Sailing the Blue Skies since 2001.
Music is one of my favorite components of video games. There is nothing like having the perfect track accompanying you as you go battle a boss, solve a puzzle, or even just going through a stage. This feature is meant as a tribute to all of the games whose music thoroughly impressed me. ^_^
I will pick three songs from different games that I really, really love to gush about. It may be from a game I highlight in an overall soundtrack, but I will go more into detail about why this song has stuck with me since I first heard it.
Wicked Child - Castlevania (NES, Konami, Kinuyo Yamashita)
Man, how I do love me some Wicked Child. Definitely one of the finest NES compositions, this tune captures the frantic pace of the third section of the game perfectly. With its tough foes (especially the Fleamen, whose random hops manage to tie into this tune very well), high amount of pits, and the ambiant scenery of scaling the castle's walls and towers, this is a lovely example of how to properly set up a tense mood with your gaming music. I wonder why Konami hasn't brought back this classic into the modern Castlevanias...scared of living up to the awesomeness of the original, perhaps? I have to also add that both the Advantage and the Minibosses have covered this song with much success - well worth tracking them down to listen to!
Brinstar (Plant) - Super Metroid (SNES, Nintendo, Kenji Yamamoto)
Here's a song I've meant to write about for a while, but somehow I kept forgetting to. But not any more! Another great example of using music to set up a great atmosphere, Brinstar (Plant) feels the most "alive" out of all the music in Super Metroid, which fits its location in the game (the organic section of Brinstar, which is teeming with plant life). It also sounds a little menacing, as if this section doesn't want Samus to be there exploring its dark depths. Fantastic.
Dry Trail (Latheon Gorge) - Tales of Symphonia (GC. Namco, Motoi Sakuraba, Shinji Tamura)
This slow, ambiant tune is among my favorites in Tales of Symphonia. Dry Trail syncs up with its beautiful cliffside locale wonderfully well. As Lloyd and his allies resurrect wilted plants to use their strong gusts to float their way across the gorge's many ledges, this tranquil music floats along with you, fitting right in with the action. The addition of waterfalls and fruit bearing trees in the background helps give this place a rich feeling of life, and this song encompasses all of that into its delightful melody.