The Best Retro Game Music - 8bit and above

[bizzgeburt]

One of the best moments in all SEGA's Phantasy Star franchise is discovering this awesome tune when wandering into the 1st dungeon in Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qF-skncqEok

[endemonadia]

I never played ZX Spectrum but I love that metallica instrumental orion! What was that game about? I'm shure there's a way to find it ... 

Besides, couldn't it be that instead of the games music creator being inspired by metallica, metallica may have been inspired by this game?  Consider the release year of this album ...

I have no clue whether the game or Metallica did the riff first.  I just remember connecting the two back in the 1980s, that theyre the exact same riff.  From the depths of my memory i think i remember it being on a title screen, probably some kind of D&D or RPG game.

[bizzgeburt]

From the depths of my memory i think i remember it being on a title screen, probably some kind of D&D or RPG game.

Well that actually reminds me of the opening screen theme of Dungeons and Dragons: Warriors of the eternal Sun for SEGA Genesis/Megadrive  that game had rocky tunes in general, but as far as I know, it's music composed completely by one specific guy (who wasn't part of Metallica for sure!  )

Here it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RidSSq8cxsY&list=PLjipjJrLYWJgwMMMEZU64DUZYf0uahRpq&index=3

[sworddude]

I can hardly imagine it being from a zx spectrum game, the music was kinda barebones. Maybe on an amiga but the zx spectrum was very limited.

[bizzgeburt]

speaking about rocky themes  here's another one of my all time favourite pieces out of an  RPG: Mystic Quest (SNES) - Boss Theme

A piece so good and rocking so hard, even real rock/metal- musicians love to cover it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUGDp39srk0

[bizzgeburt]

Playing Ax Battler: A Legend of Golden Axe on GG, I stumbled upon this piece, that kept flying around my head even after laying down the handheld  It's a theme playing in some of the dungeons:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PugpIsFPsDE&list=PLTEEa2-9mZ7b9bUhVayzG6cdCXuqqJ1OT&index=6

Sometimes even small spinoff games provide decent music to listen to while playing.

[bizzgeburt]

Another all time favourite:  Goldeneye 64 - Aztec

https://youtu.be/bCgLK2KxI9I?si=PJ49CrdFrhXPDSi7


I'm not completely sure but I always figured Just Blaze was inspired by this when producing Busta Rhymes - Everybody rise again 

https://youtu.be/nf7jI7EB16s?si=ZH1gowGhoJ6vHkqn


Or are my ears f'ed up already? 

[spyrofanx]

Here's A Few of My FAVs (One Per Game, Tho Do Have Other FAVs In Each Game Mentioned):
Dark Hollow - Spyro The Dragon https://youtu.be/8LkB4j5hYiw?si=E-cmJsGsY9BiefRN
Summer Forest - Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage https://youtu.be/JSDOCaUhDHA?si=WaZJqu-2KPgQHo_h
Dino Mines - Spyro: Year of The Dragon https://youtu.be/9ethddS3yOU?si=1FDsTuqezsgMjRpr
Sticky Swamp Shootout - Spyro: Enter The Dragonfly https://youtu.be/0kPpejp6Pqs?si=6Y551-c_ttyoxoG9
Valley of Avalar - The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of The Dragon https://youtu.be/w1SZRR4KwAo?si=42Civ7T2yegKEExK
Canyon Run - Steel Reign https://youtu.be/u-02fpmkjtk?si=msZZeiqbQiMo0ejb
The Struggle To Survive - Tales of Symphonia https://youtu.be/WJVCuBnTZJU?si=wNGtJS_5lWhlZurr
Red Heat Coronia - Klonoa: Door To Phantomile https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhBSEwf-USI&list=PLErsx10Ke4uxRb3tSFLGUTSSES86lchUe&index=35
Multi Man Melee 2 - Super Smash Bros. Melee https://youtu.be/9mnpYvqx2lc?si=o1nVuFZ8YgueMQaK
Scarecrow Fields - MediEvil https://youtu.be/Ci5MAAvlUfI?si=rXUDKlamjEVkgP6Q
Move Me - R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 https://youtu.be/re1IjZsUGtU?si=Rx63E9PcTZrDgXro
Passing Through The Forest - Threads of Fate https://youtu.be/xX4WQouaL7k?si=ktH1IfoEckHDXv-l
Cold Man Stage - Mega Man & Bass https://youtu.be/xPcToocaw_A?si=pRFBIYB-0y9pwSiL
Tomahawk Man Stage - Rock Man 6 Complete Works https://youtu.be/xNWhN4P6nRI?si=aHRsl4FoxpFZXDEB
Shade Man Stage - Mega Man 7 https://youtu.be/lLhrSSw_4vU?si=ISzFLYc5HIK4P5ZY
The Skiver (Spiral Pegasus) Stage - Mega Man X5 https://youtu.be/6fn_iuNHvK4?si=r93umHBRCUge-_Ae
Slash Beast Stage - Mega Man X4 https://youtu.be/tKq68xrJGzw?si=OGDvn3-RGKzFGAJa
Volt Catfish Stage - Mega Man X3 https://youtu.be/6_3i4rYvtvk?si=Ezb6EDciDpU5591o
Fire Man Stage - Mega Man: Powered Up https://youtu.be/oTNwQaC3dbs?si=dU9-p3p6ClsSbTd3
Storm Eagle Stage - Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X https://youtu.be/WS4pqNpkq_c?si=fMIXBu8sS_vmtsNH
Angel Island Zone Act 2 - Sonic 3 https://youtu.be/9JHSUSwcUsw?si=ErbRd46DhpNkfikW
Flying Battery Zone Act 1 - Sonic & Knuckles https://youtu.be/_T7hdIh-gtw?si=T_8IIrglW64FQkAY
Run Through The Speed Highway (Speed Highway) - Sonic Adventure https://youtu.be/EDE5Us3KEqo?si=nd3LZTFG52DH0BEy
That's The Way I Like It (Metal Harbor) - Sonic Adventure 2 https://youtu.be/ds4gZ6pwg6U?si=aI3jglTfoNv8t-kq
Hang Castle - Sonic Heroes https://youtu.be/3eDoi9F7Rp4?si=lXzZTEM3od1ZW6kH
Aquatic Base (Level 1) - Sonic '06 https://youtu.be/-XdN6GzeN7Y?si=p67kmz2zwSByZN4T
Windmill Isle (Night) - Sonic Unleashed https://youtu.be/uixF6EJH7WM?si=fGQlX2_zUuZZVaW5
Ghostly Garden - Pac-Man World https://youtu.be/Sprf8xEchlE?si=zHxuQKAGC5w52cD6
Haunted Boardwalk - Pac-Man World 2 https://youtu.be/7YdJMNSQY-I?si=16nZ-rXAowK77it0
Ghost Mansion - Pac-Man World Rally https://youtu.be/wLUOlJV0uHA?si=xoiOnnyR1CkuV0hc
Golvis' Hideout - Pac 'N' Roll Remix https://youtu.be/9_9qCx-USFs?si=HPXDL8lmb6TenhyJ
Crystal King Battle - Paper Mario 64 https://youtu.be/HHBb0z9584w?si=xn8c0-RGtgdcSKZw
Rawk Hawk Battle - Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door https://youtu.be/kznbVzMOms8?si=RGGalKXahnOVWh4G
Bumpsy Plains - Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story https://youtu.be/4TO6V1jlSfY?si=1E_Xs7n_vuwYSy8A
Resaca Harbor - Tail Concerto https://youtu.be/SIgvuBDHvLs?si=OWVHi2eEPxa3DGxe
Blast Furnace - Metal Gear Solid https://youtu.be/xpcCbS11RJM?si=hvX4FvY5zeXSlH6d
Weapons Mode - Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions https://youtu.be/DB4cgfYqTXg?si=k_GwPphchj0HHrgv
Road To Ruin, Ruination - Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back https://youtu.be/Cs8wiYfvP1g?si=3MMeJL087Ep0u9tK
Toad Village/Gee Wiz/Double Header - Crash Bandicoot: Warped https://youtu.be/pfk0v5dPtYk?si=WPzkdf_yiPzlVVmA
N. Gin Labs - CTR: Crash Team Racing https://youtu.be/pgCqftQ1FW4?si=ZuNMc_FihA8aFYHZ
Pogo Painter - Crash Bash https://youtu.be/tn7kTQDY-LE?si=fb0TlNZ4wLritk6b
Warp Room - Crash Bandicoot 2: N-Tranced https://youtu.be/IRVDsY1dT20?si=sTQKYzDCaGMJZhib