My top 5 favorite video game soundtracks

 

I love music. It's my personal favorite form of art. It enhances almost any scenario to be bigger or better or more emotional. Music is one of the reasons I was drawn to some of my hobbies like Musical Theatre and Singing. 

I also love Video Games. They combine so many different forms of art into one cohesive whole. Drawing, animation, writing, character design, directing, acting, and of course music. Similarly to music, most of my interest in these fields stem from Video Games. 

Today I want to share my favorite video game soundtracks. Whether I listened to them in childhood or in recent years, each one on this list enhances its game to great heights.

Honorable Mentions

Before I get into my top picks, I'd like to list some soundtracks I love that barely didn't get on the list.

Pokemon Black and White

I would say that Pokemon Black and White has the most dynamic soundtrack in the series. The way certain town themes change as you talk to musicians or how some tracks kick in at dire moments makes each action in this game all the more impactful.

 

Xenoblade Chronicles 2

I was surprised by how much I found myself thinking of and humming this music. It's a wonderfully composed soundtrack with big comebacks and soothing melodies.

 

The Mario Kart Series

I couldn't make a list like this without mentioning Mario Kart. The music of the series keeps you going fast and pumps you up for some whimsical fun. Mario Kart Wii stands out for tracks like Coconut Mall and Rainbow Road.

Kirby Superstar Ultra

Kirby music is always super fun and Superstar Ultra is one of the best examples of that. It captures all the fun and cuteness of Kirby without skimping out on the intense boss themes.  

5: Pokemon Platinum

This is the soundtrack I listen to when I want to feel relaxed. Platinum was my very first Pokemon game and even though it's not my favorite game overall, I'd have to say it's my favorite soundtrack. There isn't anything quite like it within the Pokemon series.

The best way I can describe how I feel about this soundtrack is that when I listen to it, it feels like I'm coming home. The soft piano plays throughout the entire region and serves as the core of this soundtrack. Twinleaf Town is the embodiment of what I described. The slow and calm sound of a small town.

That's not to say it's all relaxing though. Mt. Coronet's upper levels hosts a track that embodies danger and mysticism. It suggest a power beyond imagination awaits as you climb the mountain. The Champion theme put's power at the forefront as you face your toughest opponent yet. A fitting theme for the most difficult champion in the series.

The big takeaway from the soundtrack I get is that it makes the region of Sinnoh feel like home. There isn't another place in games that feels quite as comforting to me. It's a big achievement for Pokemon music that after all this time from Red and Blue that the series was still able to capture the peacefulness of home.

 

4: Undertale

This one feels natural for a top music list. Undertale is an indie game developed by Toby Fox and released in 2015. The entire game was developed by him, including the music. His work on Undertale instantly cemented him in the composer hall of fame.

Undertale's soundtrack fits perfectly with every moment in the game. Toby is a master at giving each setting and character a fitting theme. Home is an especially good track that shows off this strength. It embodies its name wholeheartedly and makes you feel safe.

Character themes are equally special. Papyrus' theme is whimsical and lighthearted, Undyne's is passionate, aggressive, and steady,  Sans' is chill and lazy. We can hear the personality of each character through their music.

The strongest aspect of the Undertale soundtrack is the heavy use of leitmotifs. Leitmotifs are the backbone of what makes this soundtrack work as a whole. His Theme is a common melody played throughout the game in various songs, so when you get to the point of hearing it the song feels like what the game has been building towards. Leitmotifs pop up in other ways as well such as whenever you go through the Waterfall area and hear Undyne's theme or when you traverse Hotland and jam to Mettaton's theme.

3: Persona 5 Royal

Persona 5 Royal's soundtrack is mostly tracks from the original persona 5 so I'll treat the two as the same thing for the most part. Persona 5R's soundtrack emphasizes the style of it's game, consisting mostly of its own jazz/rock style. You can hear the influence of jazz all throughout the game.

Each track is striking and unique. One minute you're running around Shibuya listening to the energetic day theme, the next you hear the soft and home like feel of Beneath the mask, and the next your taking on enemies to the smooth energy of Last Surprise. Persona 5R achieves a balance with all of its tracks, each one uniquely brilliant while being recognizable as a Persona 5 track.

Some of my favorites in this soundtrack consist of the vocal themes. Persona  has always done excellent work with their vocals but this soundtrack is a standout amongst them. Special mention to the vocal tracks added in Persona 5R as they hype you up so much and are packed with meaning. I believe being one of my personal favorites.

2: Sonic Adventure 2

I was uncertain about my placement for most of this list. However there were two soundtracks that I knew from the beginning would be the top 2. Sonic Adventure 2 is one of those picks.

Sonic Adventure 2's soundtrack largely consist of music themed around it's characters. Each stage's music is not so much what ambient sounds or tense scenario would sound like, rather it's more like what the character would be listening to with headphones in. This gives the soundtrack a unique kind of energy as the characters in Sonic games are vibrant and over the top.

Sonic listens to rock and roll plain and simple. His stages have a fast beat with an uplifting tone. It's like the songs are saying "Cmon lets get moving!" which is perfect for his playstyle. Tails is similar since he looks up to Sonic except more mellow and reassuring as if Tails is trying to boost his own confidence. 

Knuckles listens to jazz with a bit of rap mixed in as he searches for the emeralds, his lyrics very literally describing his situation. Rouge also listens to jazz except it's a bit more soft without the rap influences.

Eggman has very hard electronic music, methodically drumming in the background boosting his own ego. Shadow's music has a lot of grunge and distortion, giving a glimpse of his troubled mind.

This approach ends up giving insight into what the characters are thinking at the moment without a single line of dialogue. Not to mention that the music is just so fun on it's own. I can't resist singing along to city escape whenever it shows up on my playlist.

1: Super Mario Galaxy   

I adore this soundtrack. It's my favorite set of music. Whenever I start feeling down I can always boot up the Starbit Festival and just imagine the starry sky above with starbits raining down. It is my happy place.

Mario Galaxy was the first Mario game to use a full orchestra to compose and record the soundtrack. The composers went for a sound more grand than ever before. A soundtrack befitting the stars.

It's not all grand, Super Mario Galaxy knows exactly when to use less for a bigger impact. Anyone who read the Rosalina storybook chapters felt the impact of the lullaby like track. The first planet you visit after the festival is a quiet place so they only use a faint piano track, emphasizing the emptiness of space. The comet observatory track has a home like vibe, a safe and warm waltz that I REALLY want to slow dance to one day.

When the soundtrack does go big, the effects are MASSIVE. Good Egg galaxy sets the stage for an epic adventure. Buoy Base only appears once in the game and yet it's distinctly tense, like you're infiltrating a high security base. Gusty Garden Galaxy is one of the most iconic Mario songs with its perfect blend of grand orchestra and distinct Mario sound.

All of these soundtracks hold a place close to my heart. The music of a game is one of my favorite aspects of it, and a good soundtrack can elevate a good game to a great one. I'm glad I can remember my favorite moments in gaming by sitting back and playing some good tunes.