The 7 Best Video Game Soundtracks

Let's face it, musicians and video game geeks are often one and the same.  I am no exception; as a guitar player and gamer simultaneously, I have been into video games for a long time - since Atari, Sega, Playstation1, and even MS-dos and Windows 95!

I love to follow the stories of the games and their atmospheres, but good music attracts me even more into their world. So I made my small selection of the best video game soundtracks.

Diablo I

I do not know how many hours I spent on it; I loved this game so much. My favorite music comes when you get to the village of hell via the town portal. In addition it is not very difficult to play on the guitar.
Composer: Matt Uelmen

 Super Mario Bros.

A cult game that we all played, its music is instantly recognizable! Composer Koji Kondo said this theme was the most difficult to compose of the game's 6 different musical pieces.

Here's a bass guitar version of 11 strings by Jean Baudin!

Fifa 98

And, ladies and gentlemen, the famous "Song 2" from Blur, with its singalong melody. Many people were introduced by the game to this band and song, which was their biggest hit.

Silent Hill

This game was successful for its history and horrifying atmosphere. I find that the music also puts you in the atmosphere of the game. I was disappointed with the movie, though.
Composer: Akira Yamaoka

Tetris

Show me a person on this planet who does not know this game! Though it was not overly complicated it was totally addictive. There were several different soundtracks across various platforms, but the most famous was Theme A from the Nintendo Gameboy version. It is originally a Russian folk song called Korobeiniki.

Machinarium

In a world of machines and robots, find puzzles and advance into history. On each passage there is music that presents the situation with a mixture of electro/techno and also acoustic instruments. And here is my favorite part: When you find the musician robots.
Composer: Tomáš Dvořák

Elder Scrolls: Morrowind and Skyrim

A huge map, very detailed. Several missions, freedom of choice, very good graphics, a mad scenario with wonderful music behind - a recipe for a fantastic world!
Composer Jeremy Soule also made the music of 'Icewind Dale', which won prizes in the year 2000 for its music.

Bonus: Grim Fandango

Welcome to the world of the dead! Manuel Calavera will take care of the whole transfer process when you are dead, don't worry. This game from 1998 was one of the first video games in 3D. It has a huge story and music that makes you want to play even more! A mix of jazz, folk from South America and swing. For me nothing tops it!

Composers: Max Steiner and Adolph Deutsch

I hope you like this little geek list. Of course if you have things to say or add do not hesitate to share with me and leave a comment!

Engin Altunlu