While playing through a level in a video game, you’re listening to the music that enhances the mood of the game. The music is just as important as the actual game itself. Ending off the year, here are my top ten gaming soundtracks.
#10 Red’s/Champion Battle Music
(Pokemon HeartGold & SoulSilver)
This is one of my favorite Pokemon songs of all time. This song resonates with me, as the game “HeartGold & SoulSilver” was my second Pokemon Game ever played. When I first heard this song, the first thought that came to mind was “this is going to be an intense fight”. This song makes me want to give any fight I’m in 100%. It is more on the serious side, especially for Pokemon. This song is also the classic opening to nearly every Pokemon game. This song is ranked 10th because there are just better songs out there; nevertheless, it is still amazing.
#9 Throw Away Your Mask (Persona 5 Royal)
This is my personal favorite song on the list. This song has amazing lyrics, dealing with themes of letting go of worry and pain I feel myself letting go of everything when things become too much to bear. It opens up my heart for me to let everything that hurts out. This song is definitely on the more depressing side, but it fits the mood when it’s played, which is why it made it to the 9th spot.
#8 Devil Trigger (Devil May Cry 5)
This song is such a groove to listen to due to its mixture of techno and pop. It reminds me of a song from Dance Dance Revolution. The battle theme makes my adrenaline rise whenever I decide to play this song as background music for a fighting game. The reason why this song is 8th is due to the fact that the opening of the song is too long. It takes one minute for the first verse to happen, whereas I like my music to be fast and to the point.
#7 Zero to Hero (Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy)
This song is the definition of peak music. I love how it gets straight to the point as you hear the guitar strumming hard in the background. This song is exhilarating to listen to, as this is actually a rock song. It sounds like it’s from an album of an actual artist. I highly recommend that people listen to it because the drum riffs are so clean. This song makes me want to scream the lyrics out along with the singer. I would definitely recommend this song to people who love rock music.
#6 Jump Up, Super Star! (Super Mario Odyssey)
I was actually surprised when I heard this song was from a Mario game. This song is very groovy, and it reminds me of music from a club in the 60s. This song fits Super Mario Odyssey extremely well because it makes you feel free and alive. It makes you feel happy and excited for adventure, which is what Mario Odyssey is all about.
#5 Megalovania (Undertale)
From the renowned game Undertale, this song is played when you fight the character known as Sans. When I first heard this song, I didn’t know what to expect from the fight, but after listening longer, I thought, “This fight is serious”. There’s a mixture of techno with drums in the background. The song is very iconic.
#4 Gerudo Valley (Legend of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time)
This song is an instrumental masterpiece, the perfect mixture of intensity mixed with a peaceful serenity vibe to it. What makes this song even better is the guitar being played, mixed with the trumpet, which just about completes it. This song is a classic among Legend of Zelda fans, but people underestimate this song due to Zelda music being known for its more mysterious vibe. This song definitely deserves a spot on your playlist.
#3 Mortal Kombat Theme (Mortal Kombat)
This song honestly never gets old. This song always gets me hyped whenever I hear “Mortal Kombat.” This song turns any fight game being played into the most intense match ever. I love how techno this song is, considering Mortal Kombat is an arcade game. This song is so iconic and well made that nearly every remake of the song is just as good as the original.
#2 City Escape (Sonic Adventure 2)
This song has no right being this good when you are first starting off the game. Coming from Sonic Adventure 2, City Escape is the first stage of the game where you’re sliding down city streets on a metal snowboard. This song excites the player and makes the player feel free to do wherever they want. It perfectly describes Sonic, as he’s known for his carefree attitude. This song sets the stage perfectly for the rest of the game, and it's well known to most Sonic fans as the best opening song for any Sonic title.
#1 Simple and Clean (Kingdom Hearts)
This song is amazing. Hikaru Utada's voice is so magical that it made me fall in love with Kingdom Hearts. This song has such a vibe and it fits perfectly within the game it's from. The fact that this song takes elements from the story of Kingdom Hearts makes it ten times better. There’s part within the song where you’d hear a magic sparkle, which adds so much to the song. It isn’t overwhelming, but at the same time, it isn’t boring to the point where it's a dread to listen to. This song is one of the best songs in gaming history.
Earnest Thomas
