The Official Video Game Music Corner

[Zeusthecat]

I'm really digging this guy's covers:

 

 

[aoanla]

I am saddened that this thread has existed without having this classic gem on it, from the days of the Amiga:

 

 

 

Also, since this thread started with the well-known Doom theme, SGDQ recently reminded me that the Playstation and N64 versions of Doom had entirely different (and more Quake-style "ambience soundtrack") music by an entirely different composer, who also did original music for other id games on consoles.

Here's what he did for Doom, I think it completely changes the interpretation of the game:

[Ben X]

Unfortunately, we had about a million music threads before this one was started:

 

  On 12/5/2013 at 9:36 AM, Ben X said:

So, for future reference, we now have this thread plus:

 

Favourite Video Game Soundtracks

Video Game Music

Video Game Music Nostalgia

Sad Video Game Music

Video Game Music Renditions

Dynamic Video Game Music

Video Game Music Old Vs New

Video Game Music That Remind You Of Songs And Vice Versa

Retro Video Game Music Quiz

Embarrassing Video Game Music Live Performance

"Video Games Live" Concert

Donkey Kong Country Remix

Jesper Kyd Video Game Music

 

I'm sure I posted some Cannon Fodder on at least one of those!

 

EDIT: a quick search reveals it to have been linked here and here, and be one of the answers in this quiz thread!

[aoanla]

Well, every music thread is made better by more Cannon Fodder (and other tracker music from the 90s).

[ihavefivehat]

Recently, I've started listening to a really great podcast called Legacy Music Hour, about video game music from 16-bit systems and earlier. The hosts, Brent Weinbach and Rob F. Switch, are both professional comedians, but they take the music seriously.

 

Something I often hear said about video game music from this era is that it's good because we associate it with classic games, but it doesn't necessarily stand up on its own compared to other music. I used to agree, but since listening to LMH I've started to think differently. And even though the show isn't meant to be a comedy show, the hosts can be really funny once you key into their sense of humor.

 

If you're interested, I recommend starting out with this episode. It's the one that really got me into the show.

 

This episode, which has Jake Kaufman (the Shovel Knight composer) as a guest host, is also really great.

[Ninety-Three]

I just found out that Mass Effect 1's game over music is titled Saren. I'm not sure I can explain why, but there's something I love about having the game over music be the villain's theme. Also, it works very well in its role as game-over music, which I realize sounds weird, but just listen to it.

 

[aoanla]

  On 8/2/2015 at 10:12 PM, ihavefivehat said:

Recently, I've started listening to a really great podcast called Legacy Music Hour, about video game music from 16-bit systems and earlier. The hosts, Brent Weinbach and Rob F. Switch, are both professional comedians, but they take the music seriously.

 

Something I often hear said about video game music from this era is that it's good because we associate it with classic games, but it doesn't necessarily stand up on its own compared to other music.

...

 

So, I think this perception is partly dependant on *which* 16-bit systems you were exposed to. The Atari and Amiga systems, because they were both focussed on audio and graphical performance via hardware accelerators, had a very active and advanced music scene, both in games and otherwise. And quite a lot of their stuff holds up still.

The IBM PC Video game music scene of the time... not so much. As the non-IBM compatible platforms were much more popular in Europe than the USA, I would guess you'd be more likely to see a "16 bit music was only good because of nostalgia" perspective in the USA?

[Thrik]

You just can't beat these. I think I posted these somewhere here before, but if you go through various parts of these videos there are just so many awesome little tunes!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50WWFEBsgfk

[ihavefivehat]

  On 8/3/2015 at 9:19 AM, aoanla said:

So, I think this perception is partly dependant on *which* 16-bit systems you were exposed to. The Atari and Amiga systems, because they were both focussed on audio and graphical performance via hardware accelerators, had a very active and advanced music scene, both in games and otherwise. And quite a lot of their stuff holds up still.

The IBM PC video game music scene of the time... not so much. As the non-IBM compatible platforms were much more popular in Europe than the USA, I would guess you'd be more likely to see a "16 bit music was only good because of nostalgia" perspective in the USA?

 

That's interesting! There's so much great European VGM from that era, and even going back to the C64 with composers like Rob Hubbard. Actually I can't think of any really fantastic music from the USA back in the day. I think most Americans think of Japanese games when they think about music from that era.

 

edit:

 

Speaking of which, this Terminator 2 game for the NES has a really cool soundtrack by an English composer:

 

[looseteeth]

I'm pretty unfamiliar with C64 music, but this seems really complex and awesome and somewhat...unnecessary for a Robocop game:

 

 

 

  On 7/30/2015 at 4:10 AM, ihavefivehat said:

Wow, this random Smurfs Game Boy game has amazing music:

 

How did you even find that? So good!

[ihavefivehat]

That Robocop music is great! Nice find!

 

  On 8/4/2015 at 1:45 PM, looseteeth said:

this seems really complex and awesome and somewhat...unnecessary

 

That's actually a perfect description of some of my favorite c64 music... like this soundtrack for a pretty straightforward shoot em up... (By Rob Hubbard, one of the best chiptune composers of that era)

 

 

I think that's one of the the main differences between Japanese and Western chiptune composers. Western composers liked to show off by, for instance, cramming a 10 minute long Philip Glass adaptation into a game's title screen. Pushing a sound chip to its limits was a way to gain cred. Japanese composers, on the other hand, tended to be more economical and used quick, catchy melodies and tight compositions. Both are great in their own way.

 

And I learned about that Smurfs soundtrack from Legacy Music Hour, the podcast I mentioned in my last post.

[coaxmetal]

I saw a quicklook on giant bomb for Luckslinger, which looks pretty neat, but mostly I really really liked the music.

 

This is the only video I could find that featured the music. The soundtrack is DLC on steam, but since its marked as DLC I'd need to buy the base game in order to get it (which I might do, the game looks neat too)

 

 

 

e: oh actually it looks like the soundtrack is also on bandcamp, hell yeah https://duckbridge.bandcamp.com/releases

[looseteeth]

  On 8/5/2015 at 6:33 AM, ihavefivehat said:

And I learned about that Smurfs soundtrack from Legacy Music Hour, the podcast I mentioned in my last post.

Subscribed! I am now definitely a fan of Rob Hubbard's stuff.

[Henroid]

Okay everyone I need your ears. Just now I was rolling through some WoW content, and when I returned to town the music I was hearing had me going, "I've know this song." Then it hit me.

 

The song from WoW:

 

The song it totally is, maybe not note-for-note, but still:

[BanjoGuyOllie]

So I hung up my banjo for one cover and dusted off the ol' girl and gave Megaman X - Spark Mandrill a rocking go.
Thanks to DonutDrums for the drums too !
Let me know what you think

[Zeusthecat]

That was really good! Keep up the good work.

[Trip Hazard]

There are a great many things I like about Path of Exile, but the hugely atmospheric music may be chief among them. This track makes excellent use of echo to give the sense of vast rooms clad in marble and polished stone, and evolves into a tense, driving rhythm, perfect for darting about the place carving up mobs.

And this one, which is a boss theme, takes its cue from industrial music, with obligatory hissing of valves and clanging of hammers. Not the most original, but very effective at making this enemy one to be scared of. The short, tight loops make the encounter feel more claustrophobic as the enormous boss bullies you around his comparatively small living quarters.

 

[Smiechu]

Couple of my remakes/remasters of great great music themes:

 

 

[JamesGoblin]

If I ever have to move away, I'll go Mulgore. By night.

 

 

Or maybe Barrens (Barrens chat, anyone?)

 

 

Ah, sweet rose-colored nostalgia... pity the game stopped being what it was long, long time ago. Or, maybe, it all was just a dream?

[jennegatron]

Where is mulkrik's wife?

[JamesGoblin]

  On 12/1/2015 at 9:32 PM, jennegatron said:

Where is mulkrik's wife?

 

Ah, you had the same dream it seems.

 

PS I have it (barrens) on repeat for like 20+ hours already =)

[jennegatron]

My mistake, it's mankrik/mankirk. regardless, she's dead and you'll never find her anyway.

[JamesGoblin]

She's dead?? OMG, don't they have spoilers here on idle? =( 

[BadHat]

Chuck Norris killed her lol

 

This is probably more iconic to me than either of those, simply because it was what I logged into most of the time (horde 4lyfe):

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuLMkfG_Xu0

 

Also, in remembrance of all the nelf characters I created and abandoned over the years:

 

[JamesGoblin]

  On 12/3/2015 at 2:00 AM, BadHat said:

Chuck Norris killed her lol

 

This is probably more iconic to me than either of those, simply because it was what I logged into most of the time (horde 4lyfe):

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuLMkfG_Xu0

 

Also, in remembrance of all the nelf characters I created and abandoned over the years:

 

Orgrimmar is somewhat tense for my taste, it likely reminds me subconcsiously that I forgot something to do in bank, on auction or with trainer... which makes it somewhat tricky choice for background music o,O

 

PS speaking of Elves, I've read in lore that they once were immortal and then became same as the others. Having that in mind, I made an Orc warior in order to help them with the conversion. Lok tar ogar!

 

PPS Teldrassil is easily my 3rd, or even second on some rainy days =)