Just a small one today, a short list of what I think is some of the best game music.
Whilst some games shouldn’t have music, for most it can add so much depth and is unfortunately one of the most overlooked aspects when designing a game. Along with a brief comment on why I like the particular music I shall also link to a youtube sample (something which I haven’t done before). Sadly youtube’s audio quality doesn’t live up to the original soundtrack, but it should serve as a sample.
Evil Genius: Title Music
I’ve evangelised about how much I like this music before. Firstly it fits so well with the theme of the game, and could easily be mistaken for a James Bond Soundtrack. I mentioned that the audio quality isn’t as good as the original and it’s especially noticeable here, it lacks a certain punch that the actual music provides. A nice simple build up, with a rolling, flowing middle. The rest of the Evil Genius music is great, in the actual game it’s present but stays in the background, but it’s the title music that is my favourite.
Morrowind
As you can tell I have a special liking for classical-style game music, which is strange since I’m not a fan of classical. Morrowind’s music does a great job of fitting in with the sprawling landscape, actually conveying a feeling of distance. This sample is the title music, but it does also appear in game.
Super Mario World
It had to be said. The music from all of the Super Mario games has been great, the earlier versions weren’t of quite the same quality, Super Mario 3 is where I feel the music really took off, it was no longer just about the title music but a whole range of different styles. However the music from Super Mario World was my favourite (as well as my favourite Mario game), I’m not sure I can think of a bad example out of the whole game. Despite it’s simple nature, it manages to find many different ranges, adding a whole other dimension to the level. What would the game have been like without this music?
Homeworld
Not original game music, but the choice of this haunting classical piece was the most amazing decision ever made for the selection of game music. Part of what made this such a brilliant game was how well rounded it was, from graphics and story to sound effects and music.
Team Fortress 2
Only ever heard on the title screen and yet so memorable. There are several different tracks, that vary quite a lot and all of them are great.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Another classic game series, more classic game music. I’m not sure whether it’s rose-tinted glasses or for actual merit, but I’m selecting Ocarina of Time as the best example. It probably has a lot to do with the fact that the featured game mechanic was music based, simple tunes played on the ocarina were then re-imagined as deeper pieces.
Portal
Finally, not only a good piece of music, but probably the best ending to a game ever. Who knows what sparked the idea, it must have got a few chuckles and strange looks at the time but it was pulled off brilliantly. I wonder if there was cake to celebrate? Still Alive…
There is a lot more game music that I have enjoyed over the years, but these are the stand outs for me. The only modern games on this list are Team Fortress 2 and Portal, and even they’re getting on a bit now, let’s hope this is just a temporary dry period and that developers won’t forget what an amazing part music can play in a game.
Anyone have any more examples to share?
What? No World of Goo?
Some of my favourite sound tracks are from RTS games. Total Annihilation was brilliant, as was the original Age of Empires.
If I’m honest, I actually forgot Portal as well and had to add it after.
World of Goo does indeed have some great music, although I possibly wouldn’t include it in this list. Got to draw the line somewhere…
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