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Top 10 NES Original Soundtracks (OSTs) [top ten]
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And we’re back, this time with my top 10 NES original soundtracks! Yeah yeah I know, I’m doing things out of order here, sue me. Awhile back I posted my Top 10 SNES Original Soundtracks (OSTs), because the SNES is the best thing ever and its music was doubly so, but I felt like the good ol’ classic 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System deserved its day to shine as well. So here we are. I’m not going to go into another long spiel about my connection to and appreciation of video game music as a whole, you can read about that in my top 10 SNES original soundtracks list. The quick version is that I have been a musician since my youth, I’m working on my own video game soundtrack, and I love video game music, a lot. 
This is where it all began.I also love the NES, which was really the first time that I began to see the true potential in video games. Sure, I had played many video games before it, from arcade games to Atari games to TI computer games and more, but the NES came along and changed everything, due in no small part to a little plumber named Mario. I may view the Super Nintendo as my favorite system of all-time, but the NES still has a special place in my heart. Anyway, you didn’t come here for this, you came here for music. So let’s get to the list! Like last time, I have a self-imposed rule for this list; I will only choose one soundtrack per franchise. Otherwise a few key franchises (Mega Man) might overrun the entire list, and that would not be fun, would it? I’m also choosing one song to post with each soundtrack, but this is not a best songs list, it is a best soundtracks list. The chosen song is meant only to give a taste of what the soundtrack has to offer. So let’s go already! |
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09/25/13, 23:09 Edited: 09/26/13, 02:51
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I’m going to be totally honest here, I’ve never actually played Blaster Master. Well, I might have tried it out once way back in the NES days, but I honestly don’t remember playing it, so I’ll just stick with “I haven’t played it.” One thing that I do know, however, is the music, because Blaster Master’s soundtrack has transcended the game and become the kind of thing that you stumble upon everywhere (at least, when you’re into classic gaming), in videos, podcasts, etc. In researching this top 10 list I was a bit surprised not just at how many of the songs from the Blaster Master soundtrack that I recognized, but at how excellent they all are. A quality soundtrack through and through.
Even if you are like me and have never played the game, I’ll bet that you have heard the song that I chose. This is one of those classic NES tracks that makes a lot of “best of” lists, and for good reason.
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Ah, Punch-Out!!, my favorite boxing game about an underdog going up against a bunch of ethnic stereotypes! Sure the characterizations of your opponents were a bit overdone (even more so in the arcade game, Vodka Drunkenski anyone?), but that was half of the fun, and the other half was pretty tight boxing gameplay that just felt right. To be honest, I probably would have put this soundtrack a lot higher up in my list, but it only has a handful of songs. Yet what awesome songs indeed! This song will probably be pretty familiar to you, doubly so if you ever hung out on YTMND.Com. It’s more cutscene music than gameplay music, but that still counts, right? |
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Hate me if you must, but I have to admit, I have never been the biggest fan of the traditional Kirby platforming games. I love a lot of his other stuff, from alternative platformers like Canvas Curse and Epic Yarn to non-platformers like Avalanche and Dream Course, but most of his traditional platformers have been merely “ok” to me. The NES game, however, is definitely one of my favorites. And the music in his games is always phenomenal, with his first NES outing having what may just be the best Kirby soundtrack of all-time.
Again, there were way too many songs to choose from, so I went with what is perhaps one of the most well-known. Even my not-a-hardcore-gamer (but Kirby fan) girlfriend, upon hearing a few intro bars, yelled out “That’s Kirby!!!” (She also told me that I’m not allowed to make it less than number one on my list… oops...)
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09/25/13, 23:09 Edited: 09/26/13, 02:51 |
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Ah, so close to owning all ten! That makes a first for one of these.
10. This is one of our earlier NES games, I think we found it in a flea market for real cheap or something and bought it because the name sounded cool (to kids anyway). My older brother hated the game progression, he just wanted to go left-to-right and clear stages like in other games. But I loved the idea of exploring the worlds and trying to figure out where to go next, though I recall being confused for a while after beating level 3 because that's the first time you have to return to a previous level to find the next one, and this is the first game I played where the levels weren't sequential so it took me a bit to figure that out. Completing this game was quite an accomplishment that took several years, but the music helped me through it as it's a great soundtrack to listen to as you figure things out. The only stinker is level 8, no idea what they were thinking with that one.
9. I never played this game meself, but I liked to watch my older brother play it. The music was pretty rockin', though not much variety.
8. Hm, the music of this never really stuck out to me. It's good for the game and fits, but it's a bit of generic action-y stuff overall so it's nothing I'd seek out in isolation. None of us ever beat this game without the 30-man code either.
7. Here's the one I don't own, however I do recall borrowing it from a friend way back in the day. I don't remember it at all though, and even the music isn't sounding familiar which is typically what I remember most.
6. Ah, back when Zelda had actual music! I'm a little surprised at this though... I mean, there's like, four tracks in here total, and only two of those you constantly hear throughout the game. Not one I'd put on a total soundtrack list, especially over Zelda II which has more and better music. The dungeon theme in Zelda II is still the best piece of Zelda music around. Anyways, this one of course introduced the iconic overworld theme, though I'm a bit surprised and disappointed that the mysterious dungeon theme didn't become a staple as well. I still remember walking into level 9 for the first time after all those months of getting through the game and hearing a different, more ominous theme... chilling!
5. This game has aged like cheese in the sun, but at least the soundtrack holds up. Still the best in the series as far as I'm concerned, nothing has surpassed Brinstar and Brinstar Depths.
4. This game is almost an SNES game, that's how awesome it is. Though I find it odd how you chose the one Game Boy theme in the game when it has so many better choices...
3. I had never heard of this game when I bought it in a lot on eBay with a bunch of other games that I actually wanted. The game itself is pretty average, just a simplistic game with terrible hit detection, so the music is the only thing special about it. I still recall the tunes even though I played it like once, maybe twice.
2. Certainly iconic stuff and suits the game, but nothing I even thought of as exceptional. But at least you picked the best track this time!
1. There's really nothing left to say about this one, so I won't. I do disagree that Wily's Castle 1 is the best in the game though... there are several I'd put ahead of it, and I think Flash Man is my fave. One thing I will say though, Wily's Castle 1 is quite expertly composed... The way the measures sort of bleed into each other without sounding off is no easy feat. |
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