Out With the New, In With the Old: Memorable Video Game Music

1- Final Fantasy VII

2- Chrono Trigger

3- Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

4- Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

5- F Zero

6- Megaman

7- Street Fighter

8- Halo

Remember when video game music was memorable? Pepperidge Farm remembers...

The Witcher 2 has an excellent soundtrack. I was pleased to find the soundtrack included in the copy I bought for my X360S. Whether it even deserves to be counted among the best is a debate I'll stay out of.

Just a few off the top of my head that I've enjoyed through the years:

1 - Castlevania: SOTN

2 - Chrono Cross

3 - Chrono Trigger

4 - Final Fantasy 1-10

5 - Final Fantasy Tactics

6 - Tactics Ogre

7 - Vandal Hearts

8 - Xenogears

9 - Ys

this guy pisses me off. Yeah you're right songs from 20 years ago were catchy, and yeah games nowadays have more complex music, in what way does that make the music bad? If I were watching a movie where the music is supposed to compliment the emotions of that scene, i'd be pretty pissed if call me maybe started blaring

@pazshepard not a bad list (lol at dyanmite headdy... that game was fun) but you didn't include star ocean 2 :p Other than that it's a pretty solid list.

I believe that music along with a solid story can make or break a game... I think back to all my all time favourite games, and the sound tracks are epic. Meaning that clearly music plays a much bigger role in gaming than I ever reallyed acredited it. I own multiple OSTs on cd (FF, SO, MGS to name a few) so yeah, I do love good music in games. The best is yet to come from MGS is a classic, the chocobo theme from FF series is instantly recognisable. Try and find me something like that from modern games, you can't XD Probably why i play a bunch of older games more than the newer ones.

a lot of older jrpgs have nice soundtracks. I like the older midi songs more than this new cinema music in most new games - but i guess its not only the midi sounds - the music had its very own style, often with a progressive touch. Guess the time now is just not the best time for music at all - its not only the videogame music everything is ripped out and to much similiar to the rest. Most Music is also to much in the background - midi sounds were always louder then everything else -the melodies could give you all the feelings you needed to go on playin, sometimes even just listin to the songs. i couldn't really say that about newer game soundtracks, not all, but most of them.

1 - Breath of Fire IV

2 - Unreal Tournament 99

3 - Final Fantasy IX

4 - Mass Effect

5 - Metal Gear Solid

6 - Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

7 - Shadow of the Colossus

8 - Elder Scrolls: Oblivion

9 - Halo

10 - Quake II

11 - Final Fantasy VII

12 - Silent Hill

13 - The Revenge of the Shinobi

14 - Dynamite Headdy

15 - Sonic Adventures

16 - Okami

17 - God of War 2

18 - Dragon Quest VIII

19 - Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

20 - Streets of Rage 2

And these would be my All time fav!

1. Metal Gear Solid entire series

2. Zelda Ocarina of Time

3. Super Mario

4. Gears of War 3

5. Mass Effect Series

6. Halo Series

7. Silent Hill's eerie music

Rygar on the NES. Best video game music ever. Super Metroid and Link to the Past tie for second. Doom 2 gets an honorable mention. The original Castlevania series had some memorable tunes as well. Now they're all playing in my head at the same time.

His arm in the main page picture looks very strange :/

Final Fantasy 2 for SNES aka Final Fantasy 4. My favorite music. And yes of course Final Fantasy 7.

I actually have a list of my favorite video game OSTs. http://l.gamespot.com/tJxpZG

The last 5 I added were:

Saria's Song/Lost Woods Theme - The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Nate's Theme/Title Theme - Uncharted: Drake's Deception

Ghost House - Super Mario World

Forest Funk ~ Retro -Super Meat Boy

Tetris: Type A - Super Smash Bros. Brawl (remix of original Tetris theme)

The Metal Gear Solid themes and Uncharted's main theme are probably the only memorable "cinematic" tunes for me.

lol...every game trailer dubstep is awesome!!! :P

My favorite is Master System's Podeidon Wars 3D.

Me? it's the snake eater (MGS3) opening theme and ending credit...n of course ff7 one-winged angel n jenova!!

Final Fantasy VII

Final Fantasy X

Final Fantasy VI

Chrono Trigger

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin

Lunar Knights

The World Ends with You

Doom II

Unreal Gold

Time Splitters 2

Street Fighter Alpha 2

Marvel vs Capcom

Marvel vs Capcom 2

Mega Man 3

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver

Metal Gear Solid

Tomb Raider

Ehrgeiz

Soul Blade

Soul Calibur

...the list of amazing game soundtracks just goes on and on and on...

Let's not forget Mafia 1 (one of the first games with real orchestral music) and Syberia! I still listen to those.

Nearly 20.. best soundtrack I've ever heard is Metal Gear Solid 4.

Music from the Zelda series will always be the best in my book

Definitely FF VII... Best game & best music score ever...

What about Deus Ex HR main theme? Epic...

Kingdom Hearts 2 soundtrack makes me cry :'(

Soul Blazer Trilogy

Skies of Arcadia from the Dreamcast and Gamecube was one of the best gaming soundtracks that I have listened to.

1 The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (s

2 Civilisation V

3 Halo

4 Legend of Zelda, wind waker

5 Mass Effect

6 Super Mario

7 Diablo 2

8 Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire

9 Minecraft

10 Ducktales

Y's Book 1 and 2-- Phantasy Star 1 and 2--Strider (Genesis version)--The Legendary Axe--Neutopia--Zelda-- Nier (not old but Awsome)--Everquest--Dark Age of Camelot. I'll stop there or it will never end.

My Personal Top Ten: (In no particular order)

1. Chrono Trigger

2. Mechwarrior 2: 31st century combat

3. Warhammer: Dawn of War 2

4. Castlevania X chronicles (or Rondo of blood)

5. Baldur's Gate

6. Metal Gear Solid series

7. Shogun 2 Total War

8. Mass Effect series

9. Batman (nintendo '89)

10. Icewind Dale I & II

In regards to music, there has been some recent stuff, but for the top five...

1. Anything SMT (mainstream or spinoff [looks at P3])

2. Chrono Trigger

3. Pokemon Yellow (or Firered/leafgreen; same thing)

4. Mass Effect 1

5. Sonic CD (JP soundtrack)

Well,gotta tell that the last music is in fact an epico soundtrack for me,Kingdom Hearts...i also love ost from games,i gotta lot of ost,because many of those soundtracks are quite epic you know :)

1 super mario

2 leaving earth (mass effect 3)

3 max payne

4 halo original theme

1. Shadow of the Colossus

2. Baldur's Gate 1

3. Baldur's Gate 2

4. Skyrim

5. Red dead revolver (that's cheating because it's from other movies)

7. Street fighter II

8. Golden Axe

9. 007 Bloodstone

10. Icewind dale - Heart of winter

11. Wings of prey

12. Mercenaries: Playground of destruction

13. GUN

...

I could do 100 because I'm just typing the ones that flash in my memory. Must've forgotten REALLY IMPORTANT ones :| there are so many

I have to disagree with you, Gareth. Soundtracks today ARE memorable. I can easily identify Uncharted 2's theme, as well as Batlefield 3's booming sound, as well as the Elder Scrolls melody.

Your beef with them is merely nostalgia. You grew up playing games like Sonic and Mario and as such remember them better. So you are wrong on that account.

But I too am obssessed with Video Game Music. So much that I barely listen to normal songs anymore, they seem so... stale :P

My favourites have to be:

Assassin's Creed (I love Ezio's Family)

Metal Gear Solid ( THE BEST IS YET TO COME AND Father and Son WOOT!!)

Legend of Zelda theme.

All of the Final Fantasy 1 songs, they are just awesome.

The Elder Scrolls medley (The one used in Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim).

Megaman X, great soundtrack.

Tekken 5 (The Moonlight stage was breathtaking!)

Kingdom Hearts (Also the song that is played in the second half of the vid is KH's theme from the first game)

Shadow of The Colossus -- Exciting yet touching.

Sonic - Because of the adrenaline rush.

And so many, many more....

Video Games have so many great things to them BESIDES the basic gameplay... It's just a whole package that blows you away.

Who the hell names Link "Ama"?

A game with really good music that unfortunately wasn't as good as it's music was The Last Remnant. I've got the OST for that game and it's pretty damn good.

Listening to Shadow of the Colossus music really gives me huge nostalgia.

oh, i just need to add Shadow of the colossus. that game had an amazing soundtrack

Every now and then, while playing some good ol' stuff, I get myself humming all the music I hear from games. I have more than 90 original GM CDs and tons of downloaded music, GM is a passion!! Man, Gareth is hot!

Shadow of The Beast & Cannon Fodder are a couple goodens

Top 5.

1. FF7

2. FF 10

3. MGS series

4. BF3 Main Theme

5. Zelda: OoT or MM

Eternal Sonata, nuff said.

for me NES bucky o'hare, journey to silius, megaman, castlevania...and then on SNES demon's crest. best ever