Welcome back to part 2 of the retro game music review. This time I want to focus on music that isn’t just tremendous in it’s own right, but the type of music I listen to outside of gaming. There are so many tracks that I have loved in gaming, these are my choices and mine alone. So be sure to send all of your hate to me and the comments section.
We began this journey scouring some of my favorite tracks from early consoles including the NES, SNES, and Playstation. But there are so many great songs from talented composers in the libraries of every console to date. But what about some of the more recent consoles? Here are five more of my all-time favorites to round out our RE-view of retro game music. Enjoy!
Stickerbrush Symphony- Donkey Kong Country 2 (N64)
I was in-between consoles when Donkey Kong Country 2 was released. Because of that, this game was not on my radar until much later, and I never completed it. However, I was listening to Pandora one day and Stickerbrush Symphony came on, and I stopped what I was doing to listen. The synth-pop sound, combining xylophones, synthesizers, guitars, pianos, etc…..it was like a warm blanket. And then you play the level associated with the song and you completely understand why it needed to be soothing. An excellent entry to this list and possibly my favorite piece of game music of all-time.
Lament of the Highborne- World of Warcraft (PC)
World of Warcraft (WoW) has so much wonderful music, this entire list could be made of tracks from that game. If you listen to the podcast you know how much I love World of Warcraft, and it’s impact on gaming and MMO’s in general can be seen to this day. Each expansion adds another layer of depth to the already extensive lore. Which brings me to the next song on this list; “Lament of the Highborne”. The first expansion to WoW was The Burning Crusade, which added two new playable races and starting areas for players to choose from. The Ghostlands is a dreary and dangerous area void of the rich colors seen in the Blood Elf starting area. The dark tone of the Ghostlands shows just how much this area has been forgotten to time. Years later hear the lyrics sung to us by the Banshee Queen herself.
Sanctuary-Kingdom Hearts 2 (PS2)
The theme songs to each of the three Kingdom Hearts games have been written at least in part by Utada Hikaru. “Simple and Clean” and “Sanctuary” (or “Passion” in Japan) are great songs and are worthy additions to this list. However “Sanctuary” fits the tone of Kingdom Hearts 2 in a way that has yet to be duplicated. The story of Kingdom Hearts is difficult to follow at the best of times, but if you enjoy game music you have this track in your greatest hits.
Mute City-F-Zero (SNES)
Yes, I know we are going back in time. I couldn’t make this list without including a track from one of my favorite racing games of all time. F-Zero is an unforgiving racing experience on the SNES that nonetheless remains a favorite of mine to this day. The original soundtrack (OST) is excellent and contains many memorable songs. The three most cited are “Port Town”, “Mute City”, and “Big Blue”. The best of these is “Mute City” and was even remade for the most recent cart racer for Nintendo MarioKart 8.
An End Once and For All-Mass Effect 3
Mass Effect is regarded as one of the greatest gaming experiences ever to be released. Regardless of how you interpret the ending, the fact your story carried over the course of three games had never been done before. Decisions you made in the first iteration had consequences in every game moving forward, including difficult choices like who lives and who dies. It’s generally accepted that Mass Effect 2 is the high point in the series, but I constantly return to the OST from Mass Effect 3. Other lists include “New Worlds” when choosing greatest hits from this trilogy, which is a noteworthy selection. “New Worlds” is a great track that plays while you are selecting a destination planet. However the song I believe encompasses the trilogy best is “An End Once and For All”.
“An End Once and For All” has everything needed to explain Shepard’s journey over three games. Depending on how you play, you will have potentially encountered incredible loss and heartache in an attempt to prevent galaxy-wide destruction. Most of the music in Mass Effect has a futuristic-synth sound, but “An End” is fully orchestral.
Did we miss some of your favorites? Let us know in the comics! Game music is an integral part of the gaming experience, and there are so many songs that could be mentioned. Let us know some of your favorites in the comments!
