Video Game Music

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lord hornblower
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Video Game Music

Post by lord hornblower » Mon Dec 24, 2007 12:49 pm

I've just started getting into video game soundtracks... and some of them are really surprisingly good. So, what game do you think has the best music?

Final Fantasy 7 really does it for me... it has everything from the intense battle music, to slow heart touching character themes, to just chillin' at the beach music. I can't really think of any other game that compares.

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Re: Video Game Music

Post by FluteOfTheNewWorld » Mon Dec 24, 2007 12:58 pm

lord hornblower wrote:I've just started getting into video game soundtracks... and some of them are really surprisingly good. So, what game do you think has the best music?

Final Fantasy 7 really does it for me... it has everything from the intense battle music, to slow heart touching character themes, to just chillin' at the beach music. I can't really think of any other game that compares.
Both Halo 3 and Super Mario Galaxy had awesome soundtracks.
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Post by fieldshowqueen » Mon Dec 24, 2007 1:10 pm

The old Spyro series ... lol
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Re: Video Game Music

Post by Hostrauser » Mon Dec 24, 2007 1:31 pm

lord hornblower wrote:I've just started getting into video game soundtracks... and some of them are really surprisingly good. So, what game do you think has the best music?
Baldur's Gate I & II
Icewind Dale I & II
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic I & II
Quest for Glory V
Might & Magic IX
Quake (the original, with music by Trent Reznor)
Diablo II
Duke Nukem 3D (especially the levels in the space station)

My all-time Top 3:
1. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (score by Jeremy Soule)
[From the martial opening and close to the almost Debussian scores for the planets of Manaan and Dantooine, easily the most varied, ambient, and interesting video game score I've ever heard. Running across the plains of Dantooine accompanied by Soule's arching score is probably my #1 most sublime gaming moment of all-time.]
2. Baldur's Gate (score by Michael Hoenig)
[As if the plot wasn't absorbing enough as it is, Hoenig's music helped make the game truly epic; his score for the climactic battles in underground Old Baldur's Gate is pitch-perfect, and his eerie music for the dreams/visions sequences gave me goosebumps more than once at 2am in a dark room illuminated only by the monitor]
3. Quest for Glory V (score by Chance Thomas)
[Possibly the most accomplished score on the list, the soundtrack was recorded by the Utah Symphony Orchestra and released as a companion CD with the game disks. Thomas' orchestral scoring and use of mandolins and other exotic instruments create a Mediterranean flavor that permeates (and complements) the entire game]

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Post by saxplyr7 » Mon Dec 24, 2007 2:01 pm

I would say the Halo soundtracks 1 & 2. I haven't listened to 3 yet but plan to soon enough. Those are pretty much the only ones I have.
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Post by IsnipeWithAknife » Mon Dec 24, 2007 4:40 pm

Total Annihilation (Jeremy Soule) soundtrack is very good

Anything by Jeremy Soule that was recorded with a real band
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Post by Zeke » Thu Jan 03, 2008 3:36 pm

I love video game music, because alot of games out there have fantastic music. Some of the most interesting compositions I've ever heard are from games. I sometimes play the games just to listen to the music.

Here are some of games with fantastic music (all original compositions):
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy IX
Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy XII
Final Fantasy Tactics
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
The Legend of Zelda: Windwaker
Shadow of the Colossus
The Lost World Jurassic Park: The Game
Jak & Daxter
Jak II
Jak 3
Beyond Good & Evil
Crash Bandicoot
Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back
Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped
Half-Life 2
Halo
Halo 2
Sonic Adventure 2
Metroid Prime
Super Mario Sunshine
Katamari Damacy

All of those games are also really fun to play. The music spans the entire spectrum of music types, so they might not be for everyone, but its some of the best music I have ever been fortunate enough to have heard.

There are also some games with really good licensed soundtracks:
Grand Theft Auto III
Grand Theft Auto Vice City
Grand Theft Auto San Andreas
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4
Music, is in my opinion, the greatest thing that mankind has ever created.

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Post by Nreuest » Fri Jan 04, 2008 12:25 am

my favorite soundtrack is easily Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory which is done by drum n bass genius Amon Tobin.
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Post by The Aceman » Fri Jan 04, 2008 12:44 am

Final Fantasy 7 had the hands down best music for a video game soundtrack, just amazing. The entire Warcraft series has excellent music as well, esp. #'s 2 & 3. I also enjoyed the Soundtrack's to Katamari Damacy, the original Tony Hawk and the Guitar Hero Series.
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Post by Ex Nihilo » Fri Jan 04, 2008 1:42 am

Kingdom Hearts series

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Fav. Video Game Music

Post by D-Revolution » Tue Jan 08, 2008 9:54 pm

Even though my first attendance of the "Video Games Live!" Concert at the Hollywood Bowl sparked my present search for more music from games, I've actually taken a notice of a rise in "real music" for video games back when I was a young(er) boy. I really feel that, now that I've discovered such amazing pieces of work, video game music still remains largely overlooked or ignored by people who believe themselves to be "music entrepreneurs." I have been trying to find ways to show the world that yes, besides being very fun to play, video games can be very fun to listen also.

I turned to the closest connection I have to the music world for help, my band director! =] I took the time to arrange and create a competitive field show concept that uses music from popular video games and showed it to him to see what he thought about it. For the opener I used the intro song to Soul Calibur II (Under the Star of Destiny), the ballad I used "Evacuating London" from Chronicles of Narnia, and the closer was a compilation of the main theme from the Metal Gear Solid series. We titled the show "Heroes of Destiny". He loved it we actually used the concept as our show in 2006! And because of that success, he basically let me help create the show we did in the 2007 season.

For the next marching season, I am going to break barriers with the concept I am currently working on by combining music from the classical style, video game soundtracks, movie music, and possibly showtunes and small allusions to pop culture/jazz(maybe?) and actually making it work hand in hand.

I can't really decide on which soundtracks as a whole are the best because I find that there are certain pieces I would especially like in the album and others that are okay, but are not as memorable to me as the others. So I'd say some of my favorite video game SONGS come from (in no particular order):

1. Halo series
2. Various Final Fantasy albums (especially when arranged for live concert performances *drool*)
3. Advent Rising
4. Civilization IV
5. Soul Calibur series
6. Metal Gear Solid series
7. Kingdom Hearts
8. Warcraft series
9. Everquest II
10. Medal of Honor series
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Re: Fav. Video Game Music

Post by Ex Nihilo » Wed Jan 09, 2008 2:45 am

D-Revolution wrote:Even though my first attendance of the "Video Games Live!" Concert at the Hollywood Bowl sparked my present search for more music from games, I've actually taken a notice of a rise in "real music" for video games back when I was a young(er) boy. I really feel that, now that I've discovered such amazing pieces of work, video game music still remains largely overlooked or ignored by people who believe themselves to be "music entrepreneurs." I have been trying to find ways to show the world that yes, besides being very fun to play, video games can be very fun to listen also.

I turned to the closest connection I have to the music world for help, my band director! =] I took the time to arrange and create a competitive field show concept that uses music from popular video games and showed it to him to see what he thought about it. For the opener I used the intro song to Soul Calibur II (Under the Star of Destiny), the ballad I used "Evacuating London" from Chronicles of Narnia, and the closer was a compilation of the main theme from the Metal Gear Solid series. We titled the show "Heroes of Destiny". He loved it we actually used the concept as our show in 2006! And because of that success, he basically let me help create the show we did in the 2007 season.

For the next marching season, I am going to break barriers with the concept I am currently working on by combining music from the classical style, video game soundtracks, movie music, and possibly showtunes and small allusions to pop culture/jazz(maybe?) and actually making it work hand in hand.

I can't really decide on which soundtracks as a whole are the best because I find that there are certain pieces I would especially like in the album and others that are okay, but are not as memorable to me as the others. So I'd say some of my favorite video game SONGS come from (in no particular order):

1. Halo series
2. Various Final Fantasy albums (especially when arranged for live concert performances *drool*)
3. Advent Rising
4. Civilization IV
5. Soul Calibur series
6. Metal Gear Solid series
7. Kingdom Hearts
8. Warcraft series
9. Everquest II
10. Medal of Honor series
0.0

i want to see that when it's done

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Re: Fav. Video Game Music

Post by FluteOfTheNewWorld » Wed Jan 09, 2008 11:21 am

D-Revolution wrote:Even though my first attendance of the "Video Games Live!" Concert at the Hollywood Bowl sparked my present search for more music from games, I've actually taken a notice of a rise in "real music" for video games back when I was a young(er) boy. I really feel that, now that I've discovered such amazing pieces of work, video game music still remains largely overlooked or ignored by people who believe themselves to be "music entrepreneurs." I have been trying to find ways to show the world that yes, besides being very fun to play, video games can be very fun to listen also.

I turned to the closest connection I have to the music world for help, my band director! =] I took the time to arrange and create a competitive field show concept that uses music from popular video games and showed it to him to see what he thought about it. For the opener I used the intro song to Soul Calibur II (Under the Star of Destiny), the ballad I used "Evacuating London" from Chronicles of Narnia, and the closer was a compilation of the main theme from the Metal Gear Solid series. We titled the show "Heroes of Destiny". He loved it we actually used the concept as our show in 2006! And because of that success, he basically let me help create the show we did in the 2007 season.

For the next marching season, I am going to break barriers with the concept I am currently working on by combining music from the classical style, video game soundtracks, movie music, and possibly showtunes and small allusions to pop culture/jazz(maybe?) and actually making it work hand in hand.

I can't really decide on which soundtracks as a whole are the best because I find that there are certain pieces I would especially like in the album and others that are okay, but are not as memorable to me as the others. So I'd say some of my favorite video game SONGS come from (in no particular order):

1. Halo series
2. Various Final Fantasy albums (especially when arranged for live concert performances *drool*)
3. Advent Rising
4. Civilization IV
5. Soul Calibur series
6. Metal Gear Solid series
7. Kingdom Hearts
8. Warcraft series
9. Everquest II
10. Medal of Honor series
Woah dude that's so cool that you arranged your bands field show music!! Awesome!
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Arranging

Post by D-Revolution » Wed Jan 09, 2008 7:40 pm

Well... it's not arranging as in notating it out myself. What I do is use songs and edit them and organize them into a show concept based on recordings or sound clips that I find from other sources. I present it to my director and than we discuss any modifications he wants to do and such and collaborate until we formed a final concept. Then he is the one who writes out and truly arranges for the band the concept. So each show is a joint effort by both of us! =P

Soon, though, I would want to start notating the arrangements myself and create shows all by myself. =]

If you want to see how this next project turns out you're gonna have to wait 'til next marching season when my band plays it! (I'll be gone because I'm a senior =/)
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Post by JuAnEeXXbOi06 » Sat Jan 12, 2008 1:34 pm

Ocarina of Time for sure.
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