Author Topic: Favorite 16-bit soundtracks  (Read 2466 times)

Favorite 16-bit soundtracks
« on: October 27, 2017, 12:40:15 am »
In the 16 bit days there were so many games with memorable soundtracks. With sampling coming into play music was able to achieve new levels of fidelity. Thematic Sonic the Hedgehog. Moody Super Metroid. Epic Final Fantasies. Playful Yoshi's Island.
 
One of my new favorites I've been listening to is Gokujou Parodius, and the whole Parodius series in general. For those unfamiliar, Parodius is a parody of the Gradius series. Hence the name. Konami took their serious space shooter and heavily Japanified it. While crazy crap happens on screen there's insane/silly tracks playing that match the same level of absurdity.

Because of the incredibly fast development cycles the sound team didn't really have time to write new compositions. Some of the songs are lifted straight out of existing Konami games, but most of the tracks are these incredibly pumped up rearrangements of public domain classical music and Japanese folk. They took all these familiar songs and turned them on their head. While almost none of the music is original per se, it's still entertaining.

Arcade version of "Paro-Paro Dancing" (remix of Dvorák's Symphony No. 9)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UojNRhidLQg

Arcade version of "The Cat Battleship Forever" (remix of Stars and Stripes Forever)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZsd8kIQOek


What are your favorite soundtracks from this period?
Feel free to post video links to examples.
« Last Edit: March 25, 2020, 10:15:24 pm by badATchaos »

Re: Favorite 16-bit soundtracks
« Reply #1 on: October 27, 2017, 01:10:16 am »
Sonic 3 because Michael Jackson!

hexen

Re: Favorite 16-bit soundtracks
« Reply #2 on: October 27, 2017, 02:11:04 am »
16-Bit land has a LOT of really good music, but my favorites are usually a pick-and-mix from random games. However, it does contain one of my all time favorite soundtracks by percentage...

Sonic 2... I love about 95% of the whole track, and was remains is at least a strong like.  Get that Sonic 3 out of here, it has nothing on Sonic 2 (but it's still really good). They made alternate versions of the music for the 2-players stages for no damn reason and they where still all exceptional and some maybe better then their single player versions! The weakest songs for me are the special stage which is more utilitarian, and Oil Ocean which is my least favorite stage theme but it's grown on me over the years. Overall I like the SNES' soundfont more, but that Genesis grunge is just so well utilized in Sonic 2.

Donkey Kong Country 2 probably comes in second by percentage. Maybe 80% falls in love territory, but it reaches higher highs then Sonic 2 for indivual tracks. Bramble Scramble is among to most legendary video game tracks ever, and recently it seems Mining Melancholy is getting the love it has deserved for years. There are no tracks I hate, but some are a little more average to me.

Those 2 are always going to be popular choices, but I have one I don't think a lot of people would say - Kirby's Dreamland 3. Kirby 3 has the most Kirby soundtrack ever. It's just that right balance of relaxing, lazy and frantic. It's a really special soundtrack, I can think of no OST that has more warm, happiness inducing songs. No other OST brings back the same memories of my youth and gives me such a bittersweet feeling. I am seriously unable to listen to Ripple Field 1 without tearing up, I have no idea why.

Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger, Mario, other DKC and Sonic games have a lot of great highs, but by percentage of the OST these ones stand above for me. At least in the 16-bit era.

P. S. Michiru Yamane worked on some excellent music for Rocket Knight Adventure, which is a 16-bit game I am mentioning just so I can say that Symphony of the Night who's music she also did is the best OST in all of reality.
« Last Edit: October 27, 2017, 02:16:46 am by hexen »
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Re: Favorite 16-bit soundtracks
« Reply #3 on: October 27, 2017, 09:11:21 am »
A link to the Past and Earthbound have amazing soundtracks imo :).   Mostly RPGs from the 16 bit era like FFIII went above and beyond with theatric music that made you excited for boss battles and such.



kashell

Re: Favorite 16-bit soundtracks
« Reply #4 on: October 27, 2017, 09:56:31 am »
Oh man...

Mega Man X
Mega Man X3
Chrono Trigger
Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy V
Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy Mystic Quest
Secret of Mana
Albert Odyssey (SNES version)
Romancing SaGa
Romancing SaGa 3

I'll be here all day at this rate.

Re: Favorite 16-bit soundtracks
« Reply #5 on: October 27, 2017, 10:05:58 am »
.
« Last Edit: January 10, 2018, 03:13:50 pm by jce3000gt »



Re: Favorite 16-bit soundtracks
« Reply #6 on: October 27, 2017, 10:25:22 am »
Thought of another one.


Waterworld on the SNES; one of the most relaxing, cool soundtracks I've heard, video games or otherwise.

telly

Re: Favorite 16-bit soundtracks
« Reply #7 on: October 27, 2017, 11:04:24 am »
Chrono Trigger is hands down my favorite.
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Re: Favorite 16-bit soundtracks
« Reply #8 on: October 27, 2017, 02:36:39 pm »
TMNT Turtles in Time
Megaman X
Yoshi's Island

aliensstudios

Re: Favorite 16-bit soundtracks
« Reply #9 on: October 27, 2017, 11:16:01 pm »
Wow, there are so many!
• Super Mario World
• Sonic 3 & Knuckles
• The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
• Donkey Kong Country
• Michael Jackson's Moonwalker
• Eternal Champions
• Kirby Super Star
• Super Mario RPG
• EarthBound
"I collect vidya games and vidya game accessories, I tell you what."

shepard11

Re: Favorite 16-bit soundtracks
« Reply #10 on: October 28, 2017, 10:57:28 am »
Big fan of a lot of the games y'all listed but one of my favorite is Super Street Fighter II Turbo. Just so iconic and those tunes still get stuck in my head to this day.

ferraroso

Re: Favorite 16-bit soundtracks
« Reply #11 on: October 29, 2017, 09:43:59 am »
For me, Streets of Rage 1 & 2 have the best soundtrack of that generation.
If you consider the Neo Geo as part of the 16-bit gen, then I would say The King of Fighters '96 is the best.

undertakerprime

PRO Supporter

Re: Favorite 16-bit soundtracks
« Reply #12 on: October 30, 2017, 01:46:40 pm »
There’s just too many to list.
Off the top of my head:
Sonic 1+2
Streets of Rage 1+2
Revenge of Shinobi
Shadow Dancer
Chrono Trigger
Zelda ALttP
FF IV & VI
Actraiser
Donkey Kong Country
Axelay
Super Castlevania IV
Super Mario RPG
Strider

« Last Edit: October 30, 2017, 01:49:09 pm by undertakerprime »

Re: Favorite 16-bit soundtracks
« Reply #13 on: November 07, 2017, 05:25:40 pm »
No particular order:

Streets of Rage 2
Donkey Kong Country 2
Street Fighter 2
Chrono Trigger

sworddude

Re: Favorite 16-bit soundtracks
« Reply #14 on: March 21, 2020, 08:53:57 pm »
traded some fodder for wild guns reloaded switch, them wild guns ost is fire

Desolation Canyon

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