Starting with ten this week followed by ten more each week for four other weeks, this list is of my personal favorite game soundtracks. There is only one rule with this list, and that is that the soundtracks on this list must be from games I've actually played. Thus, if you find yourself baffled at why your favorites aren't listed, perhaps that's the reason why.
Now, without further ado, let's get to the games and their soundtracks!
50) Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (DS)
We start off with a series that used to have a game coming out yearly. Now, it's better left in hiatus. That said, Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow was my first foray into the Castlevania series, and ever since I've been a big fan of both the Metroid and classic styles that the games have. Dawn of Sorrow possesses one of my favorite soundtracks from the series, offering an abundance of catchy and environmentally conscious themes, perfect for whip-slinging some vampires, bats, and Medusa heads.
49) Wario Land: Shake It! (Wii)
Wario's games generally didn't impress me much with their soundtracks. Sure, I dug some of the music from Wario World and Wario Land 4, but I was never as impressed with a Wario game's music than I was and still am with Wario Land: Shake It!, or as our PAL pals know it as, Wario Land: The Shake Dimension. Songs of all tempo and a range of genres were what players get with Shake It's soundtrack, making me want to coincidentally enough "shake it" until I couldn't shake no more!
48) Diddy Kong Racing (N64)
My favorite kart racer doesn't have my favorite kart racing soundtrack, but it's a masterful soundtrack nonetheless, thanks to Dave Wise! You can be certain that this won't be the last time Mr. Wise's works appears on this list. Featuring bright and bouncy themes, sometimes mellow, sometimes tense, Diddy Kong Racing's music casts the player with a whole wide range of emotions depending on the racing and speeding situations.
47) Kirby's Epic Yarn (Wii)
The second Good Feel developed game to hit this list, Kirby's Epic Yarn is a more mellow soundtrack with real instruments rather than the synth of past games. It all adds up to a sound that is quite lovely. As heard by the two game examples from Good Feel, the composer behind those games knows his stuff for sure. It makes me very eager to hear what the upcoming Wii U release by Good Feel, Yoshi's Woolly World will sound like. If it's as awesome as the art style, we'll be in for quite the treat.
46) Mega Man 2 (NES)
No doubt Mega Man 2 has one of the more recognizable soundtracks out there, but there are indeed 45 others that I hold to higher esteem, whether or not it's just because I listen to the others a lot more. There is no questioning, however, how iconic Mega Man 2's music is. In fact, I'd include lots more classic series Mega Man games if I had the room. Hmm... Maybe I should have went with a top 100 list instead. Oh well. Too late now!
45) Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles - The Crystal Bearers (Wii)
The Crystal Bearers, as part of the Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles sub-series of games, features a grand variety of songs, whether orchestral and action-packed, folk, hillbilly country, New Orleans jazz, rock, and so much more. It fits the spirit of adventure that Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles - The Crystal Bearers has to an absolute "T".
F-Zero GX is a soundtrack of two parts. One is compromised of the various racing tracks, options, and other racing-related parts of the game. The other is made up of character themes for each of the around 40 unique drivers to race as. You get one part electronica, trance, and rock, while another is rock, heavy metal, and other types of awesome anthems. It's a soundtrack that is two halves, and the whole is something absolutely incredible.
43) Banjo-Tooie (N64)
Rareware's batch of composers both old and new are some of the best in the industry, and Grant Kirkhope certainly is one of them. His work on the Banjo-Kazooie series is second to none. Well, actually, that isn't true, or this game would be #1 or #2 on this list... Anyway, if you're looking for dynamic music that changes instruments upon reaching certain areas of levels (and you don't mind it being catchy all the while), then Banjo-Tooie's soundtrack for you is golden like one of the many Jiggies bear and bird collect!
42) Kirby and the Rainbow Curse (Wii U)
There are three words that describe the Kirby and the Rainbow Curse soundtrack: bright, bouncy and catchy. Shogo Sakai and Megumi Ohara composed and arranged this soundtrack, featuring a plethora of fantastic new tunes that one can't help but hum along to, as well a bunch of classic Kirby themes given the modern treatment. It's by far my favorite video game soundtrack so far in 2015.
41) Ys: I & II Chronicles (PSP)
We conclude this tour of game soundtrack goodness with Ys: I & II Chronicles. The original Ys I and II soundtracks were composed in part by the fantastic Yuzo Koshiro, who still has a major presence in video game music composition nowadays. His, among others' works have gotten a major upgrade with the various remakes of the Ys games over the years. While this game doesn't have my favorite Ys soundtrack, it's still mighty darn awesome.
No comments:
Post a Comment