Best Video Game Soundtracks

[John]

A very simple topic: What are your favourite video game soundtracks and why? A great soundtrack can really influence one's enjoyment of a game, be it the 8-bit tunes of a NES classic like Mario or a fully orchestrated film-score like masterpiece for the latest PS2/PS3 epic. Music is as important in games as it is in movies.

I'll go first by picking one of my favourites:

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

Harry Gregson-Williams is one of my favourite film soundtrack composers/producers - he manages to fuse together moments of drama filled strings with the most full on and hypnotic rushes of techno-inspired drums and sounds. So what better person to create the soundtrack to one of the most film-like games created (at the time). Whilst the game might not be as great as its PlayStation predecessor, the music, as expected, is absolutely fantastic. Whether it's setting the scene for a stealthy sneak around corridors or an epic piece for a massive boss battle, the music fits the game perfectly.

That's all I'm going to say for now, I'll post a few more of my favourites after some others have mentioned theirs.

[sim]

main theme song is all i remember of an otherwise completely forgettable game.

[John]

Sim, it might help if you mention which game you are referring to

[n8littlefield]

I don't really pay that much attention to soundtracks - so mine would only be the really unusual ones like Ouenden or Katamari.  I did love the Guitaroo Man soundtrack too - I used to put my son to sleep to the acoustic song on it.

Skullmonkeys had a great soundtrack too IIRC - the bonus room song was spectacular.

[sim]

MGS2

oh and i can still recall the ToeJam & Earl main theme as well.

in fact here it is.

[EDR]

Freedom Fighters - Jesper Kyd

Synthesizers + Opera Music = Freaking brilliant.  Great game with awesome soundtrack.

[Rabid_Weasle]

The only one that really sticks in my mind was the soundtrack for Total Annihilation. Created by Jeremy Soule, who now is one of the top video game music composers. Really great orchastrated, soothing ambient tracks for when not much was going on which then blended nicely into the battle themes when things started to get a little crazier.

[Rensch]

Favorites are naturally classic tunes such as The Legend of Zelda or Super Mario Bros.

But my favorite non-Nintendo soundtrack is absolutely Rayman 2: The great Escape. From the catchy theme song to the hypnotic title screen tune, It's all beautiful. It fits the fantasy-style theme perfectly.

[John]

The only one that really sticks in my mind was the soundtrack for Total Annihilation. Created by Jeremy Soule, who now is one of the top video game music composers. Really great orchastrated, soothing ambient tracks for when not much was going on which then blended nicely into the battle themes when things started to get a little crazier.

It's ages since I've played Total Annihilation, but I recall the music on that to be rather good. I really need to dig that out again sometime, Total Annihilation was great.

But my favorite non-Nintendo soundtrack is absolutely Rayman 2: The great Escape. From the catchy theme song to the hypnotic title screen tune, It's all beautiful. It fits the fantasy-style theme perfectly.

Oh yes, this is a great choice! Rayman 2 is not only my all-time favourite 3D platformer, but the music was absolutely brilliant. Really great music for the standout game in the Rayman series.

[LaBomba]

A few from me:

Eternal Darkness Ambient and a little cliche for the tone of the game, but I love how perfectly the theme for each character arc really suits the character, and I found the soundtrack really drew me into the game.

Prince of Persia This goes for Sands of Time and Warrior Within. Good energetic arabic themed music again suited the prince (and his darker version in Warrior Within) perfectly. Whether you like the direction the Prince took in Warrior Within or not is subjective, but personally I loved it.

Shin Megami Tensei: Lucifer's Call. With Japanese RPGs, it's a sure sign of quality when the soundtrack for even the battles is good enough that I don't get sick of it.

Star Ocean 3: Till the End of Time This game's soundtrack can be split in two: The shit lame guitar rock sections, and the stunning orchestral work. The orchestral work more than makes up for the crap bits.

The Final Fantasy series has continually delivered high-quality music, and parts of the soundtrack has become a instantly recognisable and beautiful tradition for the series.

[glitch]

I'm not one to really notice music in video games but I really liked Sensei's theme music in Advance Wars.

I think Rare really do a good job with the music in most of their games. Great examples would be Kameo and Donkey Kong Country.

[Rabid_Weasle]

It's ages since I've played Total Annihilation, but I recall the music on that to be rather good. I really need to dig that out again sometime, Total Annihilation was great.

If you put the game disc into a CD player, it will play the soundtrack like a regular CD. At least it will on a PC if you use the pre-installed CD player thing.

[John]

Unfortunately I can't find my copy of Total Annihilation anywhere.

[JskieXL]

If you put the game disc into a CD player, it will play the soundtrack like a regular CD. At least it will on a PC if you use the pre-installed CD player thing.

If the soundtrack's in "redbook" format (and quite a few PC games' soundtracks are), then it'll work on any CD player since the music tracks are exactly the same as regular CD tracks. The data tracks will just be noise, though.

[sim]

If the soundtrack's in "redbook" format (and quite a few PC games' soundtracks are), then it'll work on any CD player since the music tracks are exactly the same as regular CD tracks. The data tracks will just be noise, though.

just did it.

yes it works.