See also:
Best VGM 508
Best VGM 900
Best VGM 979
A collection of my favorite videogame music. Note that most of them are from games I played so I might miss some great ones from games I never played.
NES
Metroid
Kraid's Lair
Thank god for super metroid. It saved everything that this one did wrong. NES games were so clunky sometimes.
This is so different than the versions in games that followed!! I love it! It's a waltz!
I prefer the zero mission one.
Definitely one of the best songs to have playing in the background. <3
Back when game boxes were honest about what gameplay looked like.
Uh... I don't think you saw many boxes from back then.
Whatever. They were totally real about it. I mean look at those graphics.
They could do that with earlier NES games because it showed off what the NES could do versus Atari. It was good, honest marketing. It went to show that the NES didn't need games with overly complicated box art to be successful. "Now you're playing with power."
@Hiru Harada Even the Atari 2600 didn't do that.
@electricmastro Imagine if they did though. Pong! It's literally just 2 long white bars and a square representing a "ball."
@Hiru Harada Megaman was honest?
'u' Still haven't got it.... I was being sarcastic. Most game boxes weren't honest about graphics.
The original Mega Man box art made him look like he was on something. Lol.
My Most All time favorite Gaming Tune!!!
amazingly beautiful and recognizable vgm type song even if you never played this metroid (like me) pure classic
I swear I've never played Metroid but this song sounded so familiar to me when I heard it on a recent episode of Retronauts. It's killing me.
This is hands down my favourite video game song. Love it.
Incredible that this is a song of a videogame from 1986.
@ZachTheZip You're absolutely right. Today, there are now genres of music dedicated to "let's mash buttons on a keyboard and see what the kids'll buy".
I'm probably gonna be killed for this, but for some reason this track makes me think of a Zelda game. I THINK one of the Zelda GBC games may have had a variant of this song in it, or I could be entirely and the hours I spent playing the Oracle games as a kid are too imprinted in my brain.
I feel like this should have used the remix.
this is on my NES top 10 themes,for damn sure! ^^
Limited resources forced game developers to be creative. These days there's no reason to innovate because you essentially have unlimited processing power when writing music.
Buy indie game then ....
I like the melee version better.
Killed by a Team of Ninjas.
Having limits sparks creativity.
get prepared to be in 'your grammar sucks' by jacksfilms
What made you change it?
who needs remixes you have kraid theme in 8 bits
I agree with that nothing can beat the original, but dude, just youtube Kraid's Lair Remix and click the first video. I assure you, it will blow your socks off. xD
i like this one /watch?v=BZeGC7e9M_w of course the original is better but that one is cool too :)
Also trying to beat Battletoads. This was always my favorite theme from Metoid, along with the title screen opening music.
This music reminds of the Christmas vacation my brother and I played through this game. It because a yearly tradition for a few years in a row to play through Metroid around Christmas.
I've always thought the the original version of this song sounded much more alien and strange then any remix of it. It just fits with the tone of the game better then, say, an orchestra playing it would.
i'm the only i thnik this song, sounds like a Zelda's gameboy game song?
just amazing 0:38 - 0:45 always scared the shit outta me as a kid, still creepytoday
I found one good remix, listen past the 3 minute mark though. Metroid- Kraids Lair / Red Soil Orchestrated (The Crimson Depths)
You're just not looking hard enough mate.
This song puts me in a trance...
Nintendo did it in Zero Mission.
what about brinstar depths from super smash bros melee?
i believe so, but i think it'll be hard 4 NE1 2 tell if any other instruments are used
What is the instrument that plays this song called anyway?
It's just digital sound waves
you're probably getting sick of this, but a version of this song by "The Advantage" is simply bad ass, mostly because they didn't change it that much, just live instruments and a chunky drum beat to go with it.
Simplicity? I really don't know how they do it
@MsGhoulz watch?v=s6ngIL-6vno
@duto009 I have never heard that misconception. Not once. So saying it "proves it" is stupid, because no one thinks that it does require fancy instruments
the only intrument in this music is a keyboard right?
@MsGhoulz I know of a fantastic heavy metal version!
Both the original version and Melee's sound awesome
I like the Melee remix a lot.
its amazing how kenji yamamoto can make such a hauntingly beautiful 8-bit soundtrack
ROCK OOOOOOONNNN!!!! ...er... nevermind....
@MsGhoulz If you think that, you should check out Harmony of a Hunter's version: /watch?v=xrWNZC5nVuY
This game proves that genius music doesnt need the most fancy instuments.
@MTGNoobma uhm.. no. Super metroid ;)
@MTGNoobma Even so, I still stand beside my argument.
@pervysage35 Incorrectomundo, I'm talking facts. You're talking about a very vocal minority who just so happen to sit on the computer all day playing Call of Duty.
@MTGNoobma Many people hate Nintendo. Read "many".
@pervysage35 Read "many".
@MTGNoobma Well, that's your line of thought.
@pervysage35 Many people consider Fusion the greatest 2D metroid, period.
I actually like the original Metroid and Zero Mission better than Super Metroid. Sorry, guys. But, hey, I still absolutely love Super Metroid.
I miss Kraid. I like him a hell of a lot more than Ridley.
i say WE NEED EITHER A BRAND NEW 2D METROID (Metroid Dread) OR A SUPER METROID REMAKE!!! FUSION AND ZERO MISSION CAN'T HOLD A CANDLE TO SUPER METROID!!!!
@DarkDialga960 And gameplay. Don't get me wrong, the original and Prime games were amazing, but SM is one of my favorite games of all time.
@DarkDialga960 Super Metroid > Metroid Prime.
this song of kraid is amazing and very creepy at the same time but amazing.
That desperate feeling of isolation, you, the only person, trapped, alone, lonely. This tune just sucks you in!
@Frieza102 your fucking write ;)
@LeoRedWizard Oh, I was just trying to mock the comments like that that people do just to get the highest rated comment.
@LeoRedWizard I think you mean, 5 people died in the clutches of Kraid, lolz
@crazystarf I think he meant two channels of sound. That's almost right; actually there's 3 (one of the square waves is doing the main melody while the other does the smooth echo effect and a triangle wave for bass).
I don´t know why, but is adictive to hear this...I can´t stop hearing it!!!
@Frieza102 , ok, you´ve some reason, but man, the 8÷bit era was better than the non÷creativity shooter era.
@charger619c: what didn't you understand in my words: Proust's madeleine ... or everything? In a nutshell: this sound of Metroid reminds me some memorial times of my own early 90's ... alright?!
This tune is in my head since my teenager time ... so hypnotizing, I love it ... my own Proust's madeleine ...
@Frieza102 How about anything being played on a piano?
justin bailey
Easily the most terrifying NES tune of all time:
@Koopsas There's something to be said of the limitations of older game music. They just didn't have the room on the cartridge for full .mp3 files with whatever they wanted; they had to compose with specific programs (trackers) made to store the song in as small a space as possible. I believe that on the NES, 4 layers (including percussion) was the absolute maximum (I may be wrong, though). Nowadays you can get dozens (or more) layers with full orchestras if you want. Not that I'm complaining.
@MrTanookiMario Oh i get it, the only two notes that overlap are the melody and the bass, and they are only comprised of only 1 note playing at any given time, thus only 2 notes are ever playing throughout the entire song. Wow, that is quite skill full. thanks.
@Koopsas There's only two "layers" of monophonic instruments (they play only one note at a time, like a clarinet or a flute--as opposed to polyphonic instruments like a piano) in the whole song. One plays the melody, and the other does the bass. There's no drums, no complex layers of harmonies or chords or anything--just two notes at any given time.
@Frieza102 I er, dont get it. Your still right though
@Frieza102 I simply know why i love this song. Because it is simple. But genius.
Absolutely brilliant for its time!
kraid clone for metriod 5! plz plz plz plz
I don't really know why, but this song reminds me of the zelda oracle series
@MarioGalaxy243g5 o ok im just gona leave it at that
@MarioGalaxy243g5 oh i never thought about nintendo! but who caress lol and wat u mean sonic 2006 again?? plz tell me cuz i really wana kno!!
@FireSparkProductions like im talkin about ps3 xbox 360 the newest game systems
now its these kinds of game they need to be remaking!! thumbs up??? this and the one on snes and double dragon and battle toads!!
Crazy vibes in the Metroid universe... Gives you chills, doesnt it?
this song is so deep and it doesn't even have words....
The sense of loneliness in this game was only matched by Super Metroid's. Every other game now, it's almost like they expect you to find Random McFuckwit. Listen, Nintendo. Please don't Halo-ize Metroid. Get back to the basics of Prime or this, and work from there.
Hah! This is one of the biggest reasons that Xbox and (specially) Playstation can't pass Nintendo. Because of Nintendo's deep, deep music.
I wish I could listen to this but I could never reach Kraid in the original metroid only have in Super metroid (beat it) and Zero Mission (also beat it) but it's just not the same.
This song pwns life :)
The attention to detail in this era for the most part was pretty amazing, but there are some modern games that have some memorable music in their own right. The music for the cut scenes in Xenosaga II composed by Yuki Kajiura is such an impressive collection of music I was compelled to purchase the soundtrack. Of course working with a full orchestra helps, but like games from this era, the atmosphere created forces you to acknowledge the music and not simply listen to it.
This song has such abnormal chord progressions (especially the 'chorus' at, say, 0:20), and yet sounds completely acceptable to the ear. Props to Hip Tanaka, he's the man.
I still love the original Metroid for how trippy it is. It's not something other games can match, it is its own kind of trippy :).
emulators can make that happen. ENROLL WITH THE OLD SCHOOL!!! ^o^
that game looked amazing for it's time, and still looks good. if you like metroid but hate the graphics then get zero mission.
What do you expect? This game was for the freaking Nes. You don't play NES games for their graphics.
WTF STFU gay.
i only played zero missions, this was my favourite song in that! i watched the trailer about 100 times just for the song =D
this is as good as it get litsenin to nostalgia TOO AWESOME
i like super metroid and i beat it like 9 times already
i do but there are some i dont think look good
I'd say Ninja Gaiden on Xbox is one of those, the music is so catchy to me. NG2 is not in the same category, sadly D: just IMO
Old game music is so damned catchy! it mesmorises you, and sticks in your head... i'll NEVER forget a classic game if only because of the music...
this is brinstar depths theme in melee/brawl great song!
You're absolutely right. I never noticed it before. It's nice to find other people who appreciate the skill and heart it took to create classic video game music.
creeps me out.......hot blonde all alone.....killing those weird things......to creepy music!
I didn't particularly like the first Metroid, but I still like to listen to its music.
I agree. the lack of soundchannels made the composers loads more creative. They created themes that are forever stuck in millions upon millions of people's minds. Nowadays the music tends to be very backgroundish, you never recall it after you have played through a game really. in the 8bit and 16bit era, possibly 32/64 too, the music wasa bigger part of the whole experience in general. Of course, exceptions do exist. ;)
Listen again to this song. For the ENTIRE track, there are only TWO lines of notes playing. Two. That's 2. And it sucks you in and holds you there. I DARE you to find a song from a modern video game done with that level of skill.
It's one of the best.
this metroid looks horrible
Brave? Iono, she strikes me more as the fearless type. You heard her voice in SSBB? She sounds cold as ice. And yeah, she is rather dangerous, with her one-woman army approach to battle. That and her Power Suit.
samus is soo brave.....going all alone into places full with monsters.....hot chick but dangerous ,rather not mess with her!
This was actually probably my least favorite song in the entire game. The irony is that every remix that's ever been made of this song was pimp.
I really loved the Brinstar Depths stage in Melee. And I thought the song was awesome too. Good choice. ^-^
this song is great, however, when your lost in kraids lair trying to find the way, this song starts to dull you out.
this is the sort of music i could kill to :D
There is no order to SupraDarky's list. He just puts what he considers to be the best Video Game Music.
this should've been WAY higher. this was the most epic NES vgm imo. I still remember being mesmerized when this music first came out.
WIN
what...where am i...last thing i remember is i was clicking on a youtube video then next im here...
this should have been number 1
This song used to almost hypnotize me when I played Metroid as a young child.
man was this game hard to play on the emulator good game though...i prefer super metroid ^^
I love that you made this song loop for over 5 minutes - cant get enough of it at all
FF III Boss Battle.
Oh... the countless hours spent gaming to this music... It's so nostalgic. Metroid rules!
Dr. Wily Stage 1, Mega Man 2
ducktails the moon
This is the height of NES badassness
Not the best, but definately a must listen.
I'm a massive Metroid fan and this is probably my favourite track from the whole series, second only perhaps to the original Brinstar theme. Fantastic mood created form such a simple console, very dark and brooding. TOp stuff :)