My 200 Favorite Video Game Themes- Part 8: A Series of Fours

Preface:

Here is the point where most video game fans are going to begin, at least more regularly, saying “Hell yeah!” to the entries that showed up on the list.  Many of the past entries, despite myself loving those songs, are based either on nostalgia or on a subjective reaction to the theme.  I know there have been a lot of entries on my list so far that my seem rather eclectic to most, and that is okay.  However, from here on out (really starting with number 131 on my last list), things are going to begin seeming more recognizable to game music geeks like myself.  Also, remember that this list is not me making a declaration of “the best” but rather it is me essentially exploring my gaming past and sharing both my taste in music and my love for video games.  Stay with me and I’m sure you will be satisfied with the entries to come.  Thank you.

130.

Dust Man

from Mega Man IV

Minae Fujii

Capcom; 1991

I really love this theme for the tremolo at the beginning.  It has a strong action theme vibe through the course of the song, but it is the intro that makes this gem stand out for me.  It has a grim feel to it and really works as a dramatic Mega Man theme.  It manages to feel deep while still, given its composition, feeling like a song that belongs in the Mega Man series.

129.

Ice Man

from Mega Man

Manami Mastumae

Capcom; 1987

This is the last Mega Man theme in Part 8, I promise.  Ice Man’s theme from the very first Mega Man game is a classic because of its sophisticated use of time signature and rhythm.  It has a nice sci-fi vibe while setting the stage for what the series will sound like in the future.  This and Bomberman’s theme really are the two songs that, at least for me, show the promise of this franchise’s future musical prowess.

128.

Battle Theme 2- Boss Theme

from Final Fantasy IX

Composer: Nobuo Uematsu

Squaresoft; 2000

Nobuo Uematsu returns as does Final Fantasy IX.  While this is among the series’ more underwhelming titles in terms of music, in my opinion, this is one of my favorite boss themes in the series.  The bass intro is menacing, powerful and hits you hard when you play.  The song, starting before the fight even begins sets a mood of threatening violence as you engage a foe deadlier than any before it (at least most of the time).  It’s both energetic and even a little creepy.  Played at a slower speed this could definitely be part of the score for a Hitchcockian thriller.

127.

The Sole Regret

from Bastion

Composer: Darren Korb

Supergiant Games/Warner Bros.; 2011

Bastion is back.  The Sole Regret is one of the songs on this soundtrack that definitely reflects some inspiration from Martin O’Donnell’s work on the Halo soundtrack.  This mix of Hip Hop and Ravi Shankar is one of the most captivating video game tunes of all time.  It has this dirty, rough edge to it.  Everything sounds slightly off-kilter, but in the right way.  The wet, metal-picked guitar gives the song an eerie mood and the citar adds a layer of worldliness.  Darren Korb is an excellent composer and I look forward to more great work from him in the future.

126.

Prismriver- the Phantom Ensemble

from Touhou: Perfect Cherry Blossom

Composer: ZUN

Team Shanghai Alice; 2003

Prismriver’s theme from the game Perfect Cherry Blossom, is so lovely that it justifies it’s place among Touhou’s most popular themes.  Phantom Ensemble reflects the three sister’s power and mystery, with an energetic, almost-Castlevania-esque organ lead and a delightful harpsichord accompaniment.  Also, there is, of course, a wonderful piano melody, a trademark of the series.

125.

Bob-Omb Battlefield

from Super Mario 64

Composer: Koji Kondo

Nintendo; 1996

Super Mario 64 ranks high among my favorite video games off time, and this theme, from one of the first stages in the game, is a memorable and charming entry in the series’ collection of iconic melodies.  The song builds to a big-band style brass jam with a nice, jazzy breakdown at the end.  It contrasts the quirky, even silly sounding calliope that play’s during the song’s first part.  This mix of well-composed energy and whimsy is one of the things that makes the music from this franchise so enjoyable.

124.

The Library

from Super Castlevania IV

Composers: Masanori Adachi, Taro Kudo

Konami; 1991

So, a question: What do you get when you make it through what has been one of the great soundtracks in gaming history to the seventh level?  A soft harp and horn piece.  Yep.  They went there.  Well, it is soft for a while, anyways.  The drums are barely present for most of the song and when they do kick it, they are a faint rattle adding rhythm to this gem of a song.  It is haunting and moody, and it fits the quiet library well with its simplicity and simultaneous complexity.

123.

Just Like in the Movies

from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: the Game

Composers: Anamanaguchi

Ubisoft Montreal; 2010

That’s right, Anamanaguchi is back on my list.  The stage 2 theme from Scott Pilgrim is a fun, melodic and cheery anthem of brawling excitement.  Punch!  Gooooo!  Energy excite!  I love these guys (as you can probably tell) and this soundtrack is so perfect in every way that I just love hearing it.  It always brings a smile to my face.

122.

Clockwork Mansion

from Super Castlevania IV

Composers: Masanori Adachi, Taro Kudo

Konami; 19991

The beautiful organ opening, mixed with the powerful and somewhat intimidating drums makes this one of my favorite themes in Castlevania IV.  The stage features rotating rooms and deadly spike traps and is one of my favorite levels in the game.  Every detail of the song is just right.  I love the organ chorus, the beat, and the horn breakdown at the end that ties it into the moody, East Coast Jazz-meets-Gothic tone of a majority of the soundtrack.

121.

Sakura's Theme

from Super Street Fighter IV

Composer: Hideyuki Fukasawa

Capcom; 2010

Are you blown away?  I was when I first played Super Street Fighter IV, a super tight, beautifully artful 2D fighter that honors the legacy of the great fighters of the 90’s while paving the way for a new generation.  Oh, and there’s this song.  Oh my GOD this song!  I love Sakura, and so, naturally, she was one of the first characters I played with.  I  went into training mode in her stage to sort of renew my feel and I played in their for about…. two hours.  It was all for this song.  This is one of Capcom’s best themes ever, in all of their annals, working on classics like Street Fighter II and the Mega Man series, and this is among their best… Ever.  The Japanese-style violin melody, the techno energy, the key shifts…  This song is, quite possibly, the most perfect fighting game theme of all time (and it is not even the highest fighter theme on my list).  It reflects Sakura’s nature while having enough power to keep the pace of the fight and build as the duel progresses.  Now, this song actually dates back to the mid-90's with the Street Fighter Alpha games and has remained Sakura's official theme throughout the long history of the character, as she has appeared in (at least) nine games. However, I prefer the new versions of these songs from Super Street Fighter IV due to their fullness and complex compositions.

P.S. This song is a masterpiece.

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.