When Music Makes the Moment

Written by Ryan Johnson (RyanDJ) Friday, 08 July 2011 11:00

Recently, GoozerNation's own Mike Deenen linked the rest of us to a Billboard article entitled "The 25 Best Video Game Songs Ever". While an opinion, and a worthwhile one at that, they intentionally limited themselves to direct tracks that have been created/recorded by bands that have been popular on the radio. No MIDIs, no covers or readaptations, merely what they classified as "real songs".

I genuinely feel that they missed out on a lot by limiting themselves there. Yes, they cater to a different audience: the music crowd. But in a list of 25 songs, 90 percent of them came from either Tony Hawk, Grand Theft Auto, or music games such as Guitar Hero. There are many games in which the music makes the moment. You may have fun if you were a deaf gamer, yes, but the emotional outpouring that a good score crafts within a game can sometimes even trump the end-product gameplay. Therefore, I now present to you my personal list of Music Moments: where the background audio ultimately crafted the memory that I now cherish forever.

Metal Gear Solid 2's Main Theme

Before everyone was tricked with the now infamous Raiden Swap, there was an epic intro song crafted by Hollywood great Harry Gregson-Williams and sculpted to an amazing action scene, I went out and bought the soundtrack for this song and Yell Dead Cell, the Raiden level's boss battle theme. Then, of course, in the next game, we get....Snake Eater? I'm a Bond fan, and it felt like it was headed that way, but....well, it just didn't reach the majesty and memory that I have from MGS2.

Katamari Damacy: Intro Theme Song

While the rest of the game has many memorable songs, this is the only game that I watched the intro to every time I booted it up. If a friend wanted to know what the game was about, or how it felt, I started the intro. The memory card select screen's simple Na-Nah's popping into my head were enough to make me start imagining my work desk becoming clean via a rolling ball of sticky fun. The song embodies the game, and the game would not be the same without it.

Elite Beat Agents: Jumpin' Jack Flash

If you were really into this game, the final number was choreographed perfectly into the setting. As all is lost, the beat rises. Slowly, hope returns, and you begin feeling the rhythm. As our heroes return to save the day, the rockin' guitar blasts onto the scene. I have mastered my EBA DS cartridge, yet I still find myself going back to it, and the first thing I do is take another crack at the final level: it's a gas, gas, gas!!!

SSX Tricky: Finished Symphony

SSX 3 did it's best to become more of a "raw" experience, and a lot of things we see about the new SSX are trending that way as well. Tricky was definitely against that grain. Full of loud, poppy music and neon backgrounds, suddenly we unlock the Final Track. Whisked to the top of the mountain in a helicopter whilst beautiful violin music swells, to be dropped onto the mountain at the perfect dropbeat of the main song just set this in my memory permanently. Plus, the AMAZING music engine developed by the team caused the tunes to swell and grow the better you performed. This song was what pushed me to be a master of this particular course. (and for sticklers, this pic is from SSX3, I know, but I can't find an Interweb pic of the Untracked mountain from Tricky at the moment)

Honorable Mention: Most 8 or 16-bit jingles

As I started truly gaming in the Nintendo era, a lot of music didn't start until then. I loved Pitfall!, but there was no music. The "you just won a level" tune from Mario 1...the opening to the Rocketeer....the MIDI of Chip 'n' Dale....Zelda....Aladdin on the Genesis...most every game you have a memory of from that era has a song that I guarantee you could hum when asked.

Now, I know I've missed a lot. This is what I spat out off the top of my head after reading the aforementioned article. I have enough opinions of gaming music I could turn this into a series. Music makes the game a LOT for me. As an RPG nut, I could give a memory from just about any Final Fantasy that makes the game (a certain opera, the symphony of the first CD based edition). In fact, I guarantee there will be at least one more article on this. How about you? What games are forever in your heart thanks to an amazing soundtrack? Sound off in the comments, and I could add it into the next feature. Or better yet, go back to the top of the article, sign in, and write your own list to feature here on the site!

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