Home
Creators
Search Recent Random
Posts
Search DMs Popular Hash Lookup Tags Random
Importer
Import FAQ
Register Favorites Keys Review DMs Logout
Community
Telegram ThePornDude
Home Creators Posts Import Register Favorites Logout

Discussion: What are YOUR top 3 game soundtracks? (Patreon)

Published:
2017-01-18 00:06:56
Imported:
2026-06

Content

Hey Patrons!

I've been working hard on lots of stuff including the upcoming song, FFV Decisive Battle, among other things, and decided to take a break to make a post.

I thought we could do something a little different and have a discussion about what our top 3 favorite game soundtracks are, and why (if you feel like going into detail xD).

If you've read up on most of the song pages on JonnyAtma.com, you probably know or can guess what my top 3 are. Coincidentally, they're all originally from the SNES era. So in case you don't know, here are my personal top 3:

1. Final Fantasy VI (FF3 US)

Maybe a bit of an obvious and unoriginal choice, but the FFVI soundtrack has always been a personal favorite since I first played the game back in the 90s, and I credit it for getting me into not only game music, but music in general. Part of the reason I joined band in high school was because I wanted to learn FF6 songs, namely the battle theme, on trumpet.

The game itself is amazing and was made even better by what, for me, is a perfect soundtrack.. I don't think there's a FF6 song that I don't like. Every piece fits every character and mood just right.

Not to mention, 'Atma' comes from this game. The US version, anyway. That's how much this game means to me. xD


2. Super Mario RPG

As a kid, I was totally obsessed with the SMRPG soundtrack, even before I discovered Final Fantasy VI. I would record songs from the game straight from my tv to a boombox onto a casette tape and listen to it on my walkman.

Again the game is also amazing, and it's always saddened me that it hasn't had a true sequel. Paper Mario is a fine game/series, and the same goes to Mario & Luigi, but Super Mario RPG was truly magical. 

The soundtrack again I'd consider near perfect. The only song I think is really so-so is the battle theme. Everything else is fantastic though.

My love for this soundtrack led to the 37 minute mega-medley 'Legend of the Seven Stars' back in 2012, that I wanted to remake last year but didn't have the time to get to. I'm hoping to get to it sometime this year. I've really been wanting to re-record it.

Also if you've ever wondered why I haven't done a FF6 mega medley, it's because it'd end up being like 5 hours and would take me like 3 months to do, lol.

3. Kirby Super Star Ultra

I was going to put Kirby Super Star here, but KSS Ultra has all of the same songs plus a few new ones such as Galacta Knight, so it probably makes more sense to use KSSU.

I've been a fan of Jun Ishikawa's Kirby soundtracks since the beginning, so I've always been glad that a song like Masked Dedede blew up and made a large chunk of my fanbase Kirby fans. I'll never mind covering a Kirby song.

KSS, I feel, has the most to offer from the Kirby soundtracks. It spawned a lot of now staple songs like Gourmet Race and Taking Over the Halberd, and included revamped classics like King Dedede's Theme and Green Greens. A lot of leitmotifs come from this soundtrack, the end of Taking Over the Halberd gets used constantly. Heart of Nova is featured prominately in parts of the Star Dream battle. It's an important Kirby soundtrack is all I'm saying. xD


So, those are my personal top 3. Number 3 can sort of be a toss up at times, but FFVI and SMRPG are always staples for me.


What are your top 3 VG soundtracks, and why? Comment below!

Comments

DarkPrime25

1: Mighty Switch Force 1 and 2. Never have I seen a game (in this case, two games) that EVERY SINGLE SONG was just amazing. Not one song was left behind, and it shows that Jake Kaufman is a god among men when it comes to music. And just in case you guys didn't know, he has also composed music for Shovel Knight, Shantae series, etc. 2: Megaman ZX and Advent. This also comes along the line of every single song in the OST is just fantastic. I didn't expect these games to have such good soundtracks when I played them but they have surpassed all the other Megaman games in my humble opinion. 3: Borderlands 2. This game. This game is badass. That goes for the music too. When you're fighting off tons of Loaders in the Bloodshot Ramparts in order to save your comrade, and THIS music plays: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOzwPinlrjA" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOzwPinlrjA</a> you cannot deny me that you feel so god damn cool while playing this game. You know it's funny I thought a Metroid game would be in the top 3 but I suppose I like these games' songs even more.

Jamison 'SolarZero' M.

Took me enough time to get to a computer but I wanted to make sure I could throw this up. Music is something I've been following for the ages and to ignore this question would really not do. While these might not be my top 3 (Oh gods trying to make a list like that would be a nightmare) these are in the top 10 that come to my mind first. 1. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest - Man, where to begin with this game? Just everything clicks with the atmosphere in this game. The mines lead you as you toil away at work, the underwater stages set you in a dire straight, the ship stages are a jig that keeps you in its pace, and the forest is eerie while giving a proud sense of melancholy, exploration and even some type of fantasy. I know this might just be me, but I feel David Wise just doesn't get enough credit for this game's music. Hell, it's still impressive to this day considering the hardware and imagining him remastering or remixing the entire thing just makes my eyes go wide. I know it probably won't happen, but I can dream. 2. Golden Sun &amp; Golden Sun: The Lost Age - I don't hate Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, but I honestly feel the tracks in the first two games just break any sort of thoughts of the DS game being better. I remember setting my SP before bed, getting into the room with the elemental stars and slowly drifting to sleep from the tune. The battle music inspires your mind to believe you're in that fight, much like you did with your Golden Sun Remix a few years back. I'm still hoping for an acoustic of 'The Elemental Stars' or a metal 'Venus Lighthouse', but I'm not too keen to change my songs up just yet. Plus that's more work for you which I really don't want to add on. 3. Pokemon G/S/C and Pokemon Black/White - This was another game I always enjoyed listening to. The chip tunes of this track really set itself apart from the rest of the regions of the game. All of the tracks in Johto were made to feel like they were indeed another country neighboring the game most had started their roots in and nailed it greatly. Unova's tracks caught emotional feelings and the feeling of things like urgency when things began to become dire. I love the series as a whole, but these two regions will always be a part of my playlist. I'd like to honorable mention that all three of your tracks are definitely on my list, but alas I don't want to mention them as a whole cause you hit most of the nails for your reasoning yourself.

Alex LaVoie

My top 3 would be: 3. Wind Waker HD - This almost lost to the more iconic Ocarina of Time, but I feel like Great Sea's music gets me more hyped for adventure, and all the boss themes are amazing, especially Molgera (nudge, nudge). I especially like the subtle changes in the remake. 2. Shovel Knight - This is easily some of Jake Kaufman's finest work, and it's still expanding until Yacht Club Games finishes the game. I really enjoyed your covers of "Strike the Earth!" and "La Danse Macabre." 1. Kirby's Adventure - I have a strong bias towards Kirby's Adventure; it's been my #1 game of all time since I got it for my fifth birthday, and I play it every year. I acknowledge that it's not the best game ever made, or even the best Kirby game, but it holds a special place in my heart. I still find myself humming the soundtrack occasionally, and I would really like to hear you cover the final boss theme; I'm pretty sure you said your favorite Kirby boss was the Nightmare Wizard in your latest stream.

Rocket Punk

Well, my top 3 would be really hard to type.

Rocket Punk

Well, my top 3 would be really hard to type, so let's make different categories. 3. Super Meat Boy: Oh boy, SMB is just a f*cking awesome game. And the soundtrack's really catchy too. The combination of chiptune and metal curiously works really well, thanks to Danny Baranovski and his amazing job. And Battle of Lil' Slugger, dude! Too bad I haven't finished it yet, nor Team Meat focuses on Binding of Isaac and not on Meat Boy. 2. Portal series: Everyone here must have heard about Portal. "The Cake is a Lie", Still Alive, Want You Gone, GLaDOS and all that jazz. I finished Portal 2 like, 12 times? I pretty much know everything about this game. While Portal 1 has more of an atmospheric vibe and not much rhythmic music, preferring ambient tracks for the stages and having only Still Alive at the end of the game, Portal 2 is more musical than that. The blend of EDM and "kinda dubstep", if I could say so, is freaking amazing. Favorite tracks are "Courtesy Call", "Reconstructing Science", Turret Wife Serenade" and "Bombs for Throwing at You". I keep asking myself why are there not that much remixed Portal songs out there. Maybe next time I change my list? 1. Sonic series. And since pretty much every single Sonic OST is flippin' amazing, let's make a top 3 of my favorite Sonic soundtracks. 1-3. Sonic Unleashed. I must say that first: I haven't played Unleashed. Like, never. But I listened to the soundtrack, and jeez, it's cool! It's the first time the soundtrack is only orchestrated in a Sonic game, and it works pretty well. Now I just miss rock themes in my Sonic games, but this soundtrack is cool. 1-2. Sonic 2. I grew up with my grand-parents' Megadrive which they won at a lottery. And with that were bundled Lotus 2 (racing game with pretty much no soundtrack), that infernal offspring that's The Smurfs, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, and of course Sonic 1 &amp; 2 (the last 3 were on the same cartridge for some reason). And while I've been stuck on Casino Night for 3 months, I was able to hear all the soundtrack thanks to my repeated shots in the Sound Test. And while S3&amp;K's OST is by far better, I'm just not as attached to it as Sonic 2's. 1-Honorable Mentions: Sonic 3 &amp; Knuckles, Sonic Adventure 1, Sonic 06, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, Sonic Generations And my very favorite VG soundtrack is... Sonic Adventure 2 (well freaking duh!). Just... Just wow! I'm a punk and metalhead. How can I dislike that soundtrack!? Of course Live &amp; Learn is one of the best vocal soundtracks in video game history, but Escape from the City, Believe in Myself, effing It Doesn't Matter! And the stage themes, man! SA2 has just a fucking awesome OST. Honorable Mentions: Undertale (duh), Street Fighter

Kyle Kretzer

I have to cheat a little bit: 1. Mass Effect Trilogy - If I had to pick a single game from the series, I'd probably pick 2 based on the volume of good content in there, plus the Suicide Mission theme is just so incredible, but my favorite piece of soundtrack from the entire series is basically everything that happens on Rannoch from Mass Effect 3. From the intro mission, to the ending chase scene and boss battle, to what happens if you can't unlock the secret conversation options at the end, it's just one of the most goosebump-inducing moments I've ever experienced in gaming. 2. Rare N64 Collectathons - I can't pick between Banjo Kazooie, Donkey Kong 64, and Banjo Tooie. They're all just so similar but all just so good. I don't know how to fully articulate this but I just love how dense and rich the chord progressions feel in a lot of the themes. If there's a game or series that deserves the Super Mario RPG/Ocarina of Time full GaMedley treatment, it's probably one of these. 3. Super Mario Galaxy 1 + 2 - 2 for all the callbacks to Super Mario World (my favorite 2D Mario, whereas Galaxy 1 felt more like SMB3), and 1 for the sense of exploration and soaring that the orchestral score could create. I've got Gusty Garden Galaxy on my request list for a reason. I'm actually a little concerned Super Mario Universe won't create the same sense of wonder as the Galaxy games, and was kind of hoping we'd just get Galaxy 3, but we shall see!

Kyle Kretzer
>>3666101

Oh I forgot my honorable mention Mario Kart 8! Kind of a disappointing Rainbow Road, but more than made up for by an incredible Bowser Castle, Mount Wario, and more.

The HarDe One

I don't have a particular order here because I can't order them. My top three is just that, the top three in no particular order. And yes I had to take a few days to just think about this. #?: Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. I knew one of the Donkey Kong games had to be on this list and DKC2 is too obvious of a pick, but I was trying to listen through a few others like DKC1 &amp; DK64 and yeah I have to. DKC2's soundtrack is just better, especially the boss theme. #?: Kirby Super Star Ultra. This was much simpler, Kirby games have great soundtracks. Super Star's was amazing, Ultra's expands it. Done deal. #?: Shovel Knight/Shantae: Half-Genie Hero. This is so damn close I'm splitting it only because Jake Kaufman made both soundtracks. The man is an amazing composer and both these soundtracks shine in every single area. Shovel Knight scratches every single chiptune itch you've ever had, even across the multiple stories with different songs, and Half-Genie Hero has a unique pop with every stage while still throwing back to legacy tracks. The Mermaid Falls track feels like a merger of both Sonic 2 and Mickey's Magical Tetris music and it's PERFECT! ... That's one hell of a comparison...

Hornlitz

Picking a top three for me is nigh on impossible, but I'll give it a shot XD 3. Castle Crashers There were multiple different composers for this game, but every one of them did an amazing job. The songs all fit really well, and they all have that sort of epic nature to them (except Spanish Waltz, but that one's just funny XD) 2. Final Fantasy VI Basically the same reasons Jonny listed above. The songs all have that incredible way of evoking the perfect mood for the situation in the game, and it's amazing. Some of my favorite VGM songs ever come from this game, like the Fierce Battle, the Decisive Battle, Dancing Mad, Slam Shuffle, Aria di Mezzo Caraterre, etc. etc. The list goes on. 1. Chrono Trigger Another obvious choice, but I don't care. This game/soundtrack beats basically anything I've ever played or heard. Every song fits perfectly, and it all the notes just flow together so perfectly. So many amazing songs, like Chrono Trigger (yes that's the song name), Frog's Theme, Battle with Magus, Wind Scene, Corridors of Time, Schala's Theme, Battle Theme 1, The Kingdom Trial... etc. etc. etc. And 'To Far Away Times' basically makes me cry. It's beautiful. I'd better stop myself before I list the whole soundtrack XD

Hornlitz
>>3675803

And here are a lot of runner ups: Radiant Historia, Bastion, VVVVVV, Super Meat Boy, Axiom Verge, Dust: An Elysian Tail, Evoland 2, Undertale, Twilight Princess, Final Fantasy IX, Kirby Super Star Ultra, Gyakuten Kenji 2, Spirit Tracks, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel, and Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright.

B. Ratcliff

Oh man, here goes.... 1. Xenogears 2. Final Fantasy IX 3. Chrono Cross Runners up: FFV and VI, Chrono Trigger, Mario RPG, Xenoblade, Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver and Uranium, Secret and Legend of Mana, Seiken Densetsu 3, Final Fantasy Adventure/Sword of Mana, Terranigma, Darius Force/Super Nova, almost any Castlevania, Donkey Kong Country 2, Valkyrie Profile, Grandia 2, Undertale, Golden Sun, and Cave Story.

Anonymous

This is almost impossible to narrow down my favorite OSTs to just 3, but here it goes: Persona 3 Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze It's ridiculously hard for me to put TF over 2, but I think I've finally come to terms with it. Runner-ups include DKC2, 999, Pokemon Diamond/Pearl, Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair, Gyakuten Kenji 2, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team, Super Metroid, Kirby Triple Deluxe, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, and basically every Sonic platformer out there.

PikaXRich

My top 3 VG Soundtrack are: Pokémon Colosseum Super Mario Galaxy Pokémon Sun and Moon For Colosseum most of the battle songs are phenomenon like Normal Battle Cipher Peon and the final battle and even other songs are dramatic orchestra jazz and Latino flavor on it. For Galaxy it has most the orchestra and dramatic feeling like Gusty Garden Bowser Battle and Final Bowser Battle. Sun and Moon has some Hawaiian feeling and epicness like Trainer Battle Kahuna Island Battle and Vast Poni Canyon. That's pretty much all of them.

Matt MML Lucas

This is sort of old news, but I don't think I ever contributed to the discussion, so I figured I'd throw my hat in the ring: 3) Yoshi's Island - I'm incredibly biased towards this one, because Yoshi's Island is my favorite video game, but damn is that soundtrack good as well. It flawflessly conveys the beauty of the more peaceful areas, the playful tension of the acrobatic areas, and the intense ferocity and cinematic nature of the boss battles. 2) Undertale - Undertale is a real mixed bag of a game in my opinion, but if anything kept me coming back above all else, it was the soundtrack. Every single track on this thing is flawless, and the constant recurring leitmotifs throughout the OST make it really seem like a packaged album more than a soundtrack to a video game. 1) Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (Akumajou Densetsu) - This soundtrack, and specifically the Japanese version, are pure music gold. It's an awesome fusion of baroque composition mentality with some solid rock 'n' roll influence to round the whole sound. It couldn't more appropriately tell the tale of our four heroes' quest to slay Dracula, and not only perfectly compliments the gameplay and setting, but also stands out in its own right.