National Video Games Day: Our Favourite Gaming Soundtracks
Saturday 12th September marks National Video Games Day! While gamers over the world take a moment to talk about the games that shaped their childhoods, sparked their love of gaming or simply consumed far too many hours of their lives, we’ve decided to take a slightly different route. As a music label, there was really only one direction we could go... soundtracks, obviously!
We asked a few members of our team which video game soundtracks have really stood out to them over the years.
From emotional scores that stayed with them long after the credits rolled, to tracks that have found their way onto their everyday playlists and now provide the soundtrack to their life admin tasks at home. I mean what's better than doing DIY to The Sims music?
Sit back, relax and check out what video game soundtracks five of our team members keep coming back to.
1) What’s your all-time favourite video game soundtrack?
It's tough to narrow down, but one that is up at the top of my list is Ori and the Will of the Wisps, a metroidvania game and a sequel to the equally as amazing, Ori and the Blind Forest. The soundtrack for both games was composed by Gareth Coker and is fully orchestral in its production, it's just pure bliss.
2) What particular track stands out to you in that game, and why?
Definitely Escaping a Foul Presence. This piece accompanies one of the game’s chase sequences, taking Ori’s familiar motif, which is usually light and airy, then completely transforming it to match the urgency of what's happening. It's why Coker is one of my favourite soundtrack composers, as he takes a motif and reorchestrates it to reflect the situation that Ori is in.
3) What video game soundtrack brings back the strongest memories for you?
I think mine would have to be the soundtrack to Banjo-Kazooie on the Nintendo 64. Back then, at least for me as a kid in the late 90s, when I got a selection of games, that was pretty much all I could have until the next Christmas or birthday. So I tended to really get the money's worth out of the ones I had, and Banjo Kazooie was one of them.
4) Is there a piece of music that you still listen to outside of the game?
Rootin' Tootin' Cowboy Shootin' 2. The Red Dead Redemption 2 soundtrack is one I definitely can just put on in the background. Mountain Hymn with vocals from Rhiannon Giddens is one of my favourites.
5) What’s a game where you think the music genuinely makes the experience better?
Definitely Cyberpunk 2077. The soundtrack for that game is incredible, and honestly, I think it would be worse off without that style.
6) What’s your guilty-pleasure video game track
Sayonara Wild Hearts. It’s essentially a pop album disguised as a rhythm video game, with each level playing out like its own interactive music video. You’ll end up battling 'bosses' inspired by the Major Arcana, swinging swords and firing lasers while racing around on motorcycles and skateboards... all perfectly synced to the music!
The most unexpected part? It’s narrated by Queen Latifah! 👏
1) What’s your all-time favourite video game soundtrack?
The Streets of Rage 2 soundtrack, composed by Motohiro Kawashima and Yuzo Koshiro, was a fusion of early ’90s Techno, House, Breakbeat and EDM. I’d never heard anything like it before on the Sega Mega Drive. It was only a 16-bit console, so to hear those beating basslines, pounding rhythms and pulse driven dance tunes coming out of it was unreal for the time.
I think that soundtrack probably played a big part in shaping my love for electronic music.
2) What particular track stands out to you in that game, and why?
My favourite track would probably be the opening intro track. It really sets the tone with its calm, slow-paced dance rhythm. Also of note is Expander, which had a much heavier and faster-paced club sound.
3) What video game soundtrack brings back the strongest memories for you?
Sonic the Hedgehog’s Green Hill Zone takes me right back to being a kid, playing the Sega Mega Drive with my two brothers. We would all sit around the TV in our bedroom and play that game for hours, only really breaking for food. I remember first playing it on a black-and-white TV before we could afford a colour one.
4) Have you ever found a piece of music through a video game that you still listen to outside of gaming?
I still listen to the Quake 2 soundtrack when weight training in the gym. The first Quake OST was produced by Trent Reznor, and it was an injection of industrial, heavy-metal beats and guitars played at breakneck speeds. It fit the game perfectly!
5) What’s your guilty-pleasure video game track?
A guilty pleasure soundtrack for me would be the original Jet Set Radio on the Sega Dreamcast, with music by Hideki Naganuma. It was an energetic mix of electronic dance, hip-hop, funk, pop, trip-hop and even acid jazz. It was fresh.
1) What’s your all-time favourite video game soundtrack?
A tough decision but I’m going to say Persona 5. The quirky acid jazz just sets the tone of the game so perfectly. It’s not a style of music I’d listen to outside of the game but I can’t think of a soundtrack that fits a game better. Close runner up is Cyberpunk 2077.
2) What particular track stands out to you in that game, and why?
It has to be Snake Eater from MGS3 by Cynthia Harrell. It’s the main theme for the game but comes in gently during the final boss fight and it’s just perfectly done. If it wasn’t for the fact that the lyrics get a bit weird and start going on about eating tree frogs etc it could easily be Bond theme level music. (Although, said weirdness absolutely suits the game)
3) What video game soundtrack brings back the strongest memories for you?
Sonic 2, it was probably the thing I played most as a kid on the Mega Drive, and the music for each level is just so distinctive. Instant nostalgia from the first note. Also, bonus mention for the Konami intro music when you load up MGS1 on PS1, another instant nostalgia.
4) Have you ever found a piece of music through a video game that you still listen to outside of gaming?
It's rare I listen to game music outside of the game, but I have some of the music from Skyrim on an ambient playlist I sometimes have on when reading.
5) What’s your guilty-pleasure video game track?
Again, probably Snake Eater from MGS3, despite some of weird, cheesy lyrics, I can’t help but like it.
6) What game soundtrack do you think is completely underrated?
Final Fantasy 10, another soundtrack that really suits the tone of the game with lots of really distinctive tracks.
And that’s all we have space for! Have a fantastic National Video Game Day, celebrating the work of not only the talented developers and story writers, but also the incredible musicians and composers who bring these games to life!
1) What’s your all-time favourite video game soundtrack?
If anyone knows me, they'll know the answer to this - Stardew Valley. I'd love to go to the Symphony of Seasons orchestral performance when it tours again.
2) What particular track stands out to you in that game, and why?
Probably the Winter track. I always know it's going to be more chilled gameplay time when Winter starts when I'm not constantly rushing to plant crops!
3) What video game soundtrack brings back the strongest memories for you?
James Pond: Codename Robocod. I played this constantly as a kid and I still remembered most of the levels when I've emulated it.
4) Have you ever found a piece of music through a video game that you still listen to outside of gaming?
I listen to a lot of lofi versions of gaming music - Minecraft, Stardew Valley, Pokemon and Zelda especially - while reading or working. Lofi Lia and GameChops are some of my favourite artists.
5) What game soundtrack do you think is completely underrated?
Although I haven't played them yet - I've watched other people play them - I'd say Undertale and Deltarune. The Sally Face soundtrack is also great.
1) What’s your all-time favourite video game soundtrack?
Picking just one is really hard, it's certainly one of those answers that’ll change everyday depending on the mood, so I will give a little selection of some of my recent favourites.
Hollow Knight
Final Fantasy 16
Monster Hunter World
Alan Wake 2
2) What particular track stands out to you in that game, and why?
For Hollow Knight - Probably ‘Dirtmouth’ the game's sort of Hub area town music, it has a such nostalgic and melancholy vibe to it, that embodies the sort of isolation and loneliness you can feel at the start of the game, yet still with hints of hopefulness.
For FF16 - ‘Accension’ i could have picked any of the boss themes from that game, but i feel ascension does such a good job of reaching the intensity required for one of the biggest spectacle boss fights. It really gives me chills listening back to it. The track that follows it “Away” is also spectacular
For Monster Hunter World - The rendition of “Proof of a hero” that plays during the final section of the final battle against one of the toughest fights of the entire series, so triumphant and empowering.
For Alan Wake 2 - Alan Wake 2 blends music and gameplay so incredibly well, every chapter has its own original outro track composed by an array of different artists. But my favourite has to be 'Herald Of Darkness' for how creative and catchy it is, its story relevance and how it intertwines and interacts with the gameplay
3) What video game soundtrack brings back the strongest memories for you?
If I'm thinking nostalgically, the game soundtracks that really take me back to when I was younger are Crash Twinsanity and Rayman 3. Both are really creative and catchy and unique and are brimming with nostalgia for me. Crash Twinsanity probably has some of the most engrained ear worms of any game I've played.
4) Have you ever found a piece of music through a video game that you still listen to outside of gaming?
I listen to all sorts of game music outside of games, anything I've mentioned previously I listen to outside of the game, but I'll also list a few more honourable mentions of games that have amazing soundtracks.
Monster Train
Spelunky
The Binding Of Isaac
Hades 1 & 2
Yugioh - Forbidden Memories & Duelist of the Roses
Max Payne 3
Pokemon Legends Arceus
Armoured Core 6
Bayonetta 3
Bloodborne
Entirety of the Sonic The Hedgehog franchise
Silent Hill 3
Mewgenics
Mina The Hollower
5) What’s your guilty-pleasure video game track?
I regularly crank the Undertale Boss themes up incredibly loud and blast them out of my speakers, actually going to the Undertale Symphony in Manchester later this month as well.
Anything Call Of Duty Zombies related as well, even from the newer entries.
Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix+.
And that’s a wrap! We hope you have a fantastic day celebrating your favourite games, whether they’re nostalgic classics or those brand new adventures that have been sitting on your shelves!
