FT5: Old School Video Game Tracks

For today’s Friday top 5 I thought it would be fun to take a look at a thoroughly under-appreciated musical genre. Video game music. In particular, video game music from the 8-bit and 16-bit era. Follow the jump as we take a trip down memory lane and countdown the top 5 old school video game tracks.

I’m sure there are plenty of amazing soundtracks for current games, but I just don’t follow the gaming scene like I did when I was a pimple faced teenager. Back then I had to have every system and a shit ton of games to boot. Video Games were my escape and I played them obsessively. While some game’s soundtracks seemed only to serve as filler between the bleeps and bloops, others used their music to establish a truly inspired sense of mood and atmosphere. Today we’re going to take a look at what I consider to be the era’s most memorable music. The technology may have been limited, but video game composers still managed to create some excellent tracks, and even a few masterpieces.

5. Streets of Rage

Back in the late eighties and early nineties cooperative beat em ups like Double Dragon and Final Fight were all the rage. That, of course, was before Street Fighter 2 came along and proved that beating the crap out of your friends was waaaaayyy more fun that teaming up with them. Streets of Rage on Sega Genesis was a particularly good example of the genre. For me, however, the most memorable aspect of Streets of Rage wasn’t its game play, it was the soundtrack. The music was composed by the legendary Yuzo Koshiro. Okay, legendary in Japan. Koshiro is widely considered to be one of the best video game composers of the 16-bit era, and Streets of Rage is some of his best work. Of all the catchy tunes on SOR, none stand out more for me than the amazing intro.

4. Super Mario Bros.

Who doesn’t love the Mario theme song? Its lighthearted, upbeat, and incredibly catchy. If someone told you to come up with a theme song that would never get old even after everyone in the world had heard it about a trillion times AND all you have to compose it with is a goddamn NES, do you think you could do it? I doubt it. But, somehow Nintendo managed to pull it off. Think of all the NES games that had songs that made you want to pull your hair out and scream. Hell, that was like, most of them. But the Mario theme just never seemed to get old. Sure, you might have become frustrated at the game and thrown your controller at the screen a few times, but that was because you ricocheted a shell into your own face like an idiot. Don’t blame that on the music. The Mario theme song is probably the most widely recognized video game theme of all time, and undoubtedly one of the best.

3. Secret of Mana

Secret of Mana is widely regarded as having one of the best soundtracks of any game on the SNES. My favorite song from the game would have to be the intro theme. How can you not be drawn in with a beautiful song like this? If there are still people out there that think video games aren’t real art, tracks like this make them look like complete idiots. Don’t forget to check out the orchestral version, too. This song would have brought a tear to Beethoven’s eyes, if he could have, you know, actually heard it.

Bonus: Orchestral version

2. Super Metriod

Super Metroid is hands down my favorite Super Nintendo game of all time. Nintendo got everything right with this one. Amazing game play, great graphics (for the time) and to top it off, a phenomenal soundtrack. There is one track in particular that still makes my hair stand on end with fear and anticipation. That track is the theme to Lower Norfair. It starts out slowly, giving you plenty of time to squirm with fear and anticipation as you slowly descend into the fiery bowls of Norfair. It captures the frightening atmosphere of the level perfectly and it still scares the living hell out of me. If I ever fulfill my dream of becoming a ruthless dictator and ruling with an iron fist, this will undoubtedly be my official them song.

Bonus: Remix

1. Zelda

While trying to narrow my favorite video game music tracks down to only five selections was challenging, selecting my all time favorite was not. The Zelda theme song is clearly the most ingenious track to grace a videogame, ever. Now I know that’s a hell of a statement, and I will respect your right to disagree, provided you respect the fact that I am right and you are wrong. Seriously though, if the audio technology available for the 16 bit systems was limited, it was downright primitive for the 8-bit NES. This didn’t stop Nintendo from composing one of the most elegant and memorable tracks ever. Just hearing it will surely transport you back to your childhood as you fondly recall your adventures throughout the land of Hyrule. Simple, brilliant, perfect.

Bonus: Orchestral version