Video Game Music
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Music, now, is incredibly important to me. Late middle school, early high school, around that time, though, it was just video game tracks that I'd listen to. Enjoying that isn’t inherently bad or anything, but that was ALL I would listen to. Not good!
Sonic was my main gateway to ‘real music’. Crush 40 already inherently made me happy since I'd played SA2 over and over again as a kid, but it had the extra bonus of being close enough to what my Dad would listen to. Growing up, I’d hear KISS, Iron Maiden, Metallica, maybe a little bit of Bon Jovi on the car radio - all these likely subconsciously informed my future music taste.
A lot of games acted as this gateway for me; His World, one of my favorite Sonic themes, introduced me to Zebrahead, which eventually led to discovering more punk rock. Crazy Taxi and Tony Hawk, exposed me to The Offspring, and Goldfinger respectively, with me later getting into skate punk. Mostly punk lol :P
Unless I'm seeking it out specifically, I don't listen to all too much anymore, however. Some part of my mind seems to deliberately avoid it. Maybe fear of being tacky, or maybe a reminder of the box I put myself in, who knows.
This might be a bit of a nothingburger, but the point being! Video game music is rad, and acted as a launchpad for me to expand my horizons. There’s plenty of great music original to games and I wanna showcase some of my favorites here. I mostly wanna highlight more obscure tracks, maybe talk a little about ‘em a little. Anything more popular on here is probably something I have a lot of reverence for.
[Last Updated: 07/06/2025]
Arrangements
One of the first arrangement albums I came across!! I just think it's neat this is official, I dig the house feel. Overall for sure a tad messy - the voice samples in particular can be a bit much sometimes, but i dunno. i fw it. heehee! i got it!
| Title: | Circuit |
| Album: | Mario Kart 64 on Club Circuit |
| Release: | December 26, 1997 |
| Composer: | Kenta Nagata |
| Arrangement: | AKOUST |
Gonna vaguely attempt to organize these by series. Absolutley one of my favorite mario themes, and I love this rendition.. just so joyous and pleasent
| Title: | Mario Adventures I (Main BGM #1) |
| Album: | Super Mario Land |
| Release: | September 1, 1989 |
| Composer: | Hirokazu Tanaka |
| Arrangement: | Ikuro Fugiwara |
I think I just really enjoy these wholly different takes on songs I know so well. These early 90s renditions expirement in really interesting ways. its rad!! :D
<-- the text is SO small.. its too late to fix it ;;
| Title: | Title Theme |
| Album: | The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time Re-Arranged Album |
| Release: | December 22, 1999 |
| Composer: | Koji Kondo |
| Arrangement: | MOKA |
f-zero and jazz is just kinda always rad. Don't have a ton to say about it, but overall this is one of the more intresting albums. check out the whole thing!
| Title: | Fire Field |
| Album: | F-ZERO |
| Release: | March 25, 1992 |
| Composer: | Yumiko Kanki, Naoto Ishida |
| Arrangement: | Robert Hill, Michiko Hill |
OUGHHHH its SO good, my favorite arrangement album by far. X's OST is my favorite in the series, and this builds ontop of it in the best way possible. Imagine a new F-Zero game with a soundtrack like this...
| Title: | Crazy Call at Cry |
| Album: | F-ZERO X Guitar Arrange Edition |
| Release: | January 27, 1999 |
| Composer: | Taro Bando |
| Arrangement: | Ryuichi Katsumata |
(probably more recognizable as big blue) the drums are this one are fucking crazy??
| Title: | Decide in the Eyes |
| Album: | F-ZERO X Guitar Arrange Edition |
| Release: | January 27, 1999 |
| Composer: | Naoto Ishida |
| Arrangement: | Ryuichi Katsumata, Taro Bando |
| Title: | Climb Up! And Get The Last Chance! |
| Album: | F-ZERO X Guitar Arrange Edition |
| Release: | January 27, 1999 |
| Composer: | Taro Bando |
| Arrangement: | Ryuichi Katsumata |
Mute City!! this one too has crazy drums. I've learned the drummer's name is Soul Toul, and thats fucking awesome.
| Title: | Endless Challenge |
| Album: | F-ZERO X Guitar Arrange Edition |
| Release: | January 27, 1999 |
| Composer: | Yumiko Kameya |
| Arrangement: | Ryuichi Katsumata, Taro Bando |
Dream chaser is SUCH a good song dude. i wish the Climax rendition got a version like this. i like hearing the teeny tiny orchestra hits in the background
okay end of f-zero blast
| Title: | Dream Chaser |
| Album: | F-ZERO X Guitar Arrange Edition |
| Release: | January 27, 1999 |
| Composer: | Taro Bando |
| Arrangement: | Ryuichi Katsumata |
SONIC BLAST !! I don't really fw most of this album but this one's interesting... pretty much an entirely new song with open your heart as a base
| Title: | Open Your Heart (Main Theme of Sonic Adventure) |
| Album: | Sonic Adventure Remix |
| Release: | December 16, 1998 |
| Composer: | Crush 40 |
| Arrangement: | Chris Vrenna, Mark Blasques |
Obligatory that I put this here. the Crush 40 version on this album is super interesting, but absolutely pales in comparison. neat that it changes the perspective of the song though. Regardless, i think i prefer the original overall.
| Title: | HIS WORLD (Zebrahead Version) |
| Album: | Sonic the Hedgehog Vocal Traxx: Several Wills |
| Release: | January 10, 2007 |
| Composer: | Tomoya Ohtani, Ali Tabatabaee, Matty Lewis |
| Arrangement: | Zebrahead |
PEAKK!!!! this albums awesome, i love Sonic CD so much. I've listened to this way more then cosmic eternity (the song its based off).
| Title: | When we reach for you~Could it be right~ |
| Album: | Sonic the Hedgehog - Remix |
| Release: | December 7, 1994 |
| Composer: | Naofumi Hataya |
| Arrangement: | Naofumi Hataya, Yasu |
sonic cd bonus stage music makes my brain tingle in myserious ways..
| Title: | #8th SPACE |
| Album: | Sonic the Hedgehog - Remix |
| Release: | December 7, 1994 |
| Composer: | Masafumi Ogata |
| Arrangement: | Masafumi Ogata |
ive run out of insightful commentary about these. i like this one.
| Title: | Love You "Sonic" |
| Album: | Sonic the Hedgehog - Remix |
| Release: | December 7, 1994 |
| Composer: | Naofumi Hataya |
| Arrangement: | Naofumi Hataya, Yasu |
I've yet to play the msx metal gear games.... fake fan... but this is rad as hell, it transforms the original in a neat way. Also wowwee!! this one really really displays that I shouldn't have formatted it like this. so small.
| Title: | Return of Foxhounder (Arranged Version) |
| Album: | Metal Gear >> Solid Snake Music Compilation of Hideo Kojima / Red Disc |
| Release: | December 23, 1998 |
| Composer: | Iku Mizutani, Shigehiro Takenouchi, Motoaki Furukawa |
| Arrangement: | Kanichiroo Kubo |
Im pretty sure i just like the chiptune arrangements a lot. they almost alwasy capture the original song while also doing unique stuff.
| Title: | Divine Bloodlines ~Akumajo Dracula X: Chi no Rondo (PC-Engine)~ |
| Album: | Akumajo Dracula Tribute Vol. 1 |
| Release: | January 13, 2011 |
| Composer: | Michiru Yamane |
| Arrangement: | Yousuke Yasui |
chiptune is rad but the 90s rock albums.... GODD theyre so good.
| Title: | Beginning |
| Album: | Perfect Selection Dracula Battle |
| Release: | July 21, 1994 |
| Composer: | Hidenori Maezawa |
| Arrangement: | Naoto Shibata |