My 200 Favorite Video Game Themes - Part 11: Over the Hill

100.

Sim Broadway

from Sim City 3000

Composer: Jerry Martin

Maxis; 1999

Sim City 3000 makes its first appearance on my list with the theme Sim Broadway.  Playing occasionally during gameplay, this tune chimes in to add a little energy to the proceedings.  It is a classic, early 20th-Century-style jazz ensemble piece highlighted by superb composition.  The steady build of the song, the whimsical trade off between instruments and the way it all comes full circle in the end make this an excellent tune.  I love Jerry Martin’s work on this game and this is one of his best.

99.

Freeway

from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Arcade)

Composers: Mutsuhiko Izumi, Miki Higashino

Konami; 1989

A few entries back I featured the stage 1 theme from this arcade classic.  I have always loved scrolling beat-em-ups and TMNT is one the all-time best.  It is a fun, fast-paced game with a ton of great tunes to back it up.  The Freeway theme is one of those songs that I have heard for a large portion of my life and I smile every time it plays.  I just brings back so many memories.  It is  high-energy theme with a great hook, fitting the pace and theme of the level perfectly.

98.

Act 4-2

from Ninja Gaiden

Composers: Keiji Yamagishi, Ryuichi Nitta

Tecmo; 1988

Like the rest of the Ninja Gaiden soundtrack, this is a layered, energetic theme that features some of the most complex riffs on the NES.  It still has the old-school feel but it is so well-constructed as a theme that it feels ahead of its time.  It is bouncy and high-impact, which adds a sense of urgency to the level.  It is a fittingly-powerful theme for such an unforgiving game.

97.

Crystal Snail

from Mega Man X2

Composer: Yuki Iwai

Capcom; 1994

Crystal Snail is one of the more sophisticated tracks of any of the Mega Man titles predating Mega Man 8.  The mood and pace of the song has a nice feel to it, matching the imagery of the level, and the time signature is definitely captivating.  MMX2 was released in a time when games were starting to become less about quick-fix entertainment and more about unique and interesting artistic ideas.  With the PC gaming market growing more rapidly than ever before, the mid-90’s saw a sea change in gaming tropes and ideas and console franchises like Mega Man and Final Fantasy were forced to evolve with them.  I think this is a theme that reflects the ideas of its time as the series soundtrack went from being about heavy guitar rock to being about smooth, captivating themes.

96.

Mad Forest

from Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse

Composers: Hidenori Maezawa, Jun Funahashi, Yukie Morimoto, Yoshinori Sasaki

Konami; 1989

Castlevania III has already appeared on my list a few times and Mad Forest is just another example of how great this 8-bit classic really is.  It has that well-known Castlevania feel, conveying a classic Konami sound, full of strong melodies, upbeat rhythms and a rock-inspired minor key.

95.

Intro/Title

from Mega Man VI

Composer: Yuko Takehara

Capcom; 1993

I like the main portion of this theme because of just how much energy it brings.  It is a lively piece and paves the way for a solid entry in this storied franchise.  Mega Man VI’s intro brings back a lot of memories for me, too.  This was the last game I ever got NEW for my NES.  Then ten or eleven years of age, I had already jumped onto the Super Nintendo bandwagon at this point and, being a dedicated Mega Man fanboy at the time, I saw this game sitting carelessly in a bargain bin at a local Mall toy store.  The box was slightly beat up and the sticker had the price scribbled out.  I begged for this game and I got it.  I took it home and was completely happy.  It was so good to experience a new installment in what was, at that time, my favorite game franchise.  Period.  

NOTE: I chose to share this16-bit Mega Man 7 version of the theme as I was unable to locate a suitable version of the original in its entirety at the time of this post.

94.

Sky Garden

from Illusion of Gaia

Composer: Yasuhiro Kawasaki

Enix; 1993

Illusion of Gaia appeared once on my list already and, at the time, I did not mention one important detail about this game:  Illusion of Gaia is my favorite RPG of all time.  It is an odd choice, for sure, but I love the game’s fun design, fast pace, interactive story, and use of real-world locations like the Great Wall of China and the Pyramids of Giza.  it is a game that does a lot right in my opinion, and features a great deal of clever ideas done so well, they are unforgettable.  The soundtrack is a mixed bag, however.  Unlike other RPG soundtracks, Illusion of Gaia is not packed full of original themes that play at very specific points.  It has about twenty or so tracks that often repeat as the game progresses.  The Sky Garden, like the other “dungeons” in the game, does feature its own theme, however.  It is a good one too.  It is adventurous and eerie, a perfect dichotomy for a level with a very literal dark underbelly.

93.

Tifa’s Theme

from Final Fantasy VII

Composer: Nobuo Uematsu

Sqauresoft; 1997

I am sorry.  I really am.  As I sorted this list I KNEW there would be some people shocked by how low this beloved Final Fantasy classic is.  In some gamers’ eyes, this is one of the best songs ever, and while I agree it is good, I defer to one of my previous entries' statements where I described some songs as “sleepy”.  I do like the melody and mood of the song, hence its placement in my top 100, but I do think it is a little too soft for me to feature it so high on my list as some would say it belongs.

92.

Intro Stage

from Mega Man 8

Composer: Shusaku Uchiyama

Capcom; 1997

Now this is an energetic song.  This is the first song you hear shortly after launching Mega Man 8.  The intro stage is a short introduction to the core mechanics of the game.  It does not take any time at all to get through but the song is so much fun.  It is a great precursor to the rest of the game’s epic soundtrack as well.

91.

Battle Theme

from Final Fantasy VI

Composer: Nobuo Uematsu

Squaresoft; 1994

The battle theme from FFVI is one of the best battle themes in the franchise and I do not think many fans would disagree with that sentiment.  It has a tone that really gets you psyched to get into the spirit of combat, and Final Fantasy VI’s impressive loadout of characters with countless combat possibilities makes for a fun romp to go along with this high-energy theme.  It is also a classic in the sense that it is probably the most heard song in one of the most beloved games of all time.  Final Fantasy VI was a game that helped propel video games into a new era of storytelling and visuals and, to this day, ranks among the undisputed best games of all time (Unless you ask G4... Idiots.).

My 200 Favorite Video Game Themes - Part 5: Road Trip!

160.

The Scott Pilgrim Anthem

from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game (PS3)

Composers: Anamanaguchi

Ubisoft Montreal; 2010

Anamanaguchi makes their first of several appearances on my list for their outstanding work on the music for Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game.  The band performs their music using digital filters on actual instruments, making the compositions for the game that much more interesting.  They have a distinct sound, and it works for the game which blends present day sensibilities with classic video game tropes.  The Scott Pilgrim Anthem is a short-but-superb entry in my list, featured because of its catchy melody and full sound.

159.

Shadow’s Theme

from Final Fantasy VI

Composer: Nobuo Uematsu

Squaresoft; 1994

Uematsu crafted a nice tune here.  It has the sound that paints a vivid image in my mind of a lone traveler.  It is a timeless tune, and one of the more famous themes from the larger-than-life Final Fantasy VI, which is considered by many Final Fantasy fans as the best entry in the series, ranking up there with FFVII.  It has the right pace as well, and the distinct whistling melody has a loneliness to it, giving the song a distinct emotional depth that is absent from a lot of game themes.

158.

Forest Interlude

from Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest

Composer: David Wise

Rare/Nintendo; 1995

David Wise’s work on the Donkey Kong Country series makes its first of several appearances on my list with a theme from Donkey Kong Country 2.  Donkey Kong Country was a series I have always had mixed feelings about.  I like them, but as I play through them, they never grab me the way platformers like many of the Mario or Rayman games have.  They are brilliantly designed, graphically impressive for their time and the music is just outstanding!  I don’t know, I really like them, but I also, with the exception of the first one, really never seek them out to play them over and over, either.  That said, David Wise is a brilliant composer and the music in this series is some of the best stuff I have ever heard musically.  Period.  This is not just great work for a video game, this is great work period.  Every little thing is right.  It is all delightfully-composed, from the faster, more intense music, to the lighter, poppy tunes, all the way to the moody, atmospheric tunes like this one.  The percussion, mixing a jungle beat with electronic chimes and chirps creates a worldly sound and the flute lead is quite memorable.  While the first sequel’s soundtrack really, in my opinion, pales in comparison to the first, this song is a standout classic, appealing perfectly to my tastes.

157.

Guile’s Stage

from Street Fighter II

Composers: Yoko Shimomura, Isao Abe

Capcom; 1991

Here’s a classic.  Guile is so freaking American he has a tattoo of Old Glory on his arm and fights in front of a fighter jet!  His theme is also a classic, ranking among the most memorable and recognizable melodies in the medium’s history.  The trumpet sounds, the attitude, everything is perfect.  To me, this has always sounded like montage music.  I have always imagined an 80’s underdog getting into shape to put the cocky bullies in their place whenever this song plays.  It is so great.

156.

Dead Beat

from Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse

Composers: Hidenori Maezawa, Jun Funahashi, Yukie Morimoto, Yoshinori Sasaki

Konami; 1989

Another entry from Castlevania III, Dead Beat features almost all of the series’ musical trademarks:  An eerie tone, a fast accompaniment, a melodic bridge and a quick pace.  Dead Beat is one of my favorite songs from the series because it, more than almost any of the Castlevania themes, really nails the feel of the games.  It is just creepy enough to be a song from the legendary Castlevania soundtrack but it never goes off the rails either.  I would say Dead Beat is just right.

155.

Overdrive Ostrich

from Megaman X2

Composer: Yuki Iwai

Capcom; 1994

I love this song.  The rhythm in the opening is broken up, and whenever I hear it, I wait for the inevitable point where the drums pick up the pace of the song.  As the song breaks down for the loop, it seamlessly goes back into the alternate beat and back.  Compositionally, this is one of the slickest game themes I’ve heard, because instead of keeping things too simple, they took a risk and went with a structure that is a little unusual and, as a result, captivating. It also fits the fast-paced highway theme it is representing and you have a nice road tune with some kickass speed.

154.

The Road Warriors

from Contra III: The Alien Wars

Composers: Miki Higashino, Masanori Adachi, Tappi Iwase

Konami; 1992

Here’s Contra III again, and this time, it’s the theme from Stage 4, which has the player chasing down a heavily-armed air cruiser on motorcycle.  The song, like every theme in the game, has a fairly long loop and has enough parts that just nail it musically, from the bass heavy section to the song proper to the synth and drums hook.  For me, this is easily among my favorite themes from an utterly outstanding soundtrack and it's yet another road level theme!

153.

Mid-Boss Battle

from Grandia 2

Composer: Noriyuki Iwadare

Game Arts;2000

Here’s a great boss tune.  It is energetic and conveys the right level of menace and threat that a song of this type should.  It is a perfect example of a boss theme that fits the tone of the game, which is an anime-inspired adventure, and instead of going too far into gothic anthem territory, Idaware chose a more action-movie-style theme for this boss anthem that plays at several points during the game.  It is an excellent piece of work, and what makes things better is, as you can see your characters and the enemy’s coming turns on a sliding meter, the movement and pace of the battle fits perfectly with the tempo of the song.

152.

Needle Man

from Mega Man III

Composer: Yasuaki Fujita, Harumi Fujita

Capcom; 1990

Mega Man III is full of excellent and memorable themes and Needle Man’s is the second theme from this game to be featured on my list.  It is a song with a solid groove, opening with a nice bass lick followed by a layered jazz-inspired tune with great accompaniment.  I love the music from this game and you will see it show up many more times on my list in the future.

151.

Stage 1 Theme

from Double Dragon

Composer: Kazunaka Yamane

Taito/Tradewest; 1988

Double Dragon is an Arcade and NES classic and, despite being relatively simplistic compared to beat-em-ups that have since been released, it is a classic in the way some older movies are classics, it set the stage for the future.  The soundtrack is also pretty good and, despite the console version being rather short, it did have a memorable soundtrack.  The first stage theme tricks you into thinking it’s a pretty short loop halfway through by seemingly starting over but then, instead of breaking into a third loop of the same melody, we get a pretty epic guitar solo.  The fact that this song is so well-composed is a testament to the work the developers did to make the music from this game not only stand out among its peers, but also make it properly reflect the times it is meant to represent.