My 200 Favorite Video Game Themes - Part 7: The Classics Begin to Rise

140.

Chun-Li’s Theme

from Super Street Fighter IV

Composer: Hideyuki Fukasawa

Capcom; 2010

Another remix from Super Street Fighter IV makes my list.  This time it’s the revision of the classic Street Fighter theme for Chun-Li’s stage.  This version is much more epic and full, with a long loop and a strong presence.  It is definitely among the best updates to classics in Super Street Fighter IV in my opinion.

139.

Skull Man’s Theme

from Mega Man IV

Composer: Minae Fujii

Capcom; 1991

Skull Man’s stage is another flawless example of great Mega Man music.  It blends the energy to match the game’s pace with a strong melodic lead.  The song also has a surprisingly-long loop for an NES Rockman title.  Minae “Ojalin” Fujii, did amazing work on Mega Man IV and, about two decades later, with Mega Man 10, she has cemented a sound that is uniquely her own.  Compare the themes of Bright Man, Dive Man, Dust Man, Ring Man, Skull Man and Tornado Man to the themes from the rest of the series.  She really does have her own voice.

138.

Nesting in the Sands

from Contra III: The Alien Wars

Composer: Miki Higashino, Masanori Adachi, Tappi Iwase

Konami; 1992

Contra III is back and this time it is the Stage 5 theme.  The player is forced to cautiously navigate a twisting overhead landscape full of firebreathing spiders and quicksand conveyor belts.  Stage 5 is essentially a more challenging version of stage 2, similar to stage 4’s relationship to the Base 1 (stage 2) from the first Contra title.  The song fits the level well, with a creepiness that reflects the strange alien-infested environment and enough energy to push the gameplay forward.

137.

Unavoidable Battle

from Final Fantasy Tactics

Composer: Hitoshi Sakimoto, Masaharu Iwata

Squaresoft; 1997

Another tense battle theme from Final Fantasy Tactics, Unavoidable Battle is used a few times in the game for scripted, non-boss battles (at least I do not think they were boss battles, but it has been a while).  The theme is powerful, with an epic tone that conveys all of the threat and intensity of a truly amazing fight, even if it is only used for a few minor story skirmishes.  I find this strange, but once again, Sakimoto and company put one of my favorite Final Fantasy XII themes in a single, solitary elevator room.  I cannot say I am surprised that this awesome theme is hidden in a forest of battle music in Tactics.

136.

Wind Man

from Mega Man VI

Composer: Yuko Takehara

Capcom; 1993

This perky, hyperactive theme was a highlight for me in Mega Man 6, in a series that has produced some of the best game music of all time (famously-so), six stands among the weaker of the original series’ soundtracks.  It does not generally have many truly memorable songs.  It is not that they are bad, they just do not live up to the standard of the series.  That said, Wind Man's Stage is a fun theme.  It is one of my favorite Mega Man themes of the NES era, in fact.  

135.

An Old Irish Song

from Suikoden

Composers: Miki Higashino, Hiroshi Tamawari, Tappi Iwase, Hirofumi Taniguchi, Mayuko Kageshita

Konami; 1995

Hey!  Are these composers’ names becoming familiar yet!?  There is a pattern here is what I am saying.  This European-style theme is a soothing and gentle RPG tune.  The Konami sound team really know their stuff and Suikoden was no exception.  Their work in this and all of the other headlining Konami franchises will stand the test of time.

134.

Someday the Dream Will End

from Final Fantasy X

Composers: Nobuo Uematsu, Masashi Hamauzu, Junya Nakano

Squaresoft; 2001

This mournful rendition of Final Fantasy X’s theme song Sudeki da Ne (“Isn’t it Wonderful?”) plays over the final stretch of the summoner Yuna’s pilgrimage through the ruins of the once great Machina city.  The final campfire at the entrance to Zanarkand is filled with sorrow and, the next day, the trek into the ruined city is meant to be a farewell of sorts.  We know now, for certain, that Tidus can never go home, that Yuna is willingly becoming a sacrificial lamb for Spira, and that once this is all over, the Fayth’s dream of Tidus will be end for good (or will it..?).  

133.

Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke

from Touhou: Imperishable Night

Compser: ZUN

Team Shanghai Alice; 2004

Touhou returns to the list.  Mouko’s theme from Imperishable Night is an amazing piano song, and like all of the music from this series, it is both imposing and beautiful in its composition.  The melody is simple and memorable and as the song builds until it becomes an anthem, accelerating as the game piles on the intensity.  It is a great tune and one of the most well-known in this cult series.

132.

Waltz for the Moon

from Final Fantasy VIII

Composer: Nobuo Uematsu

Squaresoft; 1999

Uematsu-san did amazing work in Final Fantasy VIII.  It is one of my favorite soundtracks of the series and this theme is one of my favorites in it.  Waltz for the Moon, playing during a cutscene at the SeeD graduation ball… thingy, is an instrumental, classical rendition of the game’s theme song Eyes on Me and, as with Someday the Dream Will End, is superior to the theme because of its use in the game and its overall composition.

131.

The Lost Woods

from Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Composer: Koji Kondo

Nintendo; 1991

Here’s a classic.  For those who do not already know from my favorite video games of all time list, LTTP is my favorite Zelda game.  The Lost Woods theme from this Super Nintendo masterpiece sounds like a walk through an enchanted forest.  It is haunting, spirited and has this almost Celtic charm to it.  The song has become a staple of great video game themes and ranks among the great Koji Kondo’s best work.

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.

My 200 Favorite Video Game Themes - Part 4: CATFIGHT!

170.

Gerudo Valley

from Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)

Composer: Koji Kondo

NIntendo; 1998

The Legend of Zelda series makes its first appearance on this list with the theme from Gerudo Valley from the phenomenal Ocarina of Time.  A fan favorite of the series, Ocarina of Time is a trend-setting, genre-defining Nintendo 64 classic but its soundtrack, while having a few of my favorite themes of all time, tends to land more on the mediocre side as a whole, at least in terms of what Koji Kondo is capable of.  That said, there are a few standout themes in OoT that I would argue easily rank high among the greatest video game themes of all time.  The music from Gerudo Valley is a vibrant Latin guitar piece, adding trumpets and string accompaniment to build the song up.  It is incredibly simple structurally, but remains a catchy and lively tune.

169.

Underwater Bombs

from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES)

Composer: Jun Funahashi

Konami/Ultra; 1989

The first TMNT game released on consoles is kind of an oddity.  While it is based on the animated series (which had been out for several years at the time of this game’s release), it is full of loose interpretations of the characters, their roles, and their importance to the story.  Add to that the dreaded water level that this theme supports, and you have a game that is either really hated, or remembered with only the slightest hint of fondness.  That said, this theme from stage 2 is damn good.  The minor key, the definite aquatic sound, and the beat and melody all come together to a delightful whole.  I’m not sure why, but water levels often have some of the best music.  Wave Man, which appeared previously on the list at number 183, and this theme here are just a taste of what is to come in terms of aquatic themes, and some of them rank among my favorite video game tunes of all time, but you will have to stick around to find out what they are.

168.

Intro Theme (US)

from Mega Man 8 (PSX)

from Shusaku Uchiyama

Capcom; 1997

Mega Man 8 has an absolutely stunning soundtrack.  It is unconventional compared to the soundtracks of the titles before it.  It mixes genres, going for a slightly more melodic and instrumental tone over the electronic pop/rock sounds we got from the rest of the series.  The use of real instrumentation was also a big step up for the series and the intro is the first real taste of the change we get from Mega Man 8.  It is a short, sweet mix of rock, jazz, blues and electronica that works so damn well, and it is just a precursor for what is to come in this game’s outstanding soundtrack.  Now, that said, the Japanese version of the opening is another story entirely.  It is an absolutely dreadful, bubbly J-Pop anthem called Electrical Communication that blends all of the worse elements of the genre.  The plucky stylings, the childish vocals, the Engrish; all of it.  So, be thankful that we got this awesome tune to back our opening movie because I’m not sure how many American gamers would have been willing to stomach the game after that other pop monstrosity of an opening.

167.

Stolen Eyes

from Final Fantasy IX (PSX)

Composer: Nobuo Uematsu

Squaresoft; 2000

This instrumental rendition of the game’s theme song Melodies of Life is a delightfully soothing piece.  It opens in just the right way.  The strings and harp blend is just beautiful, and the woodwind lead brings the song’s melodic touches to the foreground.  While Melodies of Life is only an okay song in my opinion, this version is great.  It nails home the mood of the song better than the original version, I would say, and it does it without a single lyric.

166.

Izzy Glow’s Theme

from Mega Man X5 (PSX)

Composer: Naoto Tanaka

Capcom; 2000

Megaman X5, people!  This soundtrack…  I would say, of the Megaman X series, X5 would be the second best of all of them, right after the original.  X5 has a stunning assortment of amazing themes and, despite the bizarre decision to give the bosses really stupid names for the US release,  and the constant, intrusive and unnecessary dialogue scenes, it is a pretty solid game.  Izzy Glow’s (Shining Hotarunicus in the Japanese version) level is actually kind of boring, but his song is the polar opposite.  From the opening’s rocking guitar riff, to the chirping synth, to the badass lick that is the main melody, to the bridge, all leading up to the sweet breakdown near the end, it all works.  It is a truly awesome theme.

165.

Aquarius

from Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse

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

Konami; 1989

Castlevania returns to the list, and this theme comes to us from the excellent Castlevania III.  The last NES entry in the series, Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse is a game that pushed the beloved 80's console to its limits.  It looked better, played better and sounded better than most games released up to that point and we had not seen all of what the NES had to offer yet at this point.  The soundtrack is also quite stunning and will definitely return to this list again soon.  Aquarius is a tune that is about as “Castlevania” as you can get.  It is intense, melodic, layered and upbeat.  The Gothic organ riff at the beginning ties the song to the series’ trademark style and the catchy melody that follows makes it one of my favorite tunes of the Castlevania anthology.

164.

Rose’s Theme

from Super Street Fighter IV

Composer: Hideyuki Fukasawa

Capcom; 2010

Hideyuki is a relative newcomer to Capcom’s legacy of excellent music.  He joined the sound team in 2002 as the composer for Onimusha 2.  His work on that project put him in the bid to work on the soundtracks to Capcom’s hoard of fighting games released in the late 2000’s and onward.  He arguably did his best work on the brain-meltingly good Super Street Fighter IV soundtrack.  A stunning series of remixes of classic Street Fighter tunes and new compositions that is so complete, so big, so astoundingly good that fans have lined up to announce many of the remixes as “better than the originals.”  I am inclined to agree with them.  The first appearance of this game on my list comes from Rose’s stage.  Rose, who first appeared in Street Fighter Alpha in the mid 90’s is one of my favorite characters in the series.  She’s a badass fortune teller who will kill you with her scarf, so that makes her pretty metal.  The song is also quite epic, having a very 90’s fighting game sound to it, featuring modern electronic techniques.  

163.

The Temple

from Life Force

Composer: Miki Higashino

Konami; 1986

Oh, Life Force!  I love this damn game.  This game has occupied so many hours of my life it is actually kind of sad.  Released in Japanese arcades in 1986 under the title Salamander, it was a spinoff/pseudo-sequel to Konami’s previous shooter hit Gradius.  Excellent gameplay and level design highlighted this title but for me, it’s always been about the soundtrack.  This game has six stages and every single one of them has an awesome tune.  They did not all make it on this list, but trust me, they are good, and this is not the only time Life Force will show up in my countdown.  The first entry from the series on my list is from Stage 5, an odd Egyptian temple stage that was a late addition to the title for the NES and it is pretty damn good.  The boss is a King Tut head surrounded by a ring of orbiting balls that shoot at you.  It’s really strange.  The song, however, is awesome.  Like the rest of the soundtrack, it is very full, featuring a number of layers creating an echoing twinkle of a melody.  For a game released on the Famicom in 1987, the soundtrack is stunningly sophisticated.  Compared to what other games sounded like at the time, this and a few other standout titles really showcased the audio capabilities of the system during a period when the chiptune medium was just starting to mature.

162.

Cammy’s Theme

from Super Street Fighter IV

Composer: Hideyuki Fukasawa

Capcom; 2010

Just following the appearance of Rose’s theme from Super Street Fighter 4 comes the theme of the ever-exploited Cammy, who can never seem to find a pair of pants.  How unfortunate… Despite her objectification, however, the song is great.  It ended up in close contention with Rose’s theme, so close in fact, that they are almost right next to each other on the list.  This was purely unintentional, believe me.  But I can picture these two beating the Buddha out of each other over whose theme is actually the best.  I like this theme’s guitar heavy, 80’s-stylings and the energy it brings.  It’s definitely a tough-as-nails fighting anthem.

161.

Crystal Man

from Mega Man V

Composer: Mari Yamaguchi

Capcom; 1992

I love the melody of this song.  It’s somber, smooth and has a nice rhythm to it.  It’s a tight groove that lacks a lot of the punch of many of the other Mega Man tunes but it brings with it instead a melodic uniqueness in the series’ repertoire.  Yet another entry from Mega Man V (It will not be the last), this is a slick piece of work with a nice melody, slick pace and, I don’t know, it me it just sounds so… “Chill.”