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What are the most underrated game soundtracks?

Final fight on the MegaCD for sure, it's one of the greatest game soundtracks out there and somehow it's only on the MegaCD version. It fits the game SO well, we literally didn't believe it when we downloaded the arcade original version and it didn't have the same soundtrack, we deleted it immediately! Sorry for no links.
 

cerulily

Member
36621-Brave_Fencer_Musashi_[U]-1.jpg


Twin Mountains
Lets go bowling
Snow Labyrinth
Topo's groove Heaven
 

Wozman23

Member
The Rayman Origins soundtrack is awesomely eccentric.

More recently, the Headlander track Methuselah really impressed.

No Man's Sky is getting lots of hate, but it has brought with it one of the best space soundtracks ever made.

I started exploring the post-rock genre a few years back and I'm really glad I did. Kind of dismissed 65daysofstatic at first, but they've got some strong stuff.

I think a lot of other post-rock bands could be commissioned to make killer soundtracks: sleepmakeswaves - If These Trees Could Talk - Lost in the Riots - And So I Watch You From Afar - Overhead, The Albatross

I'd love to see that become a trend.
 

Aranath

Member
Almost made a thread simply to call attention to it. Little to no interest in the game, but man, what a crazy achievement for what I think is going to be a largely forgettable game to most.

Yeah, it is rather a shame that discussion around the game just died out not long after release. And the fantastic soundtrack makes that even worse, as you say.

It might sound like an odd answer considering it's one of the most successful and popular games of all time, but the original soundtrack for GTA V is outstanding.

My man. Definitely. It's one of the things I really missed after finishing the campaign and not getting the opportunity to listen to the fantastic music. I kind of wish finishing the campaign would have unlocked a new radio station with the original soundtrack.
 
storafötter;218486306 said:
I would say the Boktai series. Nobody talks about the soundtracks but I found them pretty memorable.

I used to love the music that played when you entered the sun bank. Good times. Some of the dungeons had pretty atmospheric tunes too.

There's lot of great stuff on the GBA that's gone largely underappreciated, probably because GBA music gets a bad rep from some of the ports that tried to replicate the SNES's sound chip poorly.

The Bit Generations games have some excellent music, though I get most people probably haven't even played them!

Drill Dozer has some top notch music that makes excellent use of both the GBA hardware and GBC's sound generator.

Same goes for Konami Krazy Racers. Anyone remember Sky Bridge?
 

royox

Member
Xenoblade Chronicles X. Everybody shat on it because of ONE SONG but the other 99% of the OST is amazing.
 
MDK2:
I posted about this one in another thread lately.

The soundtrack for this game was a collaboration between Jesper Kyd (Adventures of Batman and Robin and many other 16bit Genesis/ Mega Drive games, Hitman series, Assassin's Creed series, Borderlands series ), Albert Olson and Raymond Watts ('80s/ '90s industrial rock legend who worked with groups like KMFDM,and NiN). The soundtrack mixes up a (simulated) orchestral type movie score with techno, industrial, audience, and drum and bass.

Main Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7UzgvogWiI&index=1&list=PL26A308226CC188C3

Kurt's Theme I: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q38E7CZNvik&index=13&list=PL26A308226CC188C3 (love the hard beats and stealthy sound)
Kurt's Theme II: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zYz7F1FtmU&index=15&list=PL26A308226CC188C3 (takes on a more action theme)
Kurt's Theme III: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9VmiOeRqAc&list=PL26A308226CC188C3&index=16 (one of my favorite tracks in the game)

Tanker Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDluudikD3M&index=2&list=PL26A308226CC188C3
Run Kurt Run!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGA-2Surc6Y&list=PL26A308226CC188C3&index=3
Hard Boiled: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgMAxp0R5qc&index=5&list=PL26A308226CC188C3
Man In Action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYuM4jKMBFo&index=6&list=PL26A308226CC188C3

Hawking Theme I: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl6MkyTdeds (takes on a bit of a Home Alone vibe with '50's sci-fi undertones)
Hawking Theme II: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZj_8axUYcY&list=PL26A308226CC188C3&index=9
Hawking Theme III: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlixbzWp7WI&list=PL26A308226CC188C3&index=10


Prince Of Persia: Warrior Within:
Not my favorite game in the Prince of Persona franchise, but I do really dig this soundtrack. It's much darker than The Sands of Time and mixes up '90s alt-rock with an Arabic theme. The soundtrack was composed by a Canadian music legend Stuart Chatwood, who is known for being the Bass Guitarist and Keyboard played in a '90's Canadian rock band; The Tea Party. He was responsible for the soundtracks of all the "modern" POP games.

Link to the whole soundtrack, there is too much to dig through to find choice tracks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1potMUPsJI


Sentinel Returns (PS1):
Produced by Psygnosis, this is an interesting soundtrack as it was composed by John Carpenter and arranged by Gary McKill who worked for Psygnosis.

Full soundtrack (sorry no time stamps or song titles for this one) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9I7p1ANu_j8


Silpheed (Sega CD version):

I always love coming back to this one. Produced by Game Arts for the Sega CD, this game features two different variations on the same soundtrack. Red Book Audio, which is available to play off the CD and chip tune renditions that are played in game and produced by the Sega CD's PCM chip and the Genesis's FMSynth chip. I prefer the chip tune versions. But I can only find two tracks ripped directly from the hardware:

Stage 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dME8eaYPNp8
Stage 6: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgdG-mgant8
 
I used to love the music that played when you entered the sun bank. Good times. Some of the dungeons had pretty atmospheric tunes too.

There's lot of great stuff on the GBA that's gone largely underappreciated, probably because GBA music gets a bad rep from some of the ports that tried to replicate the SNES's sound chip poorly.

The Bit Generations games have some excellent music, though I get most people probably haven't even played them!

Drill Dozer has some top notch music that makes excellent use of both the GBA hardware and GBC's sound generator.

Same goes for Konami Krazy Racers. Anyone remember Sky Bridge?

Definitely. I totally forgot Konami Krazy Racers. Had a lot of amazing tunes. It sad that they never made any sequels.

They got very creative with the gba melodies despite hardware limitations.
 

Neff

Member
Street Fighter EX Plus Alpha might very well have the best fighting game OST in existence.

But... It's Street Fighter EX Plus Alpha, which is a game that is rarely discussed. I love that game, though.

Word.

But I'd go a step further and say it has the best game soundtrack of all time.
 
Pretty much anything Yuzo Koshiro has done on the Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune soundtracks. Ignore anyone saying it's just cheesy Trance, this stuff is incredibly uplifting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfcAhbyJ0MU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqQxVh02Kso

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_bx1ikWLhc

I normally don't like trance music, but the Maximum Tune soundtracks are great.

While we're at underrated Yuzo Koshiro soundtracks...both Misty Blue and The Scheme for PC88 are among his best works.

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Misty Blue has some great 80's dance music.

Misty Blue

Hold Me Tonight

Dancing Heart

Catch The Step

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And here's a bunch from The Scheme. Really janky and not so great Metroid clone, but the soundtrack is one of the most amazing 8-bit orchestras.

Challenging Tomorrow

I'll Save You All My Justice

Perpetual Dark!

The Theme of Hardy
 
Streets of Rage 3's (especially the Japanese version for having a complete soundtrack and generally being a better game.)

I can't stop thinking about it.

It's like Yuzo and Motohiro knew what you expected coming from its prequels and instead said "fuck you" in the best way possible. (The tune they use for its character select screen alone is like a punch to the face if you're not prepared.) It's so violent and bizarre, which is perfect for such an already bizarre sequel.

Another underrated one is Drakengard 1's. Haven't played the game but its soundtrack is just as bizarre and unconventional. Almost like if its composer made this with a similar mindset as Yuzo's and Motohiro's at the time.
 
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