today.