Best Video Game Music?

[Murasame]

Katamari Damacy Soundtrack.
Katamari is Love <333.

 

[Square Ninja]

You kids and your devil music...

We had good tunes back then, complex chord progressions and rapid-fire notes...not your pop music or orchestra lite.

 

[Sir Jecht]

Guilty Gear
FFIX, FFVI, FFVIII
Super Mario Bros (lol)
Testis (GB version)
Castlevania
Loco Roco (it's hypnotic)

and lastly GTA: 1-3 and LCS (eh the radio is cool to me)

 

[Cool man]

You kids and your devil music...

We had good tunes back then, complex chord progressions and rapid-fire notes...not your pop music or orchestra lite.

"Back then", as in... what?

But I must say, I like your list. Original.

Because I mean, it's starting to get tiring in threads like these were you're being redirected to One Winged Angel all the damn time...

 

[Square Ninja]

"Back then", as in... what?

Back in the NES and Sega Master System days.

 

[Cool man]

Back in the NES and Sega Master System days.

Ah. I suspected that.

Those days are probably the ones that define the modern view of game music. Which isn't a bad thing. Don't get me wrong. Lots of wonderful music came out of that era.

However, it is somewhat sad that most people fail to see how game music has evolved through the years.

I mean, I have nothing against orchestras and pop music.

As long as it's done good.

 

[Square Ninja]

However, it is somewhat sad that most people fail to see how game music has evolved through the years.

The problem is that what made the old music good is often missing from modern games.

I mean, I have nothing against orchestras and pop music.

As long as it's done good.

I have nothing against orchestras. In fact, I very much love them. Final Fantasy Tactics and Dragon Quest VIII had fantastic soundtracks. What I do have a problem with is what I called "orchestra lite." It's that faux ochestral sound you'll hear in many high-profile RPGs today. They simply use orchestral instruments to play pop-ish music. They don't treat it like classical music. Don't misunderstand me. I love it when they can successfully mix modern sounds with classical music (Castlevania, how I love you.), but not many have done it successfully.

 

[Cool man]

The problem is that what made the old music good is often missing from modern games.




I have nothing against orchestras. In fact, I very much love them. Final Fantasy Tactics and Dragon Quest VIII had fantastic soundtracks. What I do have a problem with is what I called "orchestra lite." It's that faux ochestral sound you'll hear in many high-profile RPGs today. They simply use orchestral instruments to play pop-ish music. They don't treat it like classical music. Don't misunderstand me. I love it when they can successfully mix modern sounds with classical music (Castlevania, how I love you.), but not many have done it successfully.

Hm.

Oh.

I see your point.

"Orchestra Lite"... Yeah, I see now.

I very much agree with you on Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy Tactics. Wonderful soundtracks. But it all depends very much on the musician, too. Koichi Sugiyama and Hitoshi Sakimoto (and Michiru Yamane, for that part) has worked on game music since the NES days. So it's basically the same thing.

Except that they can show better nowadays how they want to really portray the music.

And the "orchestra lite", thing... Yes, people shouldn't think just because they use a (lousy) orchestra it automatically becomes good game music.

People like the renowned game musicians I mentioned above all know how to use an orchestra properly.

And composers like Michiru Yamane are very diverse fortunately, and has the skill to do many different styles. Hence, the awesomeness of Castlevania.

Video game music has become quite interesting over the years, I must say...