|
gandlethorpe posted:Even though any song can be made to be in a video game, what is it that makes a song sound like "video game music"? Where you hear an instrumental song and think "that's probably from a video game" or "that should be in a video game", rather just any old instrumental. What makes it "video-gamey"? For me, good video game music must sound like it was composed specifically for a video game, rather than repurposed. There are three types of music that video games need: 1. Themes - specifically, melodies that sound good when heard again & again. From 8-bit chiptunes to Smash Bros. menu music, this is what's most thought of when "video game music" is brought up. A good study of themes can be found in this detailed breakdown of well-known Zelda songs. 2. Action/battle - these pieces are fast, percussive, and bombastic. 3. Atmospheric/ambient - for setting a mood in slow sections. The one thing that all of the above types of VGM must share is simplicity. Busy music is distracting, which is the last thing you want when you're playing a game. For example, classical symphonies with heavily layered melodies, jazz, and anything with an emphasis on lead vocals, such as folk, country, and doo-wop. An exception can be made for games where the gameplay is SO simple, like certain mobile/flash/indie games, that more emphasis can be put on the music. To many this is absolute sacrilege, but I'm NOT a fan of Nobuo Uematsu. Almost all of the Final Fantasy music I've heard sounds like classical that's been dumbed down to fit in a video game. It certainly sounds nice, but the themes are too complex with not enough focus on the melody, and the battle themes lack intensity. However, there is one song of his that these complaints do not apply to...Dancing Mad. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbXVNKtmWnc That's just my own two cents, though. Feel free to tell me that I'm totally full of it. :P MegaZeroX posted:OK, lets get that Goons' favorite VGM thing set up. Here's how it works: Until September, you can submit 3 of your favorite video game soundtracks, and 3 of your favorite individual tracks, and at the end of the month, we will have a poll where you can vote whether or not each one is worthy of a spot. After seeing how many submissions we have, I'll set the maximum number of each that can go into the reserved post. I'll start it off with my own. Try to elaborate on why you like a particular soundtrack. I'm in!  Soundtracks: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask Thematic, dark, dissonant, emotional. It's Zelda music, alright, but BOY does it go against the grain! Gone are the medieval/old world tropes of the previous titles, and in come songs of foreboding, pain, death, mourning, rebirth...and the BEST battle themes of the series! Favorite track - Stone Tower Temple Inverted Perfect Dark Grant Kirkhope's underrated masterpiece. Some call it synth cheese, I call it some of the most intense and atmospheric video game music I've ever heard! Favorite track - Perfect Menu Theme The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Sorry for not nominating crowd favorites Morrowind and Skyrim, but I never played the former (Oblivion's visual fidelity and scope impressed me so much, I couldn't bear to play a technically inferior version), and I find Skyrim's soundtrack to be lacking in melody. It's just...SO beautiful. The town themes, the field themes, the night themes...great battle themes too! And let's not forget the anthem! Favorite track - All's Well Individual songs: Star Fox 64 - Level Intro 1 The very first piece of video game music that ever caught my interest. The perfect buildup for a grand mission ahead.  The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - Lost Woods My favorite video game tune of all time. One of the simplest Zelda tunes, but also the catchiest. Koji Kondo is an absolute magician! Halo: Reach - Overture Not one of my top tracks, but Halo needs some representation. A great sendoff for Bungie's legacy. Octolady posted:I was just at the Symphony of the Goddesses concert with the London Philharmonic performing, which was perfect except for the huge idiots in the audience cheering and hollering at every single thing. Don't cheer over the drat orchestra, you cretins! I was at the Toronto show a few years ago. Fantastic. WAY better than Video Games Live. Though the merchandise for that tour was pretty ho-hum... The producer was onstage making comments about how energetic the crowd in Montreal was. I think they realize what kind of audience a show like this attracts, and don't mind if we get a little worked up...  After the encore, I yelled out for "Windmill!", and got some approving cheers.  Anyhow, methinks this thread needs some Pokémon, so here's my Pokémon thread (archived)! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiHNAe0BrnE Finally, a few obscure tracks: Robotron 64 - Maximum Power Worms Armageddon N64 - Main Menu Perfect Dark - Controller Pak Menu Synthetic Hermit fucked around with this message at 18:29 on Aug 2, 2015 |
#
¿
Aug 2, 2015 03:09
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 22, 2024 05:37 |
|
|
MegaZeroX posted:Yeah, I think Oblivion is my favorite TES soundtrack. Skyrim and Morrowind's main themes are great, but Oblivion's atmospheric music generates the feeling of wonder and amazement in me. The feelings would be more appropriate if Cyrodil didn't feel so ... generic. The soundtrack made the game feel so magical.  (Though I don't have a problem with Cyrodiil being a generic setting. It looks drat impressive, and if I ever need something a bit different, there's the blood fountains and rending halls of Oblivion. Book your vacation TODAY!  )
|
|
#
¿
Aug 2, 2015 05:22
|
|
|
Now this is how you do it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF3C7C5OPaw
|
|
#
¿
Oct 9, 2015 08:15
|
|
|
Commander Keenan posted:It's 100% shitposting, but I liked it. Guess I'm "that weird guy", then. :P
|
|
#
¿
Oct 20, 2015 10:22
|
|
|
Skyward Sword is my least favorite Zelda soundtrack. Most of the themes are too ambient for my liking, and some of the few good ones are reused from earlier titles, including the central theme, Ballad Of The Goddess, which is Zelda's Lullaby in reverse. But EVERY Zelda has some good original music, and SS is no exception. Spoilered for those who haven't played it yet: Knight Academy & Sparring Hall Skyloft (Composed by a woman, FYI) Bamboo Island Lanayru Mining Facility Lanayru Mining Facility (Past) Ancient Cistern Ghirahim's Theme Ghirahim Battle I Ghirahim Battle II Ghirahim Battle III At least the bonus orchestral CD is swell!  P.S. Orchestral recording featurettes.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 30, 2016 01:43
|
|