My 200 Favorite Video Game Themes- Part 18: Legendary

30.

Magnet Man

from Mega Man III

Composers: Yasuaki Fujita, Harumi Fujita

Capcom; 1990

Mega Man III makes its final appearance on my list.  I have expressed before the personal effect this game has had on me, both as a gamer and a pop culture fan.  I learned a lot about gaming from Mega Man III and it was also where I really started to reflect on the value of game music.  It is something that I had not considered until I played this game as a child.  Magnet Man’s theme, in particular, has always been a standout game theme.  It is melodically captivating with an excellent bridge at the end.  Some themes have stuck with me out of nostalgia but I would say that this tune is both nostalgic and outstanding in its own right.

29.

A Violent Encounter

from Shadow of the Colossus

Composer: Kow Otani

Sony Japan Studio; 2005

Shadow of the Colossus is one of a few games I would label as “perfect”.  It is like a vivid Vermeer, full of life and detail.  The world has an unspoken history and it feels aged.  The majestic guardians of the land are kept in their own prisons throughout the world, and these places have a story that is captivating and awe-inspiring, though never fully explained.  There is something about this myth and the world it inhabits that stands out among other games.  Instead of being a volume of exposition and plot twists, Shadow of the Colossus is like an abstract history explained through pictures, though never fully detailed in any way.  There are gamers so enamored with this world that there have been countless attempts by fans online to break down and decipher the jigsaw puzzle that is the history of the game’s desolate hidden landscape and like the world in which Wander’s quest is set, its soundtrack is full of themes that are stunning and captivating.  A Violent Encounter is among the game’s more menacing tracks.  It is the sound of danger, in a simple loop that thunderously kicks in as the player faces yet another powerful and mighty threat.  

28.

Cell Stage 2

from Life Force

Composer: Miki Higashino

Konami; 1986

Miki Higashino returns to my list yet again, this time for her work on the game Life Force.  This is one of my favorite soundtracks of the 8-bit era and the varying levels, full of strange and wonderful visual ideas, are all complimented by excellent music.  Higashino, along with Iwase and Adachi, worked on some of Konami’s best soundtracks, and this early creation of her’s is among her greatest achievements.  The sound of each track has the feel of a classic sci-fi anthem mixed with the sound of a high-energy late-80’s score.  Few game composers have worked on soundtracks that so perfectly reflect the settings and themes of their games as Konami’s astounding sound team, and Higashino is the driving force behind their greatest compositions.  The theme from the fourth stage has a slightly unsettling tone, while at the same time reflecting the title’s persisting adventurous feel.  It is a sublime duality best heard while playing the game, as the flow of the stage perfectly reflect the song’s mesmerizing mood.

27.

Freeze Man

from Mega Man 7

Composers: Yuko Takahara, Hayato Kaji, Toshifumi Ōnishi, Kazunori Tazaki, Tatsuya Yoshikawa

Capcom; 1995

Mega Man 7 has a far more bright and upbeat soundtrack than gamers of its time were typically used to outside of a few titles from Nintendo.  It was a risk, for sure, to create a bright and almost care-free-sound for the themes to such an action-packed game, but Mega Man 7 (as well as Mega Man 8), managed to take the series’ sound in what I believe was a solid direction.  As the Mega Man X spin-offs were focusing primarily on hard rock sounds and intensity, Freeze Man’s theme actually has sort of the opposite effect.  The theme is bright, even happy, and the way it all flows through its major key sound is part of its charm.

26.

Besaid Island

from Final Fantasy X

Composers: Nobuo Uematsu, Masashi Hamauzu, Junya Nakano

Squaresoft; 2001

Final Fantasy has been so ever-present on my list that I would not blame anyone for accusing me of being a fanboy.  To that I say, “If you are referring to the music, then yes.  Yes I am.”  I believe Final Fantasy, as a series, has produced the best game music of any other game franchise.  The varying level of quality for the games aside, there is no denying the achievements that were the titles’ soundtracks.  So much so, that the series has spawned multiple major concerts.  We are not talking about cosplay and fanboy t-shirts here, either.  No, these were black-tie affairs performed by major orchestras.  The series’ respected works have become pop culture legend and continue to be the standard by which all other game music is measured for many gamers.  Final Fantasy X’s soundtrack is full of themes that have varying emotional ideas, and as the story progresses, the music becomes more and more mournful.  However, at the beginning of the story the accompanying themes reflected the wonder of the journey ahead, and there is probably no theme in the game that better expresses the feel of this strange place than the theme from Besaid Island.  It is welcoming, cheerful and acts as a stunning early impression to the game’s standard-setting soundtrack.

25.

Marble Gallery

from Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

Composer: Michiru Yamane

Konami; 1997

Symphony of the Night is the title most Castlevania fans consider to be the series’ greatest achievement.  The castle is vast, full of threats that vary from the smallest nuisance to the mightiest of threats.  Along with the outstanding level design and deep gameplay there lies a compelling soundtrack filled with varying musical ideas.  Marble Gallery is an epic track.  It features the well-known and beloved Castlevania pace and tone, while also presenting a distinct sound and unique melody that mixes a classic style with modern ideas.  

24.

Time’s Scar

from Chrono Cross

Composer: Yasunori Mitsuda

Squaresoft; 1999

Chrono Cross is undeniably a strange title.  There are things in this game that make you wonder what sort of mushroom Funguy actually is.  One thing that I think has not been called into question, however, is the game’s much beloved soundtrack.  The intro theme to Chrono Cross, entitled Time’s Scar, is a mighty Celtic anthem that is energetic, moving and triumphant.  The violin played in this theme is one of my all time favorite melodies in game music.  I have not played through this game in years yet this one tune has always been in the back of my mind.  It is truly unforgettable.

23.

Aerith’s Theme

from Final Fantasy VII

Composer: Nobuo Uematsu

Squaresoft; 1997

...And speaking of unforgettable.  I do not think this song needs any introduction.  Aerith’s Theme from Final Fantasy VII has become one of the most recognizable tunes in video game history, most commonly associated with one of the most shocking and heartbreaking character deaths in modern popular culture.  It ranks high among the most memorable sequences in gaming history and this tune fits perfectly in the moment.  It is a soothing and heartfelt theme that is just as moving now as it was when the game was first released.

22.

Dance of the Holyman

from Super Castlevania IV

Composers: Masanori Adachi, Taro Kudo

Konami; 1997

One of the first themes heard as one picks up Castlevania IV, Dance of the Holyman, Simon’s theme, is a tune that instantly evokes the feeling of an heroic achievement.  The tune has an action-packed feel to it while remaining true to the series’ unique and unmistakable sound.  From its striking opening measures to way the song breaks down into a jazz bass verse is all seamless and perfect.  This is a tune I always look forward to hearing.

21.

Revived Power

from Shadow of the Colossus

Composer: Kow Otani

Sony Japan Studio; 2005

Heard quite early in the game, Revived Power is a powerful encouragement to the player to keep fighting on.  As a huge, lumbering beast fights off its aggressor, this tune seems to react to its struggle.  It has the threatening tone of the other themes in the game, but also has an adventurous feel to it.  It is a fun theme.  It is one that makes you want to keep pushing forward.  However, despite how great this soundtrack is, Shadow of the Colossus makes its final appearance on my list at number 21.

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 10: Clearing the Hump

110.

Jade’s Theme - Shauni

from Beyond Good and Evil

Composer: Christophe Héral

Ubisoft; 2003

Like Flower, Beyond Good and Evil is an amazing sleeper that is greatly underappreciated in my opinion.  This action/adventure title is full of mood, deep characters, outstanding writing, flawless gameplay and one of the best game soundtracks of the new millenium.  Yet another very Celtic theme to show up on my list, Jade’s Theme (“Shauni” as it is also known; So titled after Jade’s “true” name) is played in variation throughout the game, and has about three or four iterations that play depending on the mood and tone of the scene.  I went with including the main version of the theme due to it’s spirit and lovely melody.

109.

Clockwork

from Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse

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

Konami; 1991

I will say it again: Castlevania III is one of the best-looking and most well-designed games on the NES and Stage 2: The Clock Tower is one of the greatest levels in 2D platforming history.  The theme does not hurt either.  This harpsichord melody is very simple with only the minimal accompaniment to back it up.  Yet, this song is one of the themes I would put the game in and play just to hear.  This was from a time before YouTube and vgmusic.com and even before games had options menus where you can go back and listen to the songs in test mode, so I had to write down a password so I can go to stage 2 and sit on the starting blocks and listen to this tune from time to time.  Oh, the good ol’ days of gaming, where you had to work your butt off just to get the simplest level of satisfaction.

108.

To Zanarkand

from Final Fantasy X

Composer: Nobuo Uematsu

Squaresoft; 2001

This now famous piano piece has become, over the last decade, one of the most beloved themes in the Final Fantasy anthology.  It is an incredibly simple, but timeless, composition that sets the mood and feel of the entire game.  I featured Someday the Dream Will End a few parts back on my list, but the theme from which it is derived is far superior in my book, if only for how well it works in the game.  These songs play one after the other in the game, as the player makes way across the penultimate chapter of the story, leading up to the final few confrontations.  Before the final struggle with Sin could commence however, our pilgrims must face a sorrowful trek through a fallen city, bleak and lifeless, as mournful music emphasizes the dread each character is feeling.  The piano score is so perfect for the mood of these few scenes and that is why, at least I believe, it has resonated so well with gamers.  It conjures memories of the emotional struggle within each of the protagonists at this point in the story.

107.

Demystify Feast

from Touhou: Immaterial and Missing Power

Composer: ZUN

Team Shanghai Alice; 2004

Yet another piano-heavy Touhou theme (is there any other kind) makes my list.  This time it is the theme Demystify Feast from Immaterial and Missing Power.  This is a tremendously complex song.  The notes are all fast and multiple instruments are hitting from different angles.  It is pretty perfect, really, considering the player is dodging hundreds of bullets on screen at any given time.  Therefore, it only makes sense that any accompanying song would be heavy and intensely energetic.  

106.

Grenade Man

from Mega Man 8 (PSX)

from Shusaku Uchiyama

Capcom; 1997

MM8 has already shown up a couple of times on my list already.  I cannot express enough how much I love this soundtrack.  It is so much more sophisticated than that of its predecessors (With the obvious exception of Mega Man X).  You can tell that they were trying to make themes that were catchy and memorable and that did not fall into the trap of sounding like “video game music”.  Grenade Man is a theme that definitely has a video game sound to it, but manages to blend the complexity of much of the game’s remaining themes with a more traditional Capcom sound.  The heavy synth lead is a powerful addition to the song, especially at the bridge, where the song just trumpets powerfully, expanding the sound and making everything sound just so full.  The jazz bass (a trademark of this soundtrack) also gives the song a pace and a groove that feels very different from other game themes to me.

105.

Slinger’s Song

from Bastion

Composer: Darren Korb

Supergiant Games/Warner Bros.; 2011

Bastion is back with another dusty, gritty theme that mixes Western, blues and modern electronic ideas well and creates a song that could be used for everything from a lame rap battle, to the introduction of a James Woods character, to a blue jeans ad.  Yet, it works here because it holds to the atmosphere of the game and fits in with the styles portrayed therein.  It is a short loop, but it is endlessly memorable and catchy.

104.

Rabanastre

from Final Fantasy XII

Composers: Nobuo Uematsu, Hitoshi Sakimoto

SquareEnix; 2006

The Royal City of Rabanastre is the main hub of Final Fantasy XII, which means players who intend to complete this game in its entirety will be returning here a lot.  It only makes sense, then, to have a theme that feels right, sounds good and is not on a 45 second loop.  Otherwise players may find themselves going slowly insane over the course of the game.  Rabanastre’s theme is an anthemic and bright piece and ranks among my favorite “town themes” of all time.

103.

Bright Man

from Mega Man IV

Composer: Minae Fujii

Capcom; 1991

Upbeat and fun is generally how I like my Mega Man music and it does not get much more upbeat than this.  Starting in a standard Rockman minor key, this song then expands into a bright and lively composition.  The last half of the song uses some fairly sophisticated chiptune effects like tremolo, fading and phasing to its benefit, making this a standout tune on the Mega Man IV soundtrack.

102.

Transylvania

from Duck Tales

Composer: Hiroshige Tonomura

Capcom; 1989

I love this tune.  I can just imagine someone telling Tonomura-san, “Hey!  We want something that sounds like it belongs in a Dracula movie!  Not one of your GOOD video game song… Thingies!”  So what do we get, a song that does BOTH!  So there you have it.  One incredibly good game composer took an overused minor-key vampire theme and made it fit in with the rest of this awesome soundtrack.  Good job, sir!

101.

Spark Man

from Mega Man III

Composer: Yasuaki Fujita, Harumi Fujita

Capcom; 1990

We round out the first half of my list with one of my favorite themes from Mega Man III.  Mega Man III was an important milestone for me as a gamer.  It was the point when I started playing games as a hobby, not just an occasional distraction.  I was about seven when this game came out and I had already been playing games for a few years with regularity.  As a young kid who was well beyond my years when it came to taste in music (I was listening to Heart, Talking Heads, Tears for Fears and Def Leppard at five), I was captivated by the music in this game.  At that point, I had not really paid too much attention to game music.  I mean, I heard some that I had liked, but I was never really a fan of game themes, only a fan of the games they came from.  Yet, something changed in my with Mega Man III.  I suppose this was the title that really, firmly cemented me as a hardcore Blue Bomber fanboy and that had a lot to do with it, but I like a lot of things about this soundtrack, and this tune in particular.  Spark Man’s theme starts with this warm, bright string intro and leads into a bouncy rock piece.  It flows well and it is one of those Mega Man themes that just seems to fit the stage well, with electrodes and circuits pulsing to the beat of the music.

Well, that is one hundred down!  From here on out, there is not going to be anything but huge titles and classic themes.  Things are going to get big here folks, so let’s keep this train moving!  We have one hundred more themes to go, all leading up to my ten favorites.  Stay with me and follow my blog for updates, you do NOT want to miss this...