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My favorite game soundtracks:16-bit era
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Yesterday, I went a posted some clips of some games I remember from the NES for having great soundtracks and now I move on to the 16-bit era. The most notable part about that era were the improved sound chips, which enabled many composers to create great, complex soundtracks. Especially on the SNES, which had many soundtracks that sounded like they were performed on real instruments.
The 16-bit days are considered to many gamers, the best era from video game music. There are days where I have to agree. So here are my picks from that day.
Disclaimers: The list are just compiled of games I've played and the sounds I remember so fondly. If you think there are some games missing, I probably never got a chance to play them. So I'm not hating, I'm just being honest and wouldn't want anyone to read a list about something I'm lying about.
To anyone who feels I should've included something: email me at ramsfanman@hotmail.com
Genesis
Phantasy Star II (1992)-Composer,Tokuhiko Uwabo-One of the few epic RPGs on the Genesis and it had the soundtrack to match its sprawling, difficult, three globe-spanning quest with some of the most unique tracks I ever heard for a RPG. Soundtrack availability: Five tracks are available at OC Remix.org
Phantasy Star IV: End of the Millenium (1994),Composer: Izuho Takeuchi, Yoshimi Nakagami-As soon as I heard the first few notes as the game was turned on, I knew I was in for something special. The futuristic sounding music fits perfectly with the huge, difficult quest as I never felt comfortable with the game until I actually saw the end credits, thanks to music being so haunting. Soundtrack availability: It used to be available for download at Segaxtreme.net but that was nearly a decade ago. So, you're going to hunting for that soundtrack for a while. Five songs are available at OC Remix.org
Sonic the Hedgehog (1991),Composer: Masato Nakamura: The Sonic franchise has always had some memorable tunes (in the 16-bit era, I'm not too sure about Sonic's music after that) but from the opening song on the title screen, gamers were being treated to a new video game star. Flashes of funk, pop, and rock were dosed throughout the first Sonic game but it was the catchy jazz-influenced song on Star Light Song that have always stuck in my mind. Soundtrack availability: An album was made for many Sonic the Hedgehog games and it can probably found by import only.
Sonic 3 & Knuckles (1994), Composers: Jun Senuoe, Howard Drossin, Tatsuyuki Maeda-Yes, I skipped from 2 to 3. Sonic 2 had some great tunes. But I loved 3 & Knuckles better. Also I'm referring to the 3 & Knuckles because that's when the game was actually felt complete. And the soundtrack was awesome from beginning to end. I loved the new title screen music in Sonic 3, the reggae-inspired Angel Island song, the synth pop on the second act of Hydrocity Zone, the awesome techno-flavored drums in the Icecap Zone, the final boss theme in the Launch Base Zone, the incredible egyptian-inspired song in Sandopolis Zone, and the awesome Special Zone theme. Memorable stuff all around. Soundtrack availability: MP3s are available for download at Segaxtreme.net.
Sonic CD (1993), Composers:Masafumi Ogata, Naofumi Hataya, Pastiche, Spencer Nilsen-Probably the best 2D Sonic game in existence, it also had a great soundtrack. It actually had two. The Japanese soundtrack was different from the American soundtrack, save for the Tunes in the 'Past' zones in the game. Both soundtracks are awesome, but the American version had that incredible 'Sonic Boom' theme which probably fit the feel of Sonic himself better than any other song (way better than any song that has the words 'Toot toot'). Some of my favorite tunes are 'Tidal Tempest' Past Zone and Metallic Madness. Soundtrack availability: The American version can be downloaded in many places and it's present on the Sonic CD port in 'Sonic Gems Collection' but the Japanese version can be found handily through downloads.
Gunstar Heroes (1993), Composers: Kazuo Mansawa-An intense 2D action game, one of the best of its kind. And the music kept pace through out the entire time, with a unique, futuristic bend that sounded pretty upbeat throughout, until the final scene, which tugged at my heartstrings a little bit. Sountrack avaiiability: Two albums were actually made in 1993 and 2005 and are available for import, so go hit up Play-Asia.com
Streets of Rage (1991), Composer: Yuzo Koshiro: This entire beat-em-up series has had incredible music for each game, which showcased some awesome techno beats to match the gritty undercurrent of raging in the street. But it wouldn't be fair just to lump them all together as each game's music is outstanding. The opening song was awesome, as was the first level song, And the boss battle song. And the level clear song. And the boat level. But my favorite has to be the awesome level 7 music riding up the elevator. Soundtrack availability: MP3's are available for download at Segaxtreme.net.
Streets of Rage 2 (1992), Composers: Yuzo Koshiro, Motohiro Kawashima: The second one was as incredible as the first one and the sounds was more-techno inspired than , which was in step with the weird robot turn the story took. The second level music is probably the best in the series and the carnival music was totally awesome. Soundtrack availability: There was an album made 1993 and it was actually released in the US in 2000, so there's a good shot of finding the album.
Streets of Rage 3 (1994), Composer: Yuzo Koshiro,Motohiro Kawashima-This soundtrack was vastly different, than the first two games but it was awesome nonetheless from the character select screen, Spinning Machine, which is probably my favorite tune in all of the Streets of Rage series, all the way to the faster beats throughout the game, especially in the boss battles. Soundtrack availability: You can download the MP3s at Segaxtreme.net or you can try to search for the album online because an album does exist.
Contra: Hard Corps (1994), Composesr: Michiru Yamane,Akiropito, Miyaoka Kenji, Gajokai, and Nitachigu-One of my favorite Contra games ever, this had some of the most intense, hard rocking music in the series, starting with the incredible opening level and that heavy guitar riff. I also loved it's fast, techno-inspired beats. Soundtrack availability: An album doesn't exist so the internet should help you find some downloads.
The Revenge of Shinobi (1989), Compser: Yuzo Koshiro-One of Koshiro's earlier and best soundtracks, it was absolutely unique from beginning to end. The Round 1 theme will stick in my head forever because that's as far as I ever got for a long period time. An awesome song, though. Soundtrack availability: This is one of Koshiro's most popular works so finding any of the songs shouldn't be hard at all.
Super Nintendo
Actraiser (1991), Composer: Yuzo Koshiro-Incredible music throughout, with such lush and breathtaking orchestration to go along with the whole action and city building aspect of the game, lending the game an epic atmosphere. Soundtrack availability: Downloading the tracks should be pretty easy, considering the popularity of Koshiro's work.
Super Castlevania (1991), Composer: Taro Kudou,Masanori Tadachi-One of the best launch titles for the SNES, it had some pretty incredible music to go along with the action, including some remixes of past games and new pieces that were remixed in later titles. Soundtrack availability: Nearly every Castlevania game has the same songs remixed, so some tracks should be floating around the internet.
Super Mario World (1991), Koji Kondo-The 16-bit debut of Mario kept in step with the uniqueness each title brought and the music brought some low-key tunes to hum along to and the level stages has some memorable tunes that gave the game a whimsical, fun feeling to it, no matter how tough the stage was. My favorite title has to be the final battle with Bowser as it becomes totally upbeat and intense in scale. Soundtrack availability: An album probably exist in some form, so happy hunting on the internet.
F-Zero (1992), Composers: Yumiko Kanki, Yukio Kaneoka and Naoto Ishida-I've always loved the F-Zero series for its music as it completely captured the feeling of racing in an apocalyptic wasteland, with its pulsing riffs and intense beats, which was impecaably captured in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Soundtrack availability: An album was made and featured 12 tracks from the game and should be easy to import.
Final Fantasy III (1994), Composer: Nobou Uematsu-The FF games have always had giant soundtracks with complex and orchestrations and Final Fantasy III (actually VI) was the biggest and the best in the 16-bit era. The opera house scene should be memorable to any SNES owner. Soundtrack availability: Of nearly every game soundtrack, Final Fantasy soundtracks are always easy to find in import and the three-disc soundtrack of this game should be availabile for import.
Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past (1992), Composer: Koji Kondo-It's fitting that this game's soundtrack is memorable to many gamers as it includes many themes and tunes that would appear in the franchise from years to come, just like the game design. It sounded incredible, taking advantage of the new sound chip to create an epic score that matched the huge quest. Soundtrack availability: An album was created and should be easy to import but it was made back in early 90s, so finding an actual copy might be improbable.
Mega Man X (1993), Composers: Makoto Tomozawa, Setsuo Yamamoto, Toshihiko Horiyama, Yuki Iwai, Yuko Takehara-My favorite Mega Man game ever, this game had some pretty rocking tunes, from the title screen, to the Storm Eagle stage, and Spark Mandrill stage, this soundtrack is one of the best on the SNES. Soundtrack availability: No album exist but there are some tracks available at OC Remix.org
Mega Man X2 (1994), Composer: Yuki Iwai-Another stellar soundtrack for the X series, my favorite tunes are the stage select screen and the Flame Stag stage, which some stellar drum beats and an awesome guitar riff. Soundtrack availability: This game is rare to find but there are some tracks again at OC Remix.org
R-Type III (1993), Composer: Irem-One of my favorite shooters ever, the soundtrack was killer. My favorites include the weapon select screen, which rocks harder than some rock bands today and the remixed first level theme. Soundtrack availability: An album probably doesn't exist (I could be wrong) but the game is available on the Wii's Virtual Console.
Star Fox (1993), Composer: Hajime Hirasawa-I'm a huge fan of the first Star Fox game. The soundtrack boasts some incredible action-pumping tunes when fighting on a planet and some incredible orchestrations in space. The Phantron boss battle song was awesome due to its simplistic sound and the song played during the final scene after beating Andross was always breathtaking and serene-sounding. Soundtrack availability: Five songs are available at OC Remix.org
Super Mario RPG (1996), Composer: Yoko Shimomura-Great stuff all around, from the unique takes on some classic Mario tunes to some new stuff I wished they used in a future Mario game, namely the awesome Barrel Volcano with its awesome bass line. Soundtrack availability: A dlouble album was made in Japan and should be available for import. Dirty joke warning: One of the tracks is named 'Mount Sploogemore'
Chrono Trigger (1995), Composer: Yasunori Mitsuda, Noriko Matsueda, Nobou Uematsu-To many gamers, this is THE video game soundtrack form an era. From the opening tune at the title screen, to the theme song, to the incredible themes in each overworld, there isn't one stand out track, the game is full of epic,unique music with such rich and lush orchestration that are incredible to this day. Each sound you hear give so much feeling and context that it becomes a character in it own right and it helps convey the story in a way that voice acting can't. Even better, the DS rerelsease contains the same music from SNES version fully intact. Soundtrack availability: Many albums were made and are available at many websites but it's better to listen to it with the game, so buy the DS version.
Super Metroid (1994), Composers: Kenji Yamamoto, Minako Hamano-To me, this is THE video game soundtrack. The music is just incredible from beginning to end, haunting players with its brooding and intense sounds all the way through this complex game and doesn't let it up until you finish the game. Lower Norfair is one of the best music pieces I've heard in my life. This game should be downloaded immediately. Soundtrack availability: A album was made in 1994 and is out of print at Play-Asia. Have fun on eBay.
TG-16
Blazing Lazers (1989), Composers: Masatomo Miyamoto-One of the best shmups ever made, the soundtrack was just as awesome as the action in this game, especially in the third, fifth, and seventh level with its futuristic pop sound, Soundtrack availability: Possibly non-existent but the MP3s might exist.
Keith Courage in Alpha Zones (1989)-One of the few games on the Turbo Grafx-16 that I played that wasn't Blazing Lazers or another shooter, all I can remember was three tracks that were persistent in the game: the overworld song, the underground theme, and the boss battles-all of which sounded incredibly epic and frantic. Soundtrack availability: There's a small chance that some MP3s might exist
Lords of Thunder (1993)-Another awesome shooter with some incredible heavy metal-inspired tunes, the whole thing just feels like an metal album cover come to life. Soundtrack availability: Sadly, no album exist but the game is available on the Virtual Console.
Next part: 32/64 bit era
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