Monday, April 25, 2011

Top Five - Video Game Songs Edition

A short, but good one: my top five songs in video games up to now. Believe me, it was hard choosing just five considering just how good gaming music is. Seriously, the official soundtrack for Jet Set Radio Future is better than 99% of everything playing on American radio today. But I digress! Let's talk favorite video game songs...



5. "Kingdom of Ixa'Taka" from Skies of Arcadia -



The entire soundtrack from Skies of Arcadia is fantastic, but if I had to pick one song from such long list, the theme to Ixa'Taka would definitely be it. I'm a huge fan of Mesoamerica; that's why my major is anthropology, so this theme is like a dream come true for me. Just like the highest rated comment on that video states, I used to linger in this area of the game for hours just to listen to the song. This song is fun, adventurous, mysterious, and fascinating all at once: it's a perfect example of the entire theme and style of Skies of Arcadia condensed to a single piece of music.



4. "Halo Theme (Original and Mjolnir Mix)" from Halo -



You can say whatever you want about the Halo series: it's uninspired, it's not original, it's not revolutionary, etc. But one thing Halo always did beautifully was the soundtrack: the Halo theme alone is one of the single best in video gaming history. The beating of the drums of war, the urgency it carries itself with, how epic it sounds...really, this theme kicks all kinds of ass and it's pretty badass listening to it while trying to kill Covenant or during a particularly fast pace scene.



3. "Blazed Up Melpomene" from Dead or Alive 2/2:Ultimate/4 -



My third favorite video game song; it's brutally fast and powerful. There is something so beautiful about the way this song sounds, something so beautiful about the sense of urgency it carries. I don't usually care about music in fighting games, but this one has my heart. Plus, it has a really awesome, if short, remix



2. "Terra's Theme (Piano Version)" from Final Fantasy VI -



As I have mentioned in previous entries on my blog, I haven't been fortunate enough to play Final Fantasy VI yet, so it might surprise some of you to see this song up here. The thing is that my boyfriend, who has played the game and adores it, linked me to this song when I asked him what his favorite video game songs were. I was instantly blown away; there is something incredible about this song, from the flow to the emotions it brings. It's just fuckin' beautiful...



1. "Eternity: Memory of Lightwaves" from Final Fantasy X-2 -



I think this is the most beautiful song in Final Fantasy history, and that's a hell of an achievement when you consider that Final Fantasy is also home to songs like To Zanarkand (from Final Fantasy X), Liberi Fatali (from Final Fantasy VIII), and the previously listed Terra's Theme (from Final Fantasy VI). I would sometimes just linger on the intro screen, not wanting to interrupt the music as it went; something I have never done for any other game song before or since. I know this is going to sound corny, but if I ever get married, this will be the wedding theme. It's that good!




- Kharlo -

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