#''He's a pirate'' : the theme that made me addicted to soundtracks | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

popmusicu · 3 years

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My favorite soundtracks from video games

Monkey Island: Main theme

What a suspenseful beginning. The slow buildup, the soft bongo, light percussion, and then.....BAM!!! All these beautiful instruments come together to create one of my favorite video game intros. It perfectly encapsulates the Monkey Island games and their aesthetic. In a humorous game inspired by the Pirates of the Caribbean theme park ride, what better soundtrack could there be than this, a so-called “pirate reggae” style of music?

Secret of Mana: The Color of the Summer Sky

Fun and sweet town tunes are a staple of RPGs, Dragon Quest, Illusion of Gaia, Super Mario RPG, etc, they all have them. But what makes Secret of Mana’s special to me is nostalgia. This was one of the first games I played and actually got really far in it without my siblings' help. All of its music and locations are so special, but the first time i heard the town theme stands out. Going from the wild fighting monsters to this warm and colorful village feels great, it immediately puts you in a cheery mood and even the shopkeepers can’t help but dance to it.

And it becomes even more special when contrasted to Phantom and a Rose, the sad theme that plays when you’re forced to leave the village.

Katamari Damacy: Katamari Mambo

I recommend this soundtrack for when you feel tired, I'm almost 100% sure it will give you energy.

The whole Katamari OST is something truly unique, and that’s because that was the intention of the music director Yuu Miyake. He and his team had complete control of the sound design in the game, so they focused on making whatever sounded good and fitted best. This resulted in a shibuya-key style album with jazz and samba influences that features vocals by many j-pop artists and anime voice actors.

I love this album so much, every song is so different from the last one, but they still all feel cohesive. My favorite has to be Katamari Mambo, something about it is so addicting to listen to. Ka-tama-ri Mambo de~

Doom: All of it

You are the Doom Slayer, woken from your slumber and in a mission to brutally destroy every demon that crosses your path. The soundtrack that accompanies you in your journey? Industrial Metal.

It’s just perfect.

Breath of the Wild: Stables and Kass‘ Theme

Breath of the Wild is probably my favorite game of all time, and the sound design is one of the many reasons why I love it.

The stables theme is so soothing and comforting, when you hear it you immediately know that you’re safe and there are people around. Every time I traveled to a new location and suddenly heard the guitar and bongo I got so excited because I didn't expect a stable to be there. Like when i was in the snowy mountains, low on health and thinking that i was all alone and about to die, but then i heard the stable theme and rushed to get there. It really helps cement the idea that while it seems like Hyrule is desolate, there are still small communities here and there, doing their own thing.

Super Mario Galaxy: Rosalina in the Observatory 2

This game makes me emotional, even though it’s not very plot heavy (because it’s a Mario game), Rosalina’s backstory impacted me a lot when i first played this game years ago. Going into the observatory and hearing this song before knowing the whole story is nice, but listening to it knowing what happened adds something more emotional to it for me. The fact that the ship and the Lumas became Rosalina’s home make this song bittersweet. The observatory is where she tells her story of being left alone in the galaxy which is very sad, but it’s also where the Lumas gather around and remind her that she’s not all alone after all. And i think this tune encapsulates that feeling, a little melancholic but hopeful and uplifting, and i really like it.

Life is Strange: Mountains - Message to Bears

Every time I play this part of the game and this song starts playing I tear up. I love this song not because it makes me happy or feel good, but because of the pressure it puts on my chest. The rapid beat and overwhelming instrumental simulate the anxiousness you feel when desperately hoping that Rachel is alive. And the lyrics only add to that feeling; they repeat, over and over, a promise to run away to something better or at least different, but in the end it stays as only an unfulfilled promise.

Ib: Game Over

The song’s name is actually El Sueño de la Muñeca by Agustín Barrios. I just think it’s so random that the creator of the game decided to use this as the game over theme. It’s such a nice guitar composition and i’m glad i found out about it through Ib.

Silent Hill 4: The Room: Drops of shame and The Suicidal Clock Chime

Paranoia in song form. Two great compositions by Akira Yamaoka for a pretty good game (in my opinion). The atmosphere in these songs is so suffocating, it emanates despair and the feeling of someone being near. The soundtrack of Silent Hill is a pretty big reason for me not finishing the games, I get too scared. But I love listening to the OST whenever because it makes for good background music.

Animal Crossing: K.K. Metal.

Of course, animal crossing is known for it’s amazing songs, especially the ones by the humble superstar K.K. Slider. He’s given us bops such as Bubblegum K.K, Stale Cupcakes, Rockin’ K.K, among others. All of them performed on guitar and accompanied only by his beautiful vocals.

So what does he do when performing a metal song and he needs to shred like on an electric guitar but he doesn’t have one? He sings the arpeggios. And it would be the cutest thing ever, except him howling right after wins the prize.

Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja 5: Opening Theme

In the beginning I said the opening of Monkey Island might be my favorite game intro, but actually, the Ultimate Ninja 5 OP is a strong contender for the top spot. That piano and ominous deep vocals in the very beginning used to be my favorite thing about this game, and i would actually close and open the game just to see the intro cutscene with naruto emanating red light and transforming into his four tailed fox. And then there’s of course the explosion of classic naruto action music, but mixed with something darker and some beautiful piano melodies.

Pokemon Sun and Moon: Abandoned Thrifty Megamart

This was a really cool part in Pokemon Moon. The song by itself would sound good, but very normal and typical, so the effects make it so much better. The background supermarket static effect is great, and also the fact that from time to time the sound will stop working in one of your earbuds is a fun touch. It all makes for the perfect song to a spooky part in the game where at the end of the section you find the best pokemon of all creeping on you, Mimikyu.

Touhou Project 8: Imperishable Night: Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke and Immaterial and Missing Power: Doll Judgement

Touhou has too many good songs, but for the sake of not making this 4k words long i decided to only include two.

Fujiwara no Mokou is my favorite Touhou character and her theme song is equally as cool as her. A little soft and forgiving in certain parts, but fast and exciting in others. Like all Touhou enemy songs it perfectly fits her attack patterns and is incredibly rhythmic and catchy. I also really like the arrangements fans make of this song, they’re so talented and transform these themes into something so different.

And speaking of arrangements, IaMP’s Doll Judgement is a jazz version of Alice’s original theme exclusive to the fighting game. When i first played IaMP and heard this version i had to search for it on youtube because i liked it so much. It’s so smooth and a little theatrical, and it keeps the sound that made the original such a classic for fans, so much so that i might even like it better than the original.

There are many other songs from video games that i love, but i don’t think i can mention them all without making this post 10 pages long, so i’m going to leave it to here.

-Violeta Silva

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