This page is where I would like to list my favourite Nintendo and other video game music.
In the era of Atari 2600, video game music began to arise. Most of it, at the time, was quite primative, due to memory limitations on cartidges. With the advent of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), with a much larger available memory, games began to have distinctive soundtracks, many of which we now know and love. The composers who crafted the songs for NES cartidges had to code their music in some very unfamiliar ways. It was not like modern MIDI composition, but much less graphical. Anyway, I don't want to get too deep in the gritty details.
Here is a list of my favourite NES soundtracks:
10. Marble Madness - David Wise
This cartidge's soundtrack really got me in the mood to race through cubist and surrealist mazes. The game itself is enjoyable but not high replayable, but the music is one thing that didn't get old too fast for me.
9. Metroid - Hirokazu Tanaka
Not only was Metroid an enjoyable and involved game, but the music was very representative of the genre and mood of the game. If you like the soundtrack from Metroid and you also like metal music, I recommend checking out the Metroid Metal Project by Stemage.
8. Contra - Hidenori Maezawa and Kiyohiro Sada
Also a great game, the music included on the NES cartidge for Contra is an absolute blast. Only one track, to my recollection was repeated. Perfect blood-pumping music for blasting evil militant space aliens.
7. Chip 'N Dale Rescue Rangers - Harumi Fujita
I think that this game was often overlooked, perhaps due to the Disney link. The music in the game was certainly above par, especially the Casino level.
6. Dr. Mario - Hirokazu Tanaka
With puzzle-oriented games, the music is perhaps more important than in action games, because so much time is spent doing absolutely repeatative tasks. The soundtrack to Dr. Mario allows the player to choose from some groovy music, that is less repeatative than most game titles. Sometimes I find myself humming the music from Dr. Mario without thinking of what I am doing, even decades after playing the game.
5. The Legend of Zelda - Koji Kondo
Many children my age grew up navigating Link through dark passages and labrynths, and the music from this game is iconic for us. The epic feeling of the overworld music and the menacing tone of the underworld music, as well as the melancholy of the continue/retry screen make this game stand out from other adventure games. It was even more impressive considering the early date of the game.
4. Super Mario Bros. - Koji Kondo
It may seem cliche, but the overworld, underworld, water, and castle themes from this cartidge are true classics. I really believe that the music helped to sell the game. Not only was each theme song easily identifiable, but they varied so much from one another in style, that it was hard to believe that one composer did it all.
3. Crystalis - Yoko Osaka
Not only is this one of my favourite games to play for the strategic and adventure aspects, but the game also has an excellent story line and a great soundtrack. I think that Yoko Osaka may be one of the most under-rated game composers of the era. The themes from Mount Sabre and the Angry Sea are especially hard rocking.
2. Wizards and Warriors - David Wise
An homage to the theme from this cartidge is included in the Khereb song "Dionysus." Each theme included in the game really makes me want to go slash at monsters with my sword.
1. Silver Surfer - Tim Follin and Geoff Follin
The Silver Surfer game is infamous for being one of the most difficult challenges for the NES, often too frustrating for gamers to consider worth their time; however, the soundtrack of the game is inarguably one of the most technologically advanced for the system and possibly for the era. The first time I plugged this cartidge into my NES, I thought Joe Satriani had somehow been recorded and digitized especially for the game. Satch was not involved, though, but I am certain that he played some influence on the Follins' compositions.
Very honourable mentions:
Duck Tales - Hiroshige Tonomura
Castlevania - Kinuyo Yamashita and Satoe Terashima
Batman - Naoki Kodaka and Nobuyuki Hara
Faxanadu - Jun Chuikuma
Dragon Warrior - Koichi Sugiyama
Star Tropics - Y Hirai
Mega Man - Manami Matsumae
Castlevania II - Kenichi Matsubara
Mega Man II - Takashi Tateishi
Super Mario Bros. III - Koji Kondo
Super Mario Bros. II - Koji Kondo
Tetris - Hirokazu Tanaka / Pyotr Ilyich Tchikovsky
Other Notable NES Soundtracks:
Double Dragon
Double Dragon II
Punch Out!
Final Fantasy
Guardian Legend
Beetlejuice
River City Ransom
Zelda II - The Adventure of Link
Spy vs Spy
I'm sure there are also a few NES games that I had not played first hand with excellent sound tracks, one example being "Journey to Silius."
Feel free to comment is you disagree with my list. I am open to suggestions, and wouldn't mind checking out some soundtracks that I might have overlooked.
Aside from Nintendo, I also like the soundtracks from Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, and Defenders of the Oasis (Sega) quite a bit.