Iconic Video Game Songs [Player's Choice Award]

[Nightdrift]

I got the idea for this thread while reminiscing about some of my favorite video games, which is to say a time when playing video games was such a large part of my life that I would scour the web endlessly searching for mp3s of my favorite tunes. _{((I remember KHInsider used to be the spot for video game OSTs...and while I haven't checked it in years, I would be pleasantly surprised if they're still kicking.))}

Anyhow, what I'd like is if any of you fine folk would like to share a song from a video game that you feel is personally "iconic". No, not the theme song or most popular video game songs out there (unless those tracks are what you did personally feel a great affinity to!) -- just a song from a game that really stuck with you, for whatever reason (and if you do have a reason, please do feel free to share as well )

My personal pick of the litter is from Golden Sun - Battle: Saturos

Well, Motoi Sakuraba (the composer) is a genius in my humble opinion, and it is hard to single out a favorite work of his, much less from the Golden Sun franchise. This song was featured a boss battle, one where I was legitimately shaking in my shoes because I wasn't expecting to fight one of the main antagonists so early on. But it turned out I had overleveled, so in the end these fears were utterly unfounded. Short-lived as the battle was, the battle song still permanently seared itself into my brain for how dang cool it was, and how epically the scene was set for the battle. _{If you are unfamiliar with the series, it is a really great JRPG that really pushed the limits of the GameBoy Advance in clever and inventive ways that honestly still astound me even now. Your mileage may vary with the storytelling style, but the battle system and animations are very noteworthy -- graphics are incredibly gorgeous, and still stand the test of time to this day.}

With that all aside, please feel free to share your iconic video game tune of choice!

[cinni]

hmm, there are so many good songs out there, i'm going to nominate two! :-P i think these two songs stick out in my mind because they're both songs that are made up of bits n pieces of the rest of the OST/game sounds, like a last hoorah. and i just think its cool hehe

Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards OST - Club Mix ~ In the Field

Chulip - OST - Happy Shabby Parade

[debleb]

to one with life from monster hunter 3(tri~) really encapsulates the whole vibe of monster hunter to me, it’s like the second song i’ll think of after proof of a hero if monster hunter comes up. the theme of jamaa township will also forever be ingrained in my memory, i spent so much time on animal jam as a kid! (not to even mentioned that gecko can can)

[Melooon]

It goes without saying that this thread needs the Elder Scrolls Theme 

(Here is the Oblivion version, I will accept that the Skyrim version might be better known, but this is just a nice version!)

[Cele]

Oh iconic to me personally?

[Memory]

I think the very first Professor Layton theme is as iconic as it gets.

[teatime]

for me currently the first that came to mind was katamari nahnah

and the song that plays at the beginning of every stanley parable run

[chao2K]

to stay on brand for me, stardust speedway b mix from sonic cd is one of my favorite game songs ever so i consider that one to be particularly iconic.

otherwise I guess to go wayyyy back and get more personal with it, i would say animal crossing gamecube's 3pm theme is particularly iconic for me :] i think that was just the time of day i used to play as a kid the most. i've spent so many hours on the original gamecube animal crossing throughout my life lol

[Moodle McDoodle]

to stay on brand for me, stardust speedway b mix from sonic cd is one of my favorite game songs ever so i consider that one to be particularly iconic.

I love Stardust Speedway Bad Future too!! There's sooooo many iconic Sonic songs but the first one that came to mind for me (besides main themes or character themes) was actually Be Cool, Be Wild and Be Groovy, the track from the snowboarding section in Sonic Adventure's Ice Cap! I always look forward to reaching this part of the level and the music gets me so excited to snowboard down the mountain and hit all the trick ramps!

But there's so many others from this game alone... Like the Egg Carrier theme! Or the Beta Mk2 boss theme, or Station Square's theme... It's impossible for me to choose just one and its taking all my willpower not to just link the entire soundtrack lmao. That's not even getting into any other games!! There's so many great soundtracks out there!

[chao2K]

It's impossible for me to choose just one and its taking all my willpower not to just link the entire soundtrack lmao. That's not even getting into any other games!! There's so many great soundtracks out there!

you're SO right, the sonic adventure soundtrack will always be particularly amazing and so many sonic games have such good soundtracks. whoever works on a sonic game's soundtrack is just obligated to go crazy with it i guess! xP i love it though

[inbtwn]

let's see... if we're only counting iconic songs from games i've played (which, admittedly, isn't many...) i GOTTA put down Millenium Anthem from Hypnospace Outlaw. one of the songs of all time, from one of the games of all time.

honorable mention goes to North and South from Knytt Stories, which is the best indie platformer ever made. i will fight you on this.

---

and honestly i haven't even played the game this track is from but it's SO GOOD i can't help but include it:

[Commodorn]

Silent Hill - Sermon

I didn't get to listen to this one long, but something about the theme that plays in the church in Silent Hill 1 stuck with me. (The title screen and a few other songs/ambience tracks from this game stuck with me as well, but uh.. y'know.)

Luigi's Mansion - Mansion Theme [Exterior]

This theme is a motif throughout most of this game's soundtrack, but the exterior version of it is very.. well, something. If you were out in the garden, you would hear running water and Mario faintly yelling "Ey, Luigi! What's the hold up!?" if you were near the well. I.. love this game deeply. So deeply, in fact, I had to cope by humming the main theme to myself in the dark while walking around with a flashlight when my childhood GameCube went mysteriously missing for nearly half a decade.

LoZ: OoT - Fire Temple [With Chanting]

I first heard this one while playing the game on my N64, so I wasn't aware that this theme was altered on the cartridges that were produced later. Apparently there were other changes, like making the blood Ganon coughs out green instead of red, but I didn't really notice the red blood since... well.. I don't think blood is all that disturbing or out of place in this game.

Marble Madness [Atari] - Beginner Race

I've only played the NES and GameBoy version of this game, but the entirety of it's soundtrack has been ingrained into my soul.

Resident Evil - Safe Room

I'm sorry, I think.. I think this is my last one for now. Not that I don't have 10 more to add still..

[Lyonid]

God, all these replies are such amazing picks. Just listening to the Layton theme is making me shiver.

God-Shattering Star from Fire Emblem: Three Houses has been so iconic to me. As a sucker for orchestral music, this pushed all my buttons. Especially the way they integrate the series' main theme gives me goosebumps every time. Honourable mention is Twilight of the Gods. <3

I also have so many feelings thinking about Bloodborne's Ludwig, The Accursed & Holy Blade. This theme checks all the marks if you think of an incredible fight, a harsh learning process, perfect ludonarrative, and how it all works together. It's peak Bloodborne and it made me fall in love with the game even more.

And as my absolute favourite video game, I am going with Song of the Ancients. This series gave me way too many manic nights of thinking about its world in every detail while listening to this incredible soundtrack which has zero flaws, haha. I'm tearing up already. Also take Kaine Salvation as well. T_T

[Memory]

wouldn't describe this as iconic at all, but it is my usernamesake, so it's the obvious choice for me.

if I had to choose something that I would describe as iconic... even though this is a super popular track... I would still choose this.

it could also be any of the others on this playlist I made, honestly. hard to choose.

[Bede]

Of course, I've just gotta be the obligatory person in every comment section about video game OSTs who brings up Undertale. Basically the whole soundtrack is iconic to me, but if I have to choose just one track, I'll have to say, "Home" still has its special place in my heart, as a cozy, nostalgic rendition of the main tune.

I've also, per usual for me, got to give a special shoutout to Celeste's OST. Particularly, the tracks, "Confronting Myself", "Little Goth", and "Exhale." They are all near the end of the soundtrack, but I love them all for both the songs themselves, and how perfectly they compliment the tone of the story at the time that they play. "Confronting Myself"'s faux-chanting gives the feeling of others watching and yelling for you on as you continue forward. "Little Goth" contrasts this, as the song which plays directly after it in the game. It is small, scared. But the piano almost feels like a tiny bit of hope, in that fear. Its slow buildup also feels like gathering courage, to take one last, big leap. Finally, "Exhale" feels like exactly its namesake. A breath, after accomplishing something long sought after. Its similarity to "Little Goth" strikes me, despite their differing tones.

All three of these tracks are so iconic to me, but, if I have to choose one, I'd say, "Confronting Myself" is the most so. Again, those faux-chants really make it stick out to me. But all three of these tracks are very important to me.

Finally, PMD2's OST in its entirety will always be great, but in particular, "Don't Ever Forget" will always remain in my mind as the song that played the first time that a video game brought me to tears.