Where would we be without music? There's no real telling because music has been a part of mankind since prerecorded history and there's really no going back now. Even if you don't like the music of today, there are archives and miles upon miles of amazing music that you have not yet discovered and that is a hard fact. Though, what music we have listened to and what populates our tracklists tend to differ quite a bit from person to person.
Video games are no different. Even when gaming couldn't quite get the music down, someone over there was trying to find a way to do it. At first, we were met with midis and beeping tones that formed melodies. Some of these could be decent and a few of them were still quite memorable, but it wasn't until we got more around the Nintendo Entertainment System and the Sega Genesis when we really started to see a great difference. The programmers could delve into much more tangible sounds and produce much more appealing beats and melodies. Atari 2600 and the Commodore 64 made attempts and sometimes they even got the Star Wars theme song right, but then we got to actual music.
Once the 32-bit era hit, music became more pronounced, had lyrics and actually sounded like the tracks we played on our cassettes. From there, the music began to experiment more and more, and we began to see some truly amazing songs come from the most random games.
Minecraft
Making its debut on Planet Virtua, Minecraft has always been on the radar, but at this point, it's become rather commonplace. There have been trillions of hours put into the game since its release in the mid-2000's and people now consider it something of a very enjoyable second job to work on their mining, building and overall creativity. This is joined by some very relaxing, beautiful tracks that play, both at the start of the game and throughout it. These tunes help one mellow out while they mercilessly plow through cobblestone and collect resources to throw into the face of creepers. It is quite the ambience and it is also one of the reasons why you can lose hours at a time without realizing it.
Super Mario 64
The nostalgia factor for this game can never be understated. Mario 64 captured the hearts of millions by putting one of the most iconic characters into a 3D game that vastly outpaced several titles before and after its release. The graphics may not have aged well to some, but even fewer will say that the soundtrack is anything less than pure bliss. Whether it be the comparatively mundane track of running around the castle, swimming through the water level, getting trapped in ghost houses or just beating King Babomb again and again, the music is crisp and quite beautiful. It blends in so well with the gameplay that putting on this soundtrack will recall wondrous images of throwing stupid penguin brats off a cliff. Oops.
Sonic and Knuckles 3
While we never got the Michael Jackson approval, very few in the classic Sonic fandom will ever give up the beautiful sounds coming from Sonic the Hedgehog 3. The fire level from the start has become iconic, some even stating that it was the music from Green Hill Zone on steroids. Even the boss battles harken back to the Sonic 2 soundtrack, which is also quite awesome. Choosing between Sonic 2 and 3 was a tough choice, and whether the right one was chosen is up to you. What we know is, these tunes really get the blood going as you're hopping through robot-infested forests and persistently trying not to drown all the way to the dreaded countdown! Virtua Flashbacks!
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Yet another N64 title that captured the ears of many. If you were time-traveling or just riding a horse, you may as well listen to the songs in all their glory. This soundtrack ran the gambit of beauty and grace to dark and sinister in a great hurry. It did both sides of the spectrum a fair bit of justice and it was more than worthy of yet another Nintendo allstar character's first outing into a truly breathtaking 3D environment. Insulting this soundtrack in the face of a true Zelda fan is akin to telling Christians that the angel Gabriel wasn't that great. Try to avoid saying such falsehoods and show a little tact.
Kingdom Hearts
The song at the very beginning of this track is what sets it apart from many others. Simple and Clean by Hikari Utaka only punctuates the game's soundtrack in its greatness and actually makes playing through the boring prologue more tolerable. This is very helpful as you trip and fall off the tree for the seventh time! The combat fights, the orchestral masterpieces of many levels and the lyrical backgrounds are scattered throughout this title. The soundtrack itself also sold extremely well, if you really needed anymore proof.
Doom
Soundalikes? What are those? Well, either way, they didn't hit copyright claims hard enough to matter, so Doom came out with the most hard-rocking slugfest that made killing demons all the more awesome. From the amazing musical iteration of the 3DO port to the 2016 Mick Gordon guitar thrashing BFG Division, blood and guts must now follow, as per the Law of Doom! It can't be understated and Doom fans will never give it up, nor should they! Ripping and tearing to the beat is nothing but GLORIOUS!
Quake
Nine Inch Nails and ID Software went hand-in-hand and produced, arguably, the most haunting and iconic 3D FPS dungeon bomber there is. If you can't get into this atmosphere, here at Planet Virtua, you can be registered as tone deaf. The gothic scenery and dread-inducing darkness of the corridors with Trent Reznor's sound can induce goosebumps. Let this be a lesson to all Ogres who think it's funny to shoot grenades!
Daytona USA
Do you need to speak proper English in order to sing songs in English? No, this soundtrack begs to differ (as does the pop band, Ah-ha) and sometimes their mispronouncing words just don't matter when you're having this much fun and singing along. While their songs are a bit strange, each one of them is memorable in their own way. Though the Beginner track wins, the other two tracks will never be understated either. From start to finish, you're bobbing your head to the beat. It's so memorable and downright catchy!
Sonic R
Beauty can be found in the strangest of places. That is the basic premise of my love for Sonic R. This soundtrack has lived on in the hearts of many, even producing a recent remix and multiples upon multiple videos on Youtube. The bombastic intro, the singing, the lyrics, all of it just goes so well with bouncing around aimlessly on hills, weird technological buildings and abandoned cities. Sure, the graphics are attractive to a niche audience, but the songs span a demographic that is universal while also strangely being a popular, beautiful secret.
Mega Man 2
These songs are ring-tones, if you want to be known as a true retro-style gamer of class. Each and every single song on this soundtrack have distinct, wonderful tunes that are high on energy, while also being for an 8-bit game that has captured the hearts of many. Where else could you say that your favorite songs are Wood Man, Metal Man and Wily's First Stage? The Mega Man franchise itself is packed with wonderful songs, but Mega Man 2 has the greatest abundance while also remaining one of the greatest old school games!
Notice that these games are not numbered and there is no way I could ever choose a real order of them. This is not ordered by quality, as different moods dictact different music, but this is a very good estimation of the Planet Virtua top 10. This concept is subjective at its very core, no matter how many people tell you they took polls and estimated something like music, no one is going to agree 100%. The greatest soundtracks stick with you wherever you go and the adhesive is quite strong. Just remember to stay open-minded, try new music and listen to the music you love while drinking sustainable amounts of water.
