Ah, the Super Nintendo, aka the best darn video game system known to mankind. As you may or may not know, I am not only a big fan of video game music, but I also do some remixes from time to time (such as the BIT.TRIP remix featured in our podcast) as well as write my own music. I am currently in the midst of creating a video game soundtrack for a game that does not exist anywhere outside of my head. Well, I’m calling it a soundtrack, but it might just end up a mishmosh of semi-related, sort-of-gamey-sounding music. We’ll see.

While writing this so-called soundtrack, I’ve been thinking a lot about what “video game music” means, or to be more precise, what it means to me personally to think of myself as a “video game musician”. In the 8-bit era video game music was limited heavily by hardware (check out my Top 10 NES Original Soundtracks (OSTs) here!), and the result was a distinct sound that could be instantly identified as video game music. The 16-bit era introduced better hardware, opening up more possibilities, but the resulting music still generally had its own sound. However, that hardware limit no longer exists (for the most part), and we are seeing all kinds of music popping up in video games, from classic chiptune sounds to sweeping cinematic tracks to rap, rock, electronic and anything else that the minds of musicians can imagine. Has video game music lost its identity? It seems to me that the only thing that defines video game music in the current gaming era is that it is music that appears in a video game.


Yes, this is pretty much the best video game system ever made.
I suppose that I still have a sense of there being a specific “video game” style nonetheless, even if it is not as concrete as it used to be. Personally, I draw upon a wide range of music when creating my own, and my major influences include punk rock, electronic, piano pieces, and yes, of course, retro video game music. I like to think that my music is more along the lines of the direction video game music would have went towards if it had not turned so cinematic (not that there is anything wrong with cinematic game music, but it generally can’t stand along with retro game music for my tastes.) What does this long and boring story have to do with my top 10 list? Well, when all is said and done, 16-bit video game music, specifically that of the Super Nintendo, is probably my biggest musical influence. Period. The 8-bit era had some awesome music, no doubt, and it is no surprise to me that when musicians look to retro video games for inspiration, they tend to look at the 8-bit era first and foremost. But much like with visuals, gameplay, controls, etc. I really feel like the 16-bit era was everything that the 8-bit era was and then some, and that is where the bulk of my favorite video game soundtracks come from. So in making a list of my top 10 Super Nintendo soundtracks, you’re not just seeing a list of soundtracks that some nostalgic gamer is throwing together years after the fact, you are seeing a list of soundtracks that a musician has drawn upon heavily over the years, and that have never stopped influencing him deeply at his creative core. Neat!

Before we start, I have a self-imposed rule for this list; I will only choose one soundtrack per franchise. Otherwise a few key franchises 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 song is meant only to give a taste of what the soundtrack has to offer.

So let’s go already!

So there you have it, my top 10 SNES original soundtracks. Do you agree? Disagree? Why not list your top 10s?! And don’t forget to check out my Top 10 NES Original Soundtracks (OSTs) as well!

Just missed the cut: F-Zero, Earthworm Jim, Gradius III, Star Fox, Super Castlevania IV, Super Mario RPG, Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers

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@TriforceBun

Man, its like 200 bucks!! What in the planet.

--I just had an awesome idea. You guys who own Earthbound should totally send it to other NW dudes. It'll be like a library book (or a loose woman in a Fraternity House!!)! Pass it around, boys!

I'm not fucking sending my copy of EarthBound out. Fuck that

Ha ha. Come onnnnnnnnnnnn guys. Loaner! Permanently.

I can't get enough of the midi instrument "Orchestral Hit," and most of my SNES favourites include liberal use of it in their soundtracks. I will wait patiently, centuries if I must, for its glorious return.

@Dark Weres

Phoenix Wright brings it back in style!

Edit : trying to link some UN Squadron/Area 88 ost here. "site not recognized"... C'mon, it's Youtube, just like every other video here.

This game is a masterpiece. From intro to credits, everything screams high quality. The 3 basic difficulty settings cover a range wide enough to allow kids and veterans to have the same old-school bullet-herding fun, but the hidden difficulty... oh dear, if you think the late 90'sbullet-hell trend made shooters harder, you might have to rethink your opinion. The game turns into a nasty half-skill half-memorizer challenge that throws endless clusters of really REALLY fast bullets at you, then pounds you to the ground with a couple unfair boss fights (the Seaviet...). The game has many cool things that you won't see in any other shooters, like mission selection, a clever health system and a money and shop system.There's some slowdown here and there but that's the price you have to pay to play a shmup on the SNES (Compile's Super Aleste/Space Megaforce being the exception).
I never understood the hype around Genesis shooters, sure the processor is more powerful, but even the classic Thunder Force III suffers from meh readability thx to the console's limited palette. And when it comes to soundtracks and atmosphere... Capcom and Konami (who's surprised ?) are miles ahead of the other early 90's devs with UN Squadron/Area 88 and Axelay (same composers than SCIV). Both soundtracks are way underrated honestly.

BTW, first post, hi everybody, english isn't my native language so feel free to correct me if I'm butchering your grammar, I can't improve if nobody points my mistakes ;).

@Clebardman

WELCOME!

Gotta throw some love at Zombies Ate My Neighbors!

Classic retro-60's horror/sci-fi B-movie goodness. They got what made this era's genre pieces so memorable.

If you click the little question mark on the far top / left of the area that pops up when posting, it shows how to insert videos. It's a little convoluted but you get used to it quickly.