Game Music

[G.Silver]

Recently I've been listening to the soundtrack from the SNES version of Starfox. It's the only Starfox game I really like and I think the soundtrack has a lot to do with it, it's got a really upbeat, kinda jazzy, kinda funky sound to it that they pretty well abandoned in Starfox 64 in favor of that more orchestrated "marching" kind of feel and never went back as far as I've noticed (I have to admit I was so turned off that I haven't played close attention since then). It's funny, because back in 1992 or whenever, the original game had a certain "symphonic" quality to me, at least in places. At the time I didn't really value the soundtrack, but looking back I really appreciate it.

Corneria: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyjSHlrq ... C7846C3146 Right off the bat you know you're in for a good time with this one. It establishes mood, and that mood is "you want to keep playing this."

Sector X/Z: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-R9rzGMh ... C7846C3146 Songs like this are what gave it that that symphonic feel, in that it was attempting to sound like musical instruments that I could actually identify. The mix of this sort of thing with the funkier stuff is what really makes it feel unique.

Titania: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sznaSpeH ... C7846C3146 And here's some of that goofy stuff. Titania isn't dark, but it's still got this kind of kooky-spooky feel to the theme, what for? And then it shifts into something a little more kickin' just as the backgrounds begin changing, it makes a great transition. I think this is my favorite song in the game.

Fortuna: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCKRaUm9 ... C7846C3146 More kooky weirdness! And the enemies in this stage are all giant dragonflies, birds, and plants, and the boss is a big fat "dinosaur" with two heads that breathes fire. When I turned on Starfox 64, I was all "where are the two headed dinosaurs?" It's like the game with the funny animals that pilot starships wanted to be taken seriously or something.

Venom Base: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0h3wAR1 ... C7846C3146 And it still managed to be "serious" when it needed to be, like for this "Trench run"-like section near the end of the game.

Stage Clear: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6YGYwug ... C7846C3146 And how can you not be freakin' pumped to zip off to the next level when this plays, seconds after the boss of the previous stage explodes into a shower of triangles and squares? It feels GOOD.

[Brazillian Cara]

When it comes to good music from obscure videogames, nothing beats Ys - actually, nearly every damn thing composed for Falcom games counts. Here are a few random examples:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vKHLdxJFRc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edXzyx6t_rU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAuJY7gWsXs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1I1zfH3AbHc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiN_TJgslaM

Yes, I'm aware most of these are battle themes; the more casual stuff is good, too.

[James McGeachie]

I love the soundtrack to Chiki Chiki boys/Mega Twins.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FK3UaCFQu2s

Not the easiest game to find links to the soundtrack for so hey, watch a video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiivSJEwmj8

[Dr. BUGMAN]

So Plok having been revived as a webcomic (talk about out of left field!) reminded me that his one and only game had really, really good music produced by the venerable Tim Follin. I imagine if Pink Floyd were a cartoon platformer, it'd pretty much sound like this.

[Isuka]

I almost can't stop listening to these at least once a day for the past week:
http://virt.bandcamp.com/album/mighty-switch-force-ost
http://virt.bandcamp.com/album/mighty-s ... orce-2-ost

Choice tracks: Love You Love You Love, Soft Collision, Rainbow Love Zone and Credits (Rescue Girl).

[Jingles]

I love how every other track in MSF2 is a remix of Rescue Girl. It's that good a tune!

[Crisis]

There's a surprising amount of video game music available on Spotify! Super Meat Boy, Bastion, Minecraft, Super Hexagon, the entire Bit.Trip series, VVVVVV (and a remix album), a bunch of stuff by Nobuo Uematsu, Austin Wintory, Jack Wall...

[Popcorn]

Is it just me or does this lame Muse track sound like Sonic Adventure music? Instrumental version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0eP2zwI2pg

It even has a guitar line like Sonic Boom's solo.

[Crowbar]

I recently got round to playing Fez and I really enjoyed the soundtrack. It's exactly the kind of ambient music I love, sweeping and spacious with sparingly applied melodies. Very Boards of Canada in places.

A couple of favourites.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrLbkX6QcQo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lWqchH05HA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_DFp-XbKQo

[Majestic Joey]

I also really enjoyed the fez soundtrack despite not liking the game too much.

my brother has been trying to get me into this game dark souls but I don't want to because it looks too time consuming, but I love this song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH3mbB3H57g

also this is another good piano song from phantasy star.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VncM07bkn6M

[Crisis]

my brother has been trying to get me into this game dark souls but I don't want to because it looks too time consuming, but I love this song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH3mbB3H57g

Dork Souls is pretty time consuming, but not in a grindy way. It's an easy game to walk away from once you've had your fill.

That track is great (it's even better in context), but most of the Dark Souls soundtrack is merely functional. Its not bad, but I felt that the Demon's Souls soundtrack was more varied and took more risks, and was more interesting as a result. Maiden Astrea is that game's equivalent to the above track (it's not quite as good), but I'm also fond of the character creation menu, Phalanx, and Flamelurker.

You can add Jim Guthrie (Sword and Sworcery, Indie Game the Movie) to the list of Spotify artists. Too lazy to post a link!

[Popcorn]

My band recorded a cover of a song you might know: https://soundcloud.com/jamesduffy-1/mag ... itar-vader

[Crowbar]

I approve of all of that! Really fun cover. I miss Guitar Vader. :(

[Dr. BUGMAN]

Pop Up/Cool Ball might be the most peppy, optimistic think to emanate from the Game Boy. The thing that really gets me about this game is that I'm almost but-not-quite sure I've played it way back during my nascent years--maybe it's just so zeitgeist-y that it induces pseudo-nostalgia. It's by the same dude who brought us The Light Corridor, which I posted earlier. He compiled a playlist on his Youtube channel, so why doncha check it out!

Cool Spot. It's by Tim Follin, and that's all the incentive anyone needs to listen anything.

[Dr. BUGMAN]

'Tis the season for unaccountably classy renditions of Gargoyle's Quest. (seriously this is good shit)

[(No Imagination)]

HOLY CRAP INSTRUMENTAL GARGOYLE'S QUEST - YouTube's existence has finally been justified!

(seriously this is good shit)

On topic of good Game Boy music, I've loved Darkwing Duck's OST since day one. It's like the composer got ahold of the cartoon's opening theme and made a whole bunch of jazzy tunes from it. Moliarty's tower is my favorite one, and it's a crime no-one even cares enough to properly record this stuff.

[Dr. BUGMAN]

Yes! Very yes!!

[Brazillian Cara]

Since this thread got ressurected, I may as well recommend the near entirety of the music from Etrian Odyssey. With the DS originals and the new games and remakes on 3DS, almost every soundtrack has a version with modern instruments and another with FM soundfonts - and with rare exceptions, both are excellent. Have a few samples.