Jump to content

Video Game Music


SilverTrumpet

Recommended Posts

Hi again all!

I was just listening to some music which just happened to be (surprise!) Video game music. Some of this stuff is quite good. What do you all think of video game music? Hopefully this is the right place to talk about this and I also hope this thread lasts a long time because I find this to be an interesting topic. Everyone put in their input please! :)

-Edag88 :wave: "Dark World" from Zelda (btw, does anyone know which Zelda the dark world theme is from?)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 53
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

There are really good Video Game soundtracks, better than the ones made for movies many times.

Hitoshi Sakimoto (FF Tactics, Vagrant Story), Akira Yamaoka (Silent Hill) and above all NOBUO UEMATSU (FF) are my favorite VGM composers

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I didn't think Medal of Honor: AA's "score" was too bad. Giacchino's work was fine, but it needed to be overdone with a Williams score. Of course, I think with Spielberg in charge of making the game, I think it got a Giacchino re-interpretation of the same Williams score from the movie that MoH itself is an interpretation of: Saving Private Ryan.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree with scissorhands on final fantasy tactics. final fantasy seven is also an outstanding score. i have acquired a couple of really good recordings of some of the music from it. good stuff.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi again all!

I was just listening to some music which just happened to be (surprise!) Video game music.  Some of this stuff is quite good.  What do you all think of video game music?  Hopefully this is the right place to talk about this and I also hope this thread lasts a long time because I find this to be an interesting topic.  Everyone put in their input please! :)

-Edag88  :wave:  "Dark World" from Zelda  (btw, does anyone know which Zelda the dark world theme is from?)

I think it's from "A link to the Past".

Koji Kondo Rules, Zelda rules.....

Shenmue is good epic style VGM.

Hey Tpigeon, did you ever check out that FF7 Reunion tracks CD, it has some orchestrated FF7 stuff on it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i just ripped Trespasser Music and it is very good (but damn short)

I also like what i heard from the new indy game and knights of the old Republic.

TIE FIghter, monkey island...

I also like some parts in Drakan, Tomb raider games and Baldur's gate series and similars.

I'm very glad they are using real orchestras in the new videogames :wave:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

hehe: Zelda 3 for SNES :wave: A link to the past , and the dark theme is also one of my favourite :)

Koji Kondo has also done a wonderful job on Ocarina of the Past (even if the original Zelda theme doesn't show up one in the game :( )

Scissorshand, do you remember our discussion about Nobuo Uematsu ? That was the first thing I recorded with my orchestra (Final Fantasy VI), even before the imperial march :)

final fantasy seven is also an outstanding score. i have acquired a couple of really good recordings of some of the music from it. good stuff.

The Album Reunion Tracks is quite good indeed... but do you know FF6 score ? imho, the best of all the series. The thematic link between the different themes are so strong, the melodies so dramaticaly powerful, the suspens also very catching.

Monkey island music is aweosme!!!

I was expecting you to say that ! LOL

Michael Land was wonderful on that album, also on The Dig (original scenario by Steven Spielberg).

Ricard, you should move this thread on the other topic board.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Shenmue is good epic style VGM
It's, in fact, the best VGM i've ever heard. Too bad Shenmue II wasn't that epic. Hope the future Shenmues will have outstanding scores (for outsanding games and graphics).
Scissorshand, do you remember our discussion about Nobuo Uematsu ? That was the first thing I recorded with my orchestra (Final Fantasy VI), even before the imperial march

Yeah, I remeber that. FF6 is one of his best, and your favorite one, as I could see (the theater scene :wave: )

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A game with VERY good scores is Soul Caliber if you have it you can listen to them in the options menu. I espicialy like Ivy's theme, brilliant victorian score.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

MOH (all of them) by Giacchino have got to be my favorite series of Video game scores ever written!

I find that his action music reminds me of the Williams of the 80's (Ok his Alias stuff not included) and there have been times while listening I've almost been able to picture good ol Indy(a very small part of MOH reminds me of Raiders.). Hopefully Giacchino continues to get better and we may have a new mega composer on the block

Brian99_1 - who's actually listening to Frontline at this very moment. and is sad that Giacchino won't be returning to MOH

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If "video games" includes "computer games," then I would have to go with Jeremy Soule's groundbreaking score for Total Annihilation as one of my definite favorites from this medium. You have to hand it to Mr Soule for helping to pave the way for the the proliferation of orchestral efforts for platform games.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

there have been times while listening I've almost been able to picture good ol Indy(a very small part of MOH reminds me of Raiders.).

Check this pic out:

similar.jpg

MoH on left, Raiders on the right. When I play MoH, those docks make me feel like I'm playing a Raiders game and when I watch the docks in Raiders, I feel like I'm watching a MoH movie. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I didn't think Medal of Honor: AA's "score" was too bad.  Giacchino's work was fine, but it needed to be overdone with a Williams score.  Of course, I think with Spielberg in charge of making the game, I think it got a Giacchino re-interpretation of the same Williams score from the movie that MoH itself is an interpretation of: Saving Private Ryan.

Its really more of an interpretation on Indiana Jones than SPR. Except for the main theme.

Anyway I love video game music.

My favorite composers are:

Michael Giacchino

Jeremy Soule

Nobuo Uematsu

Yasunori Mitsuda

Koji Kondo

Motoi Sakuraba

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My favorite composers are:  

Michael Giacchino  

Jeremy Soule  

Nobuo Uematsu  

Yasunori Mitsuda  

Koji Kondo  

Motoi Sakuraba

Rogue I can't help but notice Jeremy Soule in there! I must Say I really enjoy his stuff too. I first noticed him in the game Giants Citizen Kabuto and I was like WOW who is this guy. Then I realized that he had done quite a few games. a couple notable ones are the recent Harry Potter games from EA for which he wrote original score before JW did the movies.

He was quoted as saying that he was trying to Guess what Williams was going to do for the movies and surprised himself how close he came somtimes. I must say from the snippits I've heard some of the stuff is pretty good and now not to mention he's working on music for Star Wars games!? Someone up there must like him! :(

Brian99_1

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Michael Land was wonderful on that album, also on The Dig (original scenario by Steven Spielberg).

I can only but recommand highly this score. It's a masterpiece.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nobuo Uematsu is the man, the JW of video games.

And the two Chrono (Square RPGs like FF) scores are great too. And so are most Lucasarts (Monkey Island!), and Nintendo (Zelda) scores.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yup! There are some truly underappreciated geniuses out there in the world of video game music who IMO are alot more talented than alot of screen composers.

Jeremy Soule could create some awesome work as a Hollywood composer.

The same applies to Giacchino, Uematsu or anyone else on that list I mentioned.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

MoH on left, Raiders on the right. When I play MoH, those docks make me feel like I'm playing a Raiders game and when I watch the docks in Raiders , I feel like I'm watching a MoH movie.

Hehe, I'd love too see that submarine pen image with a game that uses the latest graphics technology. :D That image is quite dated.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Video game music for me doesn't get any better than the original Zelda for NES and Ocarina of Time for N64

You're right, I love that music. I got the CD with the game and the player's guide as a special deal back in 1998 when it was released. It's truly a wonderful score, and game as well. Although I never got into the sequel, Majora's Mask,as much.

Ray Barnsbury

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yup! There are some truly underappreciated geniuses out there in the world of video game music who IMO are alot more talented than alot of screen composers.  

Jeremy Soule could create some awesome work as a Hollywood composer.  

The same applies to Giacchino, Uematsu or anyone else on that list I mentioned.

I was so mad when i knew that it was goldenthal instead of Uematsu that was gonna make the score... too bad, we could have had the first movie score from him...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The score to Indiana Jones and The Infernal Machine is great. Fantastic Russian theme. :)

Justin -Who really wants the new Indy game.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

All the Zelda game scores were done by Koji Kondo who I mentioned above. REALLY talented guy.

I was so mad when i knew that it was goldenthal instead of Uematsu that was gonna make the score... too bad, we could have had the first movie score from him...

Yeah I agree, but since that movie was kind of destined to fail I am not as upset over it as I was.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah I agree, but since that movie was kind of destined to fail I am not as upset over it as I was.

What do you mean ? It was a really great movie, and it worked very well in Europe.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

I just played through "The Wind Waker" and must say, this game is unexpectedly epic, storywise too of course, but especially regarding the soundtrack... the sound quality has improved much since the n64, and back are some classic themes (though they don't appear that much). The one I really jumped for joy for was the Hyrule castle theme, the one outstanding musical piece of LttP (SNES) for me (though the rest of the LttP music is almost as good, that soundtrack has the best overall quality of zelda scores). And this one appears in 3 different versions in WW!!... which really are different emotion-wise... fitting it into the story perfectly (I won't deepen the spoilers here).

And the real WOW effect came with the many cutscenes accompanied by very film-like score.

Anyone else did play it, and how did you like it?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I grew up on a lot of "old" computer games that had the MIDI soundtracks, so I still enjoy the music to games like TIE Fighter, Dark Forces I, Doom, Descent, and obscure ones like Solar Winds and Ocean's 1993 Jurassic Park game. The original Zelda and Mario games had really good music as well.

Does anyone have a MIDI of the theme to the original Tecmo Bowl? Not Tecmo Super Bowl, but the original Tecmo Bowl where it didn't have an NFL license, so you could only play as "Pittsburgh," not the "Pittsburgh Steelers."

Sometimes when I play computer games, I just turn off the music and listen to my own CDs, but I do like all the edits of the Star Wars music in the more recent games of those kind, like the last two Dark Forces/Jedi Knight games and Rebellion. There's parts of the score to The Empire Strikes Back that was released in the Special Edition that I still associate with Jedi Knight, since that was where I heard it first.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm a big fan of good video game music, dating back to all the great synth stuff on the C64, particularly Chris Hülsbeck (as I keep saying everytime a thread like this appears :wave:). So I usually don't turn off the music. Good game music, like a good movie score, is an integral part of the game. I've done some video game writing myself (not much yet, I hope I have more time for that soon), and my belief is that one of the most important things about a video game (or at least genres like adventures and role playing games) is the atmosphere - which, as we all know, can be greatly influenced by the right music.

That said, there are of course games that don't have very good music. I remember listening to The Mummy when playing Need for Speed IV. And the second Rambo score works really great for Unreal Tournament - I even tried to locate the sound files on the game CD so I could burn my own CD with the Goldsmith cues instead of the game music, but I couldn't find them.

Marian - who will have to burn a CD from the Indy/Emperor's Tomb MP3s.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sometimes when I play computer games, I just turn off the music and listen to my own CDs, but I do like all the edits of the Star Wars music in the more recent games of those kind, like the last two Dark Forces/Jedi Knight games and Rebellion.  There's parts of the score to The Empire Strikes Back that was released in the Special Edition that I still associate with Jedi Knight, since that was where I heard it first.

:wave: same here

The music for Jerec, when i listened to it about two months ago, i said 'what the heck is that?' and i realisted it is a mixxing of various part of the scores, nicely done IMO.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How would you rate this game versus the two N64 Zeldas?  Just curious, as I am debating buying it.

Ray Barnsbury

I can't say anything about Majora's Mask, since I haven't played it (I plan to get it on ebay at some point), but compared to OoT...

Storywise, it's as good, if not better. The turns and twists in the story are awesome, even more so than in OoT since there the story is, apart from some unexpected things, quite fully clear from the beginning. In WW you know almost nothing in the beginning, and it all starts to unveil while playing.

The gameplay is Zelda at its best, though the game is easier than OoT, and a bit too short. The point much discussed is the graphics, but when you see them in action, they are really good and fitting.

The music, as mentioned, is *****.

My recommendation would be: BUY IT!!!!! :wave:

Chris

P.S.: When beginning the OoT Master Quest from the bonus disc yesterday I really had to again become used to not being able adjusting the camera... the camera is another thing in WW that is genius.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does anyone have a MIDI of the theme to the original Tecmo Bowl?

D. Wojo, try vgmusic.com. It's a website I discovered a few months ago that has literally hundreds of video game midi files. I'm sorry I can't tell you if the theme you're looking for is there for sure (I don't have a lot of time right now, what with finals week and all), but that's the one place I can think of that you'll have the best chance. Good luck.

Anthony

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You might want to check the web for that Tecmo bowl theme. There are a TON of sites featuring game midis.

I believe Gamemusic.com has alot.

If that is the correct URL.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just played through "The Wind Waker" and must say, this game is unexpectedly epic, storywise too of course, but especially regarding the soundtrack... the sound quality has improved much since the n64, and back are some classic themes (though they don't appear that much). The one I really jumped for joy for was the Hyrule castle theme, the one outstanding musical piece of LttP (SNES) for me (though the rest of the LttP music is almost as good, that soundtrack has the best overall quality of zelda scores). And this one appears in 3 different versions in WW!!... which really are different emotion-wise... fitting it into the story perfectly (I won't deepen the spoilers here).

And the real WOW effect came with the many cutscenes accompanied by very film-like score.

Anyone else did play it, and how did you like it?

Warning.....spoilers about Zelda wind Waker

I finished it. It's one of the best games I've ever played.

Yes, the score for Wind Waker is more cinematic, it fits the style of the game quite well;

I think Ocarina was more thematic music.

Majora is a mix between the two.

If I had to rate for story and score, I pick WW>MM>OOT

Yes, there are 3 versions of Hyrule Castle.

Oh, I absolutely love the 3rd Hyrule Castle theme. It sounds like a concert piano piece. I just let the Cube run for 5 minutes just listening to that version. :sadwavey:

Did you just wanna cry when you heard Grandma's theme.....and I liked the Dragon Roost Theme, it's got that Peruvian flair to it.

The music, as mentioned, is *****.

*****? what does this mean?

The ending scenes are one of the best things about the game.

WW's ending and characters were very good, filled with a lot of emotion depth that fits well.

Both were much more satisfying than Ocarina's, and a lot sadder too. The last boss, was actually a great tragic villian; he's not the formulaic stereotype of a bad guy. I actually felt sorry for him. The way he started laughing hysterically sent chills up my spine. he stole the show even in death.

Ahh yes, the graphics......

The graphics have been up to much debate. But i thnk they're wonderful. You can really see emotions during a cel game like this than in a so called "realistic" game with their polygonal dressed-up, expressionless "mannequins" that try to look like real people, even though it's only their clothes that tell them apart. .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ah, sorry, with ***** I meant that I rate the music 5 stars out of 5 (I've grown too accustomed to the filmtracks rating system :wave:

I can't do anything but agree with everything you wrote, this game is fantastic, and the characters are wonderful.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

All Lucasarts adventure games have great music. Monkey Island is to Adventure games like StarWars is to movies, and the same could be said about the scores.

But other games like Grim fandango, The Dig and Fate of Atlantis (really wonderful score, very thematic, I wish there was an orchestral version of it) have also very memorable and atmospheric music.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You guys should check out the Xenosaga OST.

The game has a HOLLYWOOD QUALITY SCORE!

By the man who may be the best in the game music biz!

Yasunori Mitsuda! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

For me the BEST game music comes from the Monkey Island games... I know, it's barely orchestral, but nevertheless incredibly cool.

Other than that I like the one from Sam & Max too (I actually made MP3s out of the whole MIDI-soundtrack... just drop me a line if there's interest).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cool, it's great to see more people aware of vgmusic.com.

I frequent there myself at the forums and I also create some of the archived MIDI's there as well.

It's amazing to me how many sequencers out there are just uploading thousands of MIDIs per month adding to the already 15,000+ MIDIs of game music in the archives. and it's all nicely labeled and categorized by game name and game system. yeah, it's pretty cool.

The messageboards continuously offer an "original composition critique" section for any interested composers, so you can check it out anytime! ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I recently dug into my pile of PS2 games and found Twisted Metal Black. With it's dark themes and it's gothic characters i was expecting hard rock for a soundtrack. But i was wrong it was filled with adrenaline pumped, high octane pieces. There was no rock or anything this is the kind of soundtrack you would find in a movie like Speed or die hard. Beautifuly fast paced and action packed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Concerning VGMUSIC.com, I have submitted one (!!!) ;) file there. If you're interested, it's the Main Theme from "Wings of Fury" in the Commodore 64 section. Anybody remember this fine game? I always loved the music, and then I just made a MIDI version from scratch.

Mmh... and concerning MIDI in general (but not General MIDI), is there a frequently visited site, where I can post all my self-made soundtrack MIDIs? I've done a few, like Gladiator, Air Force One, Cliffhanger, Galaxy Quest and some more.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just a little correction.

Not all Zelda music was composed by Koji Kondo. All but one: Zelda 2, the Adventure of Link

The music was composed by Akito Nakatsuka. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My favorite Wind Waker tune right now is "Dragon Roost Island." It just makes me gleam with joy. really.

I've been meaning to sequence that tune, I should check to see if anyone has already.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Guidelines.