My Mind's Soundtrack
I figured since Lucio had a go at it that well, damnit, I should too. That is, naming off video game soundtracks that stuck with him most. Now, much like him, I'm not going for the crowd pleasers, a universally friendly list that everyone can agree with. THAT DOES NOT EXIST. What I'm going to give you is my top ten, all-time, favoritest of favorite video game soundtracks that have stuck with me since the dawn of forever. You may not agree with me, you may think I'm a douche, but one thing's for sure: you will know.
10. The Halo Series
The Halo series has always had instant appeal with me, in the music department at least. Bungie does a masterful job of mixing classical instruments with more modern ones to create a sound that can make anyone feel like a badass. Noteable tracks of asskickery would be Brothers in Arms and Blow Me Away (the latter a track by Breaking Benjamin). Magnifique.
Sidenote: this guy makes me look like a fucking angel. I thought I was bad.
9. The Max Payne Series
This is like many things on this list is a no-brainer, although you may be surprised to see it at the bottom. Well, by the end of this you won't. Truth be told, this list was incredibly difficult to make. So why is this even on the list? The music is fantastic. It really brings out the noirish feel this game gives off. This is the whole reason I got into the noir style in the first place, and on top of that, it introduced me to one of my all-time favorite bands: Poets of the Fall. Noteable tunes are Late Goodbye (by POTF) and the Max Payne 2 Main Theme, which is noir at it's greatest. Absolutely fantastic.
8. The Legend of Zelda Series
If you smiled when you saw this picture, or further if you know what Link has in his inventory (that would be the Book of Mudora, for reading Hylian) than I don't need to explain to you why this made my list. I can't tell you how many times I've caught myself humming the Dark World theme in my life. Every Zelda I've played has had at least three songs that I will never get out of my head. Notables are the Dark World, the Light World, and pretty much every Occarina tune in OoT.
7. The Metroid Series
Have you found yourself scanning every single fucking thing that moves for this one picture? From Super to Prime, the Metroid series has always given me music that matches the quality of the games. I still think the best Metroid song of all time is the Brinstar theme in Super, and it's SO HARD TO FIND. I never understood that. Notables in this are extremely numerous: Brinstar, Norfair, Maridia, the Data Select Theme in Prime... That one in particular is great because you know the second you hear it the game is going to rock your soul. And let us never forget the Meta Ridley theme. Dear God, I'm surprised Lucio didn't mention it. There are few songs better at getting me in the mood for a stomping like Meta Ridley. I think they found the right combination of sounds to make you want to accomplish immeadiately. Ask Lucio. He KNOWS. He's been there.
6. The Final Fantasy Series
Boohoo, it's only number six. Let me head you off at the pass here by saying by know means does being low on this list imply that I don't like these soundtracks as much. I've played easily over one hundred games. Easily. This series has some of the most well done music I've ever heard, and in many cases, makes up for a lackluster title (I'm looking at you, VIII.) The two that hit me the most are VII and X. VII makes up for what it lacks in technological unfairness (back then, only MIDI was possible) and push it to the limit with awesome songs. Cosmo Canyon? MIDI. Boss Battle? MIDI, and the baseline will still kick your face in. One-Winged Angel? Orchestrated, and I still haven't found someone that didn't wet themselves to some degree upon hearing it. Yeah, it rocks you that hard. X does a great job too, with notables like Wandering Flame (which still makes me a tad misty) Otherworld (yes the words were dumb, shut up) and pretty much every fight song. And let's not forget Ject's theme. Totally fits the personality. So yes, Final Fantasy is at number six on my list, but hey, with about a thousand million other things, it's number one in my heart. Actually, it's number six there too. But six is my favorite number.
5. Summoner
Did you think I was talking about Yuna, or worse, a mini-boss from Diablo 2? Then kiss my ass. The music from Summoner is pretty much like everything else in this game: excellent and extremely unappreciated. Luminar? Excellent. Wolong? Superb. Iona Monastery? Made me cry. And who can forget the sexy remix, Summon the Funk? And where do you think the inspiration for the Mark in Assassins came from, anyway? You're looking at it asshole. Why am I calling you asshole? Because you still haven't played this awesome game. Yes, the graphics are old. Yes, the controls are a little funky. It was the second game ever on PS2 people!
Especially you Andrew. Shame on you. You bastard!
4. The Grand Theft Auto Series
This one isn't really so fair, since it's a lot of music that rocks today as well as ten, twenty, and four hundred years ago, in reverse respectivity. The soundtrack of San Andreas is especially spectacular. The noteables are vast as the ocean: Hollywood Swinging, A Horse With No Name, How I Could Just Kill A Man, Plush, Get Down Saturday Night, And The Beat Goes On, I Wanna Rock (I still think this should have been our graduation song), You've Got Another Thing Coming, and all of Double Cleff FM. It's instantly apparent that the staff at Rockstar took care in selecting their diverse song list, and it shows. Not a true vg soundtrack, but too excellent to ignore. And it introduced me to many, many bands, the Whispers being the most notable. And besides, Cesar. Dude, he rocks.
3. The Donkey Kong Country Series
Diddy rapping. Dixie rocking. Not only did they make you laugh, but they were catchy too. If only every rap artist could put together a collection of compelling monkey sounds. The best word to describe DKC (and Metroid's) music is atmospheric. And shit, does it do a fantastic job. Most of the songs have instant appeal: Stickerbrush Symphony, Mining Melancholy, Forest Interlude, Life in the Mines...A lot of these songs do a great job at affecting your mood. Forest Interlude makes me sad, along with Stickerbrush Symphony. Not a lot of music invokes emotion the way this soundtrack does, and that's why it's near the top. More than once has DKC kept me from putting my fist through a certain unmentionable's face...
2. Fable
WTF? Fable?
Then you've clearly never played this game. What DKC starts with mood, Fable perfects. Part of the reason this game sticks with you so much despite its shortness is its absolutely fantastic soundtrack. From Oakvale to Bowerstone and Witchwood, each theme is unique and masterfully crafted by Danny Elfman, Russell Shaw and the Philharmonia Orchestra of London. EVERY TRACK is done by that last name there. Typically, whenever you hear something like "Orchestra" in a band's name and they aren't being artsy jackasses, you know their music is going to be good. I'm talking actual orechestras here, mind you. Russell Shaw I especially tip my hat to. You sir, in the tradition of other Shaws like Wally (worked on Summoner), have crafted something that has truly made an impact on me. The playful, barely implied sorrow of Oakvale (a town that gets the axe big time in the beginning and rebuilds) is done SUPERBLY. Bowerstone invokes the feeling of a busy town extremely well. The Summer Fields track is amazing, and the Fresco Dome is also quite noteworthy. Why? Because although the only instrument played is one woman's voice in the whole song, it still somehow capture's the majesty and tragedy that is represented in the Fresco Dome (which shows your progression as a character via amazing paintings). Even if you've never played this game, if you have any sense in you at all, you will love this soundtrack. It's an experience in itself, and fills in many of the holes Fable had.
Fuck, I loved Fable.
1. The Metal Gear Solid Series
If this surprises you, clearly, we've never met in person. The MGS series is already fantasic on its own, without music. The plot, the characters, the graphics, the voice actors, the level of fun...everything about MGS is top notch. And the music is no exception. Militaristic but still graceful, the music of MGS is one of the biggest inspirations for Assassins. Noteables are the unbelievably awesome main themes of all three MGS titles, The Best Is Yet to Come, all the Encounter themes, Ray Escapes...Jesus. There are more than a few misses, but the hits hit HARD. The World Needs Only One Big Boss kicks you square in the nuts and laughs at you. It's the Harrier rocks. Solidus' Demise actually invokes sadness from me. Why? Partially because the music combined with the fall (which says A LOT if you're paying attention) really grabbed me. As he falls, the last thing he reachs towards is not the pole to save his life or keep him from falling. No, he wants to fall. The last thing he reaches for is Lady Liberty herself, or the flag if you prefer since that's also in his line of sight. It's the little things like this in the game that really set it apart from the pack. MGS is excellent at letting you draw your own conclusions - it doesn't just put everything in your lap in an obvious, Alanis Morisette fashion. The Snake Eater theme is cheesy as all Hell but somehow fits the game anyway. The Sidecar songs and sequences combined make one of the most intense video game experiences ever, and as a result also one of the best. But the song that gets me more than anything is Way to Fall. MGS3 started off silly, and for a while I was worried it would stay that way and I wouldn't enjoy it near as much as the rest. But they really pulled the pathos together in the end, and this song fits the "Fuck..." mood you feel at the very end perfectly. There are times, very few, in films and in games where you hear a song combined with a scene or sequence and you think, "That's the best combination they could have made. There is no song that fits that scene better." This is one of many moments the MGS series has, and thus is why it's my number one. It has everything to do with these moments, that Hideo is perfect at crafting. Yes, Final Fantasy had its share too, but in my opinion, MGS is the cream of the crop.
Honorable Mentions:
Guilty Gear XX
F-Zero X
GoldenEye
Gitaroo Man
Hitman
Jade Empire
So there it is. Disagree? Good. You didn't play Summoner so you can kiss my ass. But what do YOU think? What is your top ten? I'm interested to know. Really, I am.
10. The Halo Series
The Halo series has always had instant appeal with me, in the music department at least. Bungie does a masterful job of mixing classical instruments with more modern ones to create a sound that can make anyone feel like a badass. Noteable tracks of asskickery would be Brothers in Arms and Blow Me Away (the latter a track by Breaking Benjamin). Magnifique.
Sidenote: this guy makes me look like a fucking angel. I thought I was bad.
9. The Max Payne Series
This is like many things on this list is a no-brainer, although you may be surprised to see it at the bottom. Well, by the end of this you won't. Truth be told, this list was incredibly difficult to make. So why is this even on the list? The music is fantastic. It really brings out the noirish feel this game gives off. This is the whole reason I got into the noir style in the first place, and on top of that, it introduced me to one of my all-time favorite bands: Poets of the Fall. Noteable tunes are Late Goodbye (by POTF) and the Max Payne 2 Main Theme, which is noir at it's greatest. Absolutely fantastic.
8. The Legend of Zelda Series
If you smiled when you saw this picture, or further if you know what Link has in his inventory (that would be the Book of Mudora, for reading Hylian) than I don't need to explain to you why this made my list. I can't tell you how many times I've caught myself humming the Dark World theme in my life. Every Zelda I've played has had at least three songs that I will never get out of my head. Notables are the Dark World, the Light World, and pretty much every Occarina tune in OoT.
7. The Metroid Series
Have you found yourself scanning every single fucking thing that moves for this one picture? From Super to Prime, the Metroid series has always given me music that matches the quality of the games. I still think the best Metroid song of all time is the Brinstar theme in Super, and it's SO HARD TO FIND. I never understood that. Notables in this are extremely numerous: Brinstar, Norfair, Maridia, the Data Select Theme in Prime... That one in particular is great because you know the second you hear it the game is going to rock your soul. And let us never forget the Meta Ridley theme. Dear God, I'm surprised Lucio didn't mention it. There are few songs better at getting me in the mood for a stomping like Meta Ridley. I think they found the right combination of sounds to make you want to accomplish immeadiately. Ask Lucio. He KNOWS. He's been there.
6. The Final Fantasy Series
Boohoo, it's only number six. Let me head you off at the pass here by saying by know means does being low on this list imply that I don't like these soundtracks as much. I've played easily over one hundred games. Easily. This series has some of the most well done music I've ever heard, and in many cases, makes up for a lackluster title (I'm looking at you, VIII.) The two that hit me the most are VII and X. VII makes up for what it lacks in technological unfairness (back then, only MIDI was possible) and push it to the limit with awesome songs. Cosmo Canyon? MIDI. Boss Battle? MIDI, and the baseline will still kick your face in. One-Winged Angel? Orchestrated, and I still haven't found someone that didn't wet themselves to some degree upon hearing it. Yeah, it rocks you that hard. X does a great job too, with notables like Wandering Flame (which still makes me a tad misty) Otherworld (yes the words were dumb, shut up) and pretty much every fight song. And let's not forget Ject's theme. Totally fits the personality. So yes, Final Fantasy is at number six on my list, but hey, with about a thousand million other things, it's number one in my heart. Actually, it's number six there too. But six is my favorite number.
5. Summoner
Did you think I was talking about Yuna, or worse, a mini-boss from Diablo 2? Then kiss my ass. The music from Summoner is pretty much like everything else in this game: excellent and extremely unappreciated. Luminar? Excellent. Wolong? Superb. Iona Monastery? Made me cry. And who can forget the sexy remix, Summon the Funk? And where do you think the inspiration for the Mark in Assassins came from, anyway? You're looking at it asshole. Why am I calling you asshole? Because you still haven't played this awesome game. Yes, the graphics are old. Yes, the controls are a little funky. It was the second game ever on PS2 people!
Especially you Andrew. Shame on you. You bastard!
4. The Grand Theft Auto Series
This one isn't really so fair, since it's a lot of music that rocks today as well as ten, twenty, and four hundred years ago, in reverse respectivity. The soundtrack of San Andreas is especially spectacular. The noteables are vast as the ocean: Hollywood Swinging, A Horse With No Name, How I Could Just Kill A Man, Plush, Get Down Saturday Night, And The Beat Goes On, I Wanna Rock (I still think this should have been our graduation song), You've Got Another Thing Coming, and all of Double Cleff FM. It's instantly apparent that the staff at Rockstar took care in selecting their diverse song list, and it shows. Not a true vg soundtrack, but too excellent to ignore. And it introduced me to many, many bands, the Whispers being the most notable. And besides, Cesar. Dude, he rocks.
3. The Donkey Kong Country Series
Diddy rapping. Dixie rocking. Not only did they make you laugh, but they were catchy too. If only every rap artist could put together a collection of compelling monkey sounds. The best word to describe DKC (and Metroid's) music is atmospheric. And shit, does it do a fantastic job. Most of the songs have instant appeal: Stickerbrush Symphony, Mining Melancholy, Forest Interlude, Life in the Mines...A lot of these songs do a great job at affecting your mood. Forest Interlude makes me sad, along with Stickerbrush Symphony. Not a lot of music invokes emotion the way this soundtrack does, and that's why it's near the top. More than once has DKC kept me from putting my fist through a certain unmentionable's face...
2. Fable
WTF? Fable?
Then you've clearly never played this game. What DKC starts with mood, Fable perfects. Part of the reason this game sticks with you so much despite its shortness is its absolutely fantastic soundtrack. From Oakvale to Bowerstone and Witchwood, each theme is unique and masterfully crafted by Danny Elfman, Russell Shaw and the Philharmonia Orchestra of London. EVERY TRACK is done by that last name there. Typically, whenever you hear something like "Orchestra" in a band's name and they aren't being artsy jackasses, you know their music is going to be good. I'm talking actual orechestras here, mind you. Russell Shaw I especially tip my hat to. You sir, in the tradition of other Shaws like Wally (worked on Summoner), have crafted something that has truly made an impact on me. The playful, barely implied sorrow of Oakvale (a town that gets the axe big time in the beginning and rebuilds) is done SUPERBLY. Bowerstone invokes the feeling of a busy town extremely well. The Summer Fields track is amazing, and the Fresco Dome is also quite noteworthy. Why? Because although the only instrument played is one woman's voice in the whole song, it still somehow capture's the majesty and tragedy that is represented in the Fresco Dome (which shows your progression as a character via amazing paintings). Even if you've never played this game, if you have any sense in you at all, you will love this soundtrack. It's an experience in itself, and fills in many of the holes Fable had.
Fuck, I loved Fable.
1. The Metal Gear Solid Series
If this surprises you, clearly, we've never met in person. The MGS series is already fantasic on its own, without music. The plot, the characters, the graphics, the voice actors, the level of fun...everything about MGS is top notch. And the music is no exception. Militaristic but still graceful, the music of MGS is one of the biggest inspirations for Assassins. Noteables are the unbelievably awesome main themes of all three MGS titles, The Best Is Yet to Come, all the Encounter themes, Ray Escapes...Jesus. There are more than a few misses, but the hits hit HARD. The World Needs Only One Big Boss kicks you square in the nuts and laughs at you. It's the Harrier rocks. Solidus' Demise actually invokes sadness from me. Why? Partially because the music combined with the fall (which says A LOT if you're paying attention) really grabbed me. As he falls, the last thing he reachs towards is not the pole to save his life or keep him from falling. No, he wants to fall. The last thing he reaches for is Lady Liberty herself, or the flag if you prefer since that's also in his line of sight. It's the little things like this in the game that really set it apart from the pack. MGS is excellent at letting you draw your own conclusions - it doesn't just put everything in your lap in an obvious, Alanis Morisette fashion. The Snake Eater theme is cheesy as all Hell but somehow fits the game anyway. The Sidecar songs and sequences combined make one of the most intense video game experiences ever, and as a result also one of the best. But the song that gets me more than anything is Way to Fall. MGS3 started off silly, and for a while I was worried it would stay that way and I wouldn't enjoy it near as much as the rest. But they really pulled the pathos together in the end, and this song fits the "Fuck..." mood you feel at the very end perfectly. There are times, very few, in films and in games where you hear a song combined with a scene or sequence and you think, "That's the best combination they could have made. There is no song that fits that scene better." This is one of many moments the MGS series has, and thus is why it's my number one. It has everything to do with these moments, that Hideo is perfect at crafting. Yes, Final Fantasy had its share too, but in my opinion, MGS is the cream of the crop.
Honorable Mentions:
Guilty Gear XX
F-Zero X
GoldenEye
Gitaroo Man
Hitman
Jade Empire
So there it is. Disagree? Good. You didn't play Summoner so you can kiss my ass. But what do YOU think? What is your top ten? I'm interested to know. Really, I am.
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