Where has all the good video game music gone?
Tuesday, May 22nd, 2007 at 1:29pm by Blake
It’s not often one comes across good original video game music. The last memorable (and new) score I think I heard was Shadow of the Colossus from 2005… until today. Enter my new favorite (what I think is) orignal game music; the Dinner Dash: Sizzle & Serve theme for DS.
While I can’t speak for the game (out tomorrow, preview here, and it sounds cool), the music is just banging. Maybe I’m smoking crack, or this is a testament of my ultimate nerddom, but I love this theme music (right click to save). I freakin’ love it! We’ll be playing this for sure on this week’s podcast.
Which begs my next question: Where has all the good video game music gone?
May 22nd, 2007 at 1:39 pm
I enjoyed the Elebits music and some of the tracks in Super Paper Mario. And of course, Wii Shop!!!
May 22nd, 2007 at 1:44 pm
@Kokernutz,
I almost forgot. Elebits is awesome original music. Didn’t care too much for Super Paper Mario.
Does Wii Shop music count as game music?
May 22nd, 2007 at 1:46 pm
Just cause origional game music is few nowadays, that doesn’t mean it isn’t good, I thought the music on TP was amazing, and the remixed version of the menu theme from SSBM, on SSBB sounds far superior to the origional.
May 22nd, 2007 at 2:01 pm
What about that ace attorney you played at the end of a couple podcasts? I haven’t played them yet, but they sure sound sweet!
May 22nd, 2007 at 2:07 pm
@Streex
Yeah, Ace Attorney as well. Perhaps I spoke (asked) to soon. But I’ll be darned if there are just as many good soundtracks today as there were back in the day. Licensed music is taking over.
May 22nd, 2007 at 2:09 pm
I’m a HUGE video game music fanatic… and I haven’t really heard a lot of amazing tunes. I was even a bit disappointed with Twilight Princess, past the preview music and a select few from the game. But yeah, it can be a little disappointing nowadays
May 22nd, 2007 at 2:13 pm
Killer 7 had awesome music.
May 22nd, 2007 at 2:48 pm
I’ve always liked the Animal Crossing music, but more so on the DS. The theme song always puts me in a good mood =]
I like all the Wii sounds, too. The Photo Channel, the Shop Channel, the Weather Channel, etc. I have mp3s of all of them saved to my computer =P
May 22nd, 2007 at 3:11 pm
Haha, where has it all gone, you ask?
It’s all going to one game: Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
Just check out the new site!
Moreover, notice how it says there will be DAILY updates!
May 22nd, 2007 at 3:50 pm
I have to agree with this article 100%. It’s very very very rare to see a game accompanied with great original tracks.
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May 22nd, 2007 at 4:12 pm
Pokemon Diamond has some good music. Oh, and Diner Dash is really fun, I played it a ton on my mobile.
May 22nd, 2007 at 4:12 pm
Kororinpa had some awesome tracks. A few 8-bit noises, too.
May 22nd, 2007 at 4:19 pm
yeah….good game music has fallen off the past 5 years. Take a look at how many composers are working on SSBB. There’s like 30 good’ol music guys workin on that title.
That’s why I hope everyone will like the new web radio coming in late May. It’ll bring all the good stuff back. A station for the fanbase, by the fanbase…Nintendo Music LIVE!!!
May 22nd, 2007 at 4:37 pm
My wife plays Wii Sports boxing simply to hear that music after the round’s over. Kinda upbeat, I guess.
May 22nd, 2007 at 4:38 pm
Not really much console stuff, but ancient C=64 and Amiga classics by legendary Chris Huelsbeck here (and legal too):
http://www.garageband.com/artist/huelsbeck
May 22nd, 2007 at 5:51 pm
Sonic Rush has one of the best soundtracks in videogame history. Sonic Rush adventure is coming out soon. ish. I just hope the same dude does the music.
May 22nd, 2007 at 6:13 pm
Mario Kart DS had a good one; Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin had a great one (as always, Trauma Center: Second Opinion has a few good themes. What else… oh! SSX Blur had a really great soundtrack, as always.
May 22nd, 2007 at 6:15 pm
Crap, forgot it parsed that as HTML. The Wordpress guys should fix that; it’s easy to do…
Supposed to read:
“Mario Kart DS had a good one; Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin had a great one (as always, <3 Michiru Yamane). Trauma Center: Second Opinion has a few good themes. What else… oh! SSX Blur had a really great soundtrack, as always.
May 22nd, 2007 at 7:11 pm
Smash Bros. Brawl will have the best music ever!
Nearly every Japanese video game composer is contributing to it.
May 22nd, 2007 at 7:17 pm
Some of my absolute favorite videogame music of the past 5 years includes F-Zero GX and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. I love F-Zero’s Big Blue theme, and Wind Waker’s boss fights (Molgera) were much more enjoyable simply because of the music.
But Beyond Good & Evil’s music was incredible. If this music was for a movie instead, I could see it garnering a “Best Original Score” nomination at the Oscars.. and I could see it winning. This music alone made the price of the game worthwhile.
May 22nd, 2007 at 7:51 pm
The Phoenix Wright series stole it all.
May 23rd, 2007 at 12:26 pm
Only one name for the best Game Music in the last Years:
OKAMI
May 23rd, 2007 at 5:35 pm
The Silent Hill Series has had consistently excellent original soundtracks.
As for the overall decline in video game music quality, I attribute it to the movement away from midis and towards pre-recorded tracks.
The old-school midi format kind of forced composers to create music that was melodious and catchy.
July 17th, 2007 at 8:19 pm
Blast Corps for N64 has the best video game music ever conceived. Period.