Game music tends to be very overlooked, but it affects how
you feel as you play the game, adds to the atmosphere of the game, and the best
games add fun bonuses like jukeboxes where you can listen to any song of your
choice from the game. This is a playlist of the songs from (or about) video
games that I like the best, put together into a playlist roughly 30 minutes
long. Hopefully you find some new music here, and possibly a new game to play!
1. "Game Over" by Falling in Reverse
Not from a video game, but comparing life
to one. This is a great opener because it reminds us that it’s all “just a game”
and even has some sound effects like classic Mario games. Don’t worry, we’ll
get into actual gaming music next, but what I like about this song is that it
is almost a commentary on both life and games. Listen to the lyrics and you’ll
see what I mean. This is also the only pop punk song on here, so enjoy it!
2. "Twister" The World Ends With You
This is the opening song to one of my
favorite video games of all time, “The World Ends With You,” made by Square
Enix back in 2007. The soundtrack in general is one of my favorite, but this is
definitely the best song on there. It perfectly captures the mood of the game,
which centers around a bunch of teens fighting for their lives through Shibuya,
a Japanese city. There are several remixes available online since we keep
getting teased with a sequel but never getting it (sigh) so check those out if
you’re into this! (Speaking of being teased by a sequel, this game is coming out
for the switch sometime this year, with a new epilogue attached to the end so
we’ll see what that’s like.)
3. "City Escape" Sonic
Yeah it’s a meme, no I don’t care. This
song’s just fun to listen to, and it goes really well with “Twister” since they
have the same vibe of running away from things, although Sonic is much more
carefree about it.
4. “Rainbow Road” Mario
A classic tune from a classic game, somehow
the music always kept me from getting too stressed on this course. It just so
upbeat and good to jam along to, even if you’re falling to your death off of
the course.
5. “Cider Time” Dustforce
Dustforce is a game with great 8-bit music
in it, and this is my favorite from it. It makes great background music with
its simple, but catchy, melody, and is a great segue from Rainbow Road into
some more somber music coming up.
6. “Hopes and Dreams” Undertale
If you haven’t heard about Undertale, you
should probably change that. This indie game has been amazing people,
and I would recommend it to anyone. The structure of the story makes you think
about gaming itself, as well as how we treat others, both real and in the game.
The soundtrack has quite a few gems in it, this one included. It’s got a great
beat (yes I have heard it at parties) but also a simple these that keeps
continually going through several permutations over the course of the song.
7. “Objection” Ace Attorney
Ace Attorney is a video game series that
I’ve played since middle school, and honestly I’ve loved every second of it.
The music is a huge factor in this game, it determines how you feel about each
of the characters you’re interacting with, and ups the ante when the defendant
is on the line. This is a more triumphant tune, for when you have found a
critical flaw in someone’s argument, and it captures that mood perfectly.
8. “Violet Sky” Hotel Dusk
Hotel Dusk is a really unique game. It’s
made for the DS, but you have to rotate the console ninety degrees so that the
characters faces are displayed in portrait rather than landscape mode, if that
makes sense. It’s also similar to Ace Attorney in that the music is a big
factor in the mood and personality of the characters. However there’s also a
jukebox in the bar area where you can play whatever song you want, and I
usually pick this one. It sounds vaguely mysterious, fitting for a detective
game, but also sounds like something you could jam to. More than just
atmosphere, it’s a really cool piece of music.
9. “Great Fairy’s Fountain Theme” The Legend of Zelda
It just would not be fitting if I didn’t
talk about The Legend of Zelda at some point. Now the original fairy theme is
rather simple and super repetitive, which can get annoying, but themes and
variations are the basis of most classical works. So here the fairy theme is
turned into a symphonic work, and very nicely at that. The theme sways through
the different sections, never totally being lost but not becoming repetitious.
The entire series of symphonic LoZ music is great, check it out if you are
interested!
10. “I was born for this” Journey
And finally we have music from the game
“Journey.” I tried to have the music go from more upbeat tunes to slower and
relaxing music, and this is the epitome of relaxing. The game involves the main
character going on a journey (wow no one could have guessed that) and gaining
help from anonymous players along the way. The music fosters a sense of
independence throughout the solo quest, but also connection as you gain
strength from others. The soundtrack in general is great for background music,
but this is my favorite track. It’s so melodic and soothing, wonderful for
studying or anything that needs a little noise.
Bonus: Toad Screaming
You get a bonus track this month! My friend has a theory
that any song is improved if you are also simultaneously playing a video of Toad
(from Mario) screaming in the background. Try it for yourself and see what
happens!
Stay tuned for next month when I’ll be discussing swing music! I love this genre, hopefully I can convince you to love it as well!
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