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[zkylon]

work in progress: lemme know if it's too annoying for youtube me! users
update 1: to avoid it being too annoying I decided I'll pick one song per game, then make playlists so you can hear my other picks
update 2: ok, now I'm done, messed the order a bit around and it's hard to pick between Hotline: Miami and Mass Effect 3, but I went with what made the difference during gameplay, and that was HL:M.
update 3: added spec ops and cover art, now really done!

----

The Top 3

1) Hotline: Miami: various artists
Brilliant beyond belief, it goes from mellow to upbeat, always haunting and super addictive, like the game itself.

Standouts:
Miami, by Jasper Byrne (song of the year)
Full playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL16btSo1QCPyph6826BdWD6xHcoTlpvZN

2) Mass Effect 3: various artists
Not even Clint Mansell could save the Mass Effect franchise from self-destruction, but at least Bioware gave us a soundtrack that deserves much more. 

Standouts:
An End Once and for All, by Clint Mansell and Sam Hulick (runner up for best song of the year)
Full playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL16btSo1QCPzHg6YWbDdsslTsLMkz1iNP

3) Lone Survivor: Jasper Byrne
Very weird in that Silent Hill kind of way, Jasper Byrne so good.

Standouts:
Home, by Jasper Byrne
Full playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL16btSo1QCPz7vJcCWVBUINpf6dmfmAKJ

----

Honorable Mentions

Spec Ops: The Line: Elia Cmiral
A fantastic selection of licensed classic rock tracks that turn to psychodelia when it's necessary and perfectly complement the hellish story of the game. And the non-licensed music is terrific heavy metal stuff too.

Standouts:
Hush, by Deep Purple
Full playlist: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL16btSo1QCPyQFVMNtT4cFrAR6r3MRjB9

Dear Esther: Jessica Curry
Just as powerful as the imagery of the game, it often reminded me of Braid's best tracks.

Standouts:
November, by Jessica Curry
Full playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL16btSo1QCPySOnJOEBgqz7wLrIQUr2iQ

Max Payne 3: HEALTH
HEALTH rocked a great tracklist and almost fooled me into thinking the game had actual emotion to it. Almost.

Standouts:
Tears, by HEALTH (runner up for best song of the year)
Full playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL16btSo1QCPwhIewpylHnefQ2maifnywo

 

[Danny-Boy]

1. Sound Shapes (event horizon the highlight)

2. Max Payne 3
3. Journey

 

[Currygan]

1) Kid Icarus Uprising
2) Guild Wars 2
3) Mass Effect 3

too bad Rayman Legends is 2013. I'd have put that on my list

 

[Deleted member 59090]

1. Hotline Miami
2. Journey
3. FTL: Faster Than Light

 

[Nert]

Yeah. And again I'm not questioning or calling out Vire's opinion at all. It was more or less a jumping point for me to rant about that a little bit because I was seriously disappointed with Mansell's work on ME3.

Luckily ME3 still had a very good soundtrack. It's on my list. But the Mansell factor was a waste.

Mass Effect 3's soundtrack was a letdown for me. Mass Effect had one of the best, and most thematically consistent, soundtracks of the generation for me. I liked a lot of individual tracks on Mass Effect 2's soundtrack, but it didn't come together as a whole in the same way. Mass Effect 3 has the same problem for me, and it was likely exacerbated by Mansell only being a limited presence there.

Having said that, I did really like Mars. It wouldn't have felt out of place on the first game's soundtrack, imo.

Edit: the first archive updates will come later this evening.

 

[brandonh83]

Having said that, I did really like Mars. It wouldn't have felt out of place on the first game's soundtrack, imo.

Mars was excellent, both the atmosphere and combat tracks. Then there was a piece I loved during a big event roughly halfway through the game that I'm sure is easy to guess but is very spoilerific, and then a couple of tracks at the end were really great.

The soundtrack was able to get onto my top five, but only really because there weren't a lot of game soundtracks beyond my first four choices that really had any impact on me.

 

[Axelstream]

1. Final Fantasy XIII-2 (Personal favorites: "Run", "Beautiful Heroes", "Eclipse -Aggressive Mix-", all of the character themes)
While the XIII series may have disappointed in many ways, the music has been consistently excellent. XIII-2 brought Naoshi Mizuta to the forefront as composer, and he really brought his A-game. The biggest surprise here is how much variety there is in this soundtrack, deftly mixing orchestral and electronic elements for a feel that somehow all comes together. Fantastic stuff.

2. Kid Icarus: Uprising (Personal favorites: "Magnus' Theme", "Dark Pit", "Lightning Battle", "Boss Battle 1")
Awesome new soundtrack filled with heavy-hitting composers. The music feels so energetic and inspired, with a vast collection of strong melodic compositions that I could recall months after playing. What it may lack in subtlety, it makes up for in sheer enjoyment. Really looking forward to seeing some of this music (and everything else from this game!) in the next Smash Brothers.

And I... don't really have a #3. :C I must admit that I haven't played Journey yet. Definitely gonna get on that.

 

[reptilescorpio]

1. Lollipop Chainsaw - Akira Yamaoka
2. Hotline Miami - Various (Dennaton Games selected)
3. The Walking Dead - Jared Emerson-Johnson

 

[Diddy Kong]

1. Kid Icarus Uprising
2. Nintendo Land
3. Paper Mario Sticker Star

 

[Acquiescence]

1. Gravity Rush - Kohei Tanaka’s soundtrack is eclectic, ultra-catchy and just generally full of child-like wonderment. From the sweeping strings and easy-going jazz of city exploration to the pulse-racing rock of the combat segments, his collection of tracks never ceased to leave an impression on me no matter where I was in the game, or what I was doing. Unforgetable stuff.

Resistance and Extermination

2. Journey - So many games are accompanied by an orchestral, sweeping score these days, but I find most remain generic and devoid of anything resembling a memorable melody. Journey is practically defined by Wintory's stirring arrangements, alternating between the grandiose and the intimate, yet never feeling intrusive or self-important, and really manages to wring out every last drop of heartfelt emotion by the journey's end.

Apotheosis

3. Silent Hill: Downpour - Licht had big shoes to fill after Yamaoka's departure, and while he didn't compose a score able to match the best of his predecessor, he still managed to deliver a soundtrack to Silent Hill that differentiated itself from Yamaoka's works while faithfully capturing the sullen, isolated and terrifying nature of the series. Bonus points for the recurring use of Andy Williams' 'Born Free'.

Jump Monster

Honourable mentions...

4. Max Payne 3
5. The Unfinished Swan

I really wish I could've squeezed Max Payne 3 into my top 3 somehow, as HEALTH's score was fantastic, but I just couldn't bring myself to leave Downpour out.

 

[XANDER CAGE]

Yeah, Mass Effect's soundtracks have been going downhill since the first one. They ditched the 80s synth homages for a blockbuster cinema house orchestra type thing, with only hints of the previous influences ("Mars" being the standout track in 3). Clint Mansell's contribution really didn't jive well with me for this reason. Nothing about it says Mass Effect.

 

[mèx]

I haven't played many games this year, so my choices are a bit limited.

1. Kid Icarus: Uprising
I love every track of this game, really. Kudos to the composers, this soundtrack is just epic.

In the Space-Pirate Ship
Lightning Chariot Base
Mysterious Invaders
Lunar Sanctum, I want the version with Pit singing at the start of the song :'D.
Dark Pit's Theme

2. Guild Wars 2
I'm only level 42 and I have explored only the five cities plus four starting areas out of five, so I don't think I've heard all the tracks yet.
I think that Jeremy Soule's compositions on Guild Wars (both 1 and 2) are his best work yet.

Tyrian Overture
The Orders Unite
The Shiverpeaks, soooo relaxing.
The Last Great City of Men
The Great Wall Has Fallen

And I could go on and on...

3. To the Moon
How this game's soundtrack set the right mood for every situation is astounding, even if some of the tracks are simple/trivial (hmm, probably that's why they do their job wonderfully).

To the Moon (Main Theme)
Once Upon A Memory
Lament Of A Stranger
Between a Squirrel and a Tree
Beta-B
To the Moon - Piano

EDIT:
Oh shit I forgot about Dustforce, arghhhh.

 

[Ragus]

1. Kid Icarus: Uprising
2. Journey
3. Max Payne 3

 

[CrunchinJelly]

1. Fez
2. Fez
3. Fez

Honourable mentions:

- Fez

 

[daydream]

1. Dustforce
2. Fez
3. Rhythm Heaven Fever

Honourable mentions: Botanicula, Paper Mario Sticker Star, Kingdom Hearts 3D, Kid Icarus: Uprising, Hotline Miami, The Walking Dead, Double Dragon Neon, Skullgirls, Retro City Rampage, FTL

Can't think of much else right now.

(Edit) 04-01-13: After some reconsideration I put Dustforce on 1. Added a few of HMs. Really a great year for game soundtracks.

 

[SpacePirate Ridley]

1. Kid Icarus: Uprising - As upbeat and epic as the story, what an amazing soundtrack. The star wars john william's song tribute stil gives me goosebumps. Not only one of the best soundtracks of the year, but one of the best of the last decade.
2. Nintendo Land - A game I really hated before playing, that I now love, but one of its most surprasing things is its magnificent soundtrack, remixes and original music alike.
3. Mass Effect 3 - I liked much more Mass Effect 2 soundtrack but this is also good, but this is what happens in a year when you play mainly your backlog, ive heard lots of magnificent soundtracks, but there are from games of not this year.

I know this is not for this thread but I wanted to give the prize, or at least dishonorable mention, of Worst Soundtrack of the Year to New Super Mario Bros U.
Not just horrible and cheap, but even pathetic and disrespectful to SMW (that small tease in the begginng music of the last castle, just to change it in your face for a repeat is horrible). Shiho Fujii is the worst nintendo composer to grace the company, and he should feel ashamed of his work.

 

[Blake'sGrave]

1. Fez
2. Journey
3. Dishonored...

Spoiler

because apparently we can't have Xenoblade

 

[Dantis]

I would highly recommend checking out some of the stuff that will be linked and discussed here throughout the coming days. I'd be pretty surprised if there weren't at least three soundtracks that resonated with you, given the huge variety of styles that have been used.

Haha, it's because there's no Shoji Meguro soundtracks this year!

I'll have a think on it though. I forgot about Virtue's Last Reward, which was okay, so I guess that's two I feel (Somewhat) good about (The other being Unfinished Swan).

Definitely not a good year for game music for me though.

EDIT: Also, can't believe how many people are voting for FF13-2. Surprising.

 

[zroid]

2. Nintendo Land - A game I really hated before playing, that I now love, but one of its most surprasing things is its magnificent soundtrack, remixes and original music alike.

Haha, I'm glad you came around on it

Seems it's not uncommon for people to do a 180 on Nintendo Land, it's been very surprising.

 

[SpacePirate Ridley]

Haha, I'm glad you came around on it

Seems it's not uncommon for people to do a 180 on Nintendo Land, it's been very surprising.

I still have some quirks with it, because the idea of a Nintendo theme park could have been much more (and I still think the worst part of the game is the main plaza becuase its a cluterfuck of things by the end with no sense whatsoever), but the game itself and the production values are really good.

 

[Murrah]

1. Kid Icarus - This very well may be my favorite game soundtrack of all time, so it's definitely winning this year for me. It's really hard to pick favorites when the whole soundtrack is so amazing, so I'll post a couple that I notice don't get as much love as some of the others

Mysterious Invaders Flight Theme
Chaos Vortex

2. Dustforce - I don't even really like the game itself a whole lot, but the soundtrack is amazing, and in any other year would have been tops for me

Lifeformed

3. Fez - This is sorta hard since I think a lot of the soundtrack is hit or miss. But the hits hit really hard

Beacon

Paper Mario and Nintendoland get honorable mentions (Paper Mario might've made it if I had actually finished it), and Hotline Miami's soundtrack is amazing but I haven't actually played the game, only listened to the OST, so I don't really want to count it

 

[Anth0ny]

1. Kid Icarus Uprising
2. Journey
3. Halo 4

 

[Jintor]

Kid Icarus repping hard

 

[Mature]

1. Fez
2. Hotline Miami
3. Lollipop Chainsaw

 

[randomwab]

1. FTL - Wonderful space synth combined with BSG style battle drums. So perfectly fits (and helps set) the mood of the game.

2. The Walking Dead - Had some of the most eerily emotive tracks this year. I don't think I've heard a soundtrack ride between hope and despair so beautifully, "Alive Inside" as an example. And, of course, "Take Us Back".

3. Lone Survivor - Jasper Byrne hit so many great notes with this soundtrack. Trip Hop meets Akira Yamaoka meets David Lynch meets weird jazz. Highly recommended.

Honourable Mentions

FEZ - Sync. Enough said.

Mass Effect 3 - An End Once and For All combined with Faunt's amazing "Das Malefitz" were just an amazing one-two punch of greatness over a god awful ending. Also, Feel.Love.Thinking.Of is a great album. Get on it.

Deadlight - That theme. Beautiful.

 

[Zoibie]

Goddamn this is hard...

1) Journey
2) Virtue's Last Reward
3) Sound Shapes

Honorable Mentions: FTL, Hotline Miami, Mass Effect 3, The Unfinished Swan.

Took a while to figure out the order but it ended up mirroring what I expect my GotY top 3 will look like.

 

[Judderman]

1. Hotline Miami
2. Faster Than Light
3. Super Hexagon

 

[I speel my dreenk]

1. Journey - Totally amazing in all respects.

2. Hotline Miami - Played this a little late, and the music hasn't left my head for a minute.

3. Katawa Shoujo - Feelgood (and feelbad) soundtrack of the year.

Honorable Mentions:
x. Persona 4 Golden - A couple new tunes (which are great), and the original OST is still fantastic.

x. Gravity Rush - Better at setting the game's mood than I would've expected. In some ways, it reminds me of the feelings that older Final Fantasy soundtracks would evoke.

x. Spec Ops: The Line - There wasn't much music in this game, but what there was perfectly fit and enhanced the atmosphere. The use of diegetic music (i.e. from the game world), and the volume of that music lent to the unsettling nature of the game quite well.

x. Dustforce - after sitting down with this for the past couple of days, it's reeeeeally good too.

 

[Lunar15]

1. Kid Icarus: Uprising
2. Journey
3. Guild Wars 2.

Honorable Mention: Paper Mario: Sticker Star

Explanations:

1. Kid Icarus' soundtrack completely surprised me. It came out of nowhere. The sheer variety of the music is awesome, from the folk-ish Dog's Theme to the "out-of-left-field" Aurum Island. The soundtrack was just as unpredictable as the game itself, which is certainly saying something. I also loved the way that the music went along with what was going on in the flight sections, it made everything that much more exciting to watch.

2. Journey's soundtrack just went places I haven't seen games go yet. Every piece is absolutely stunning and completely married to the events of the game. It's not only a really good soundtrack, it's also innovative in terms of where we can go with game music connecting with gameplay and how far we can push it. I'm glad it was nominated for a Grammy, because it really deserves it. It's been linked a thousand times, but seriously, Apotheosis is one of the best tracks in a game, ever: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypNgvc6c6Cc

3. There's something about MMO soundtracks that just seem to get lost in the mix. I think it's that we get used to hearing a lot of the same songs over and over again in the same locations that we just tune them out. I personally even forgot to put this game on this list for some time, until I actually went through and listened to some of the tracks. While he's known for the Elder Scrolls series, I think Jeremy Soule did a far better job with Guild Wars 2. Even small snippets of music that play when you view a vista are quite stunning, and everything blends together quite well. There's not one song in the entire soundtrack that I dislike.

Honorable Mention: Paper Mario Sticker Star was pretty jazzy. 'Nuff said.

 

[Zia]

1) Fez
2) Journey
3) Hotline Miami

 

[The Boat]

Has it been a year already since the last one? Holy shit.

 

[GhaleonQ]

I know this is not for this thread but I wanted to give the prize, or at least dishonorable mention, of Worst Soundtrack of the Year to New Super Mario Bros U.
Not just horrible and cheap, but even pathetic and disrespectful to SMW (that small tease in the begginng music of the last castle, just to change it in your face for a repeat is horrible). Shiho Fujii is the worst nintendo composer to grace the company, and he should feel ashamed of his work.

I was going to compliment Jintor for having a great post upon 1st browse, but I'll highlight this, too.

I'm so happy that Asuka Ota appears(?) to have escaped the series. I don't know if they have a mandate to be lazy, but it's rough hyping her work when people look at her ludography and see the 1st game on it.

Anyway, you're not wrong! Intelligent Systems brought it this year, though. Awakening (saving for next year), Super Seal/Sticker Star, Crashmo/Pull-Crash are all very nice. There's no reason for a game this small in scope to have these sorts of tracks

Menu
Challenge Level
Lesson Level

I haven't really sat down with Nintendo Land's yet by itself, so I'll assume that Intelligent Systems is carrying the torch for good Nintendo music in 2012.

 

[Thoraxes]

1.) Final Fantasy XIII-2

• http://vgmdb.net/album/29080
• Masashi Hamauzu, Naoshi Mizuta, Mitsuto Suzuki (also includes Uematsu because he gave permission for his Chocobo song to be arranged for this game)
• Wish, Run, Historia Crux

First off, the direction in this music is just amazing. Not only do we hear the aesthetic of XIII being preserved by two newcomers in addition to Hamauzu, each new composer brings flair that is distinctly theirs to the OST. The sheer volume of music in this game is nothing short of outstanding really, and you can tell this one was a labor of love, as well as a labor of fun.

From the wide variety of many different vocal timbres and music aesthetic and style, this diverse soundtrack filled with very diverse genres for everyone, even you crazy chocobo riders.

2.) Etrian Odyssey IV

• http://vgmdb.net/album/33201
• Yuzo Koshiro
• Faith is My Pillar, Misty Ravine, Library of Puppets

I could seriously gush about this OST for years. Koshiro was finally given a large budget for live instrumental recording and does it ever pay off. He makes use of the traditional instrumental families, exotic ones (through the use of particular regional instruments), and even rock n' roll. The overall composition here is ridiculously clean, varied, and of the highest caliber. There is a certain mastery over the way Koshiro composes, and as we've heard slightly earlier in the year, his work on Kid Icarus Uprising too was of a high level.

There's good balance between pacing, ostinato, tempo, and a clear form with great sectionalization. My two favorite tracks, Faith is My Pillar and Misty Ravine, demonstrate each of these qualities, and shows how good Koshiro is at managing his motivic elements in his music. The lead in and transition from section to section in Faith, is fantastic because of the way he brings back material and leads into the loop, and is done in a way that doesn't feel forces anything, and it feels natural (and holy shit dat bassline in both this and Storm). In Misty, he makes good use of silence and ambience more than anything, and being different from a lot of the other tracks on the OST, the ending of the loop with the hand-patting on the hand drum gives me chills every time.

He has great effective use of instrumentation, composition, and style and genre mixing. If you're looking for a great acoustic OST to listen to this year, don't be fooled by the fact that this game is on the 3DS. The OST is of the highest caliber.

3.) Kid Icarus: Uprising

• http://vgmdb.net/album/33508
• Motoi Sakuraba, Yuzo Koshiro, Masafumi Takada, Noriyuki Iwadare, Yasunori Mitsuda
• Magnus Theme, The Return of Palutena, Pandora's Labyrinth of Deceit, The Three Trials, Staff Roll (a nice medley if you ask me)

When the composer list for the game was unveiled, I remember being floored. Like, holy shit I can't believe all of these guys are working on this OST. They must've been in contact with each other a lot too, because despite it being four different people, the consistency of aesthetic in the soundtrack is damned near flawless. I love the amount of budget given to the recording of this album, as most of it is high caliber orchestral writing (for that of it that is live recording, which is like 80%+ of the entire album) and orchestration. Everything just fits together.

Honorable Mentions:

Virtue's Last Reward (dat Ambidexterity and electronic composition)
Gravity Rush (dat aesthetic and Resistance and Extermination)
Phantasy Star Online 2 (dat PSO feel)
NintendoLand (dat nostalgia and instrumentation)
Halo 4 (dat Awakening)
Journey (dat mood setting)
Devil Survivor 2 (dat hotness)
Diablo III (dat motivic exploration)
Mists of Pandaria (dem exotic instruments in an orchestral setting)
Telltale's The Walking Dead (dat mood setting)
Paper Mario Sticker Star (dat jazzyness)

The I discovered it too late to change my vote because I need more time to listen and be familiar with it but it's still really awesome award

Crimson Shroud

tl;dr: Handheld music easily outclassed console music

 

[vareon]

1. Kid Icarus Uprising
2. Crimson Shroud
3. Nintendoland.

 

[Noi]

1. Gravity Rush

Standouts:
Resistance and Extermination
Pleasure Quarter
Old Town
Douse Shinundakara

2. Asura's Wrath -
I never see enough love for this game's OST anywhere. The music is one of the major reasons I love the game, with all of Yasha's themes and the game's main them being flat out wonderful.

Standouts:
THE WHOLE THING. To pick a few though,
Furueru Kokoro (Staff Roll)/(Prologue)
Wind ~Fang~
Symphony No. 9 in E Minor 'From the New World' (4th Movement) <- Technically cheating!
One Who Spins Samsara
Asura Vs Evil Ryu

3. Journey

Standouts:
Just look at every other Journey post.

Honorable Mentions:

Katawa Shoujo
Lollipop Chainsaw
The Binding of Isaac: Wrath of the Lamb
Final Fantasy XIII-2

 

[SmithnCo]

1. Kid Icarus Uprising
2. Journey
3. Double Dragon Neon

KI: Uprising is seriously a godly soundtrack, nice to see it is doing well. So many great pieces. I'll give a nod to Double Dragon for having a delightfully catchy throwback soundtrack.

 

[-Stranger-]

1. Journey
2. Max Payne 3
3. Halo 4

 

[lazybones18]

1. Kid Icarus: Uprising
2. Gravity Rush
3. Lumines: Electronic Symphony

 

[Dark Schala]

I think this year's thread is going to have a higher amount of participants than last year's, thank goodness.

I'm so happy that Asuka Ota appears(?) to have escaped the series. I don't know if they have a mandate to be lazy, but it's rough hyping her work when people look at her ludography and see the 1st game on it.

So am I. I didn't want to say anything about Asuka Ota's work before, but man, I do not like her stuff at all. I don't like the samples she uses and I generally don't like the BGMs she composes (I dunno; I feel like there's a quality missing from them). Ehhh... I don't like the sound she's given to NSMB at all.

I don't think Ota was credited on NSMBU, was she? Even then, the music recycling and the samples used on that soundtrack are just bad. I get that they're trying to go for consistency, but repetition and building upon elements that aren't necessarily well-liked is simply disappointing.

as is, though, it's a popularity contest. it's not going to be fair. it's just going to be a reflection of what a percentage of GAF thinks SOTY 2012 is. everything is all in good fun.

I agree that it's fun, but... I'd like to think those participating in the SotY threads would like a serious avenue to discuss newer and recent soundtracks while discovering ones that they haven't heard before or wouldn't have given the time of day to. While it's sometimes a popularity contest, there is a fraction of VGM-GAF who generally like finding new stuff and the end of year ranking contributes to that. Anyway... whatever, let's have fun here.

BTW, I didn't recognize you for a sec! :O

Phantasy Star Online 2 (dat PSO feel)

dat Sega Sound Team feel!

 

[GAMERG0D]

1. Nintendo Land
2. Final Fantasy XIII-2
3. Assassin's Creed III

 

[SolarPowered]

1. Skullgirls
2. FTL: Faster than light
3. Journey

Honorable mentions:
To the Moon

 

[PIMPBYBLUD]

1. Halo 4
2. Assassin's Creed 3
3. Journey

 

[Jintor]

I was going to compliment Jintor for having a great post upon 1st browse, but I'll highlight this, too.

woo!

 

[GhaleonQ]

So am I. I didn't want to say anything about Asuka Ota's work before, but man, I do not like her stuff at all. I don't like the samples she uses and I generally don't like the BGMs she composes (I dunno; I feel like there's a quality missing from them). Ehhh... I don't like the sound she's given to NSMB at all.

I don't think Ota was credited on NSMBU, was she? Even then, the music recycling and the samples used on that soundtrack are just bad. I get that they're trying to go for consistency, but repetition and building upon elements that aren't necessarily well-liked is simply disappointing.

I swear that's Nintendo's house style since the DS/Wii. I think that it's distinctive, but, yes, the samples are weird. They're not tinny, but..."thin?" It works for some things, but I wish it would stay relegated to the console menus or casual stuff like Wii _ and Nintendo Land, where it fits the gameplay and visual aesthetics.

However, if you can't appreciate Mario Kart Wii, *sad face*.

woo!

On the recommendations tip, it's been a great year:
http://vgmdb.net/album/35014
http://vgmdb.net/album/31156 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sebzSgYc3uk
http://vgmdb.net/album/31133 remake
http://vgmdb.net/album/36674 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpSsMWhkn7A

 

[UberTag]

1) Journey - 3 Points
2) Hotline Miami - 2 Points
3) Gravity Rush - 1 Point

Favorite Individual Track: Blue Bird Lamentation - Virtue's Last Reward

Honorable Mentions: Final Fantasy XIII-2, Kid Icarus: Uprising, Max Payne 3, Paper Mario: Sticker Star

 

[Thoraxes]

dat Sega Sound Team feel!

Very, very true!

Edit: I'm looking forward to your post btw. I always like our choices lol

 

[Chet Rippo]

1. Katawa Shoujo
2. Kid Icarus Uprising
3. Paper Mario Sticker Star

 

[randomkid]

Ghaleon I wanna hear your contrarian take on Hotline Miami. Say something about how it pales in comparison to some Russian electronica group no one's heard of, heh.

 

[Fjordson]

1. Max Payne 3 by HEALTH (sample track)

Beautiful album, one that I've listened to a bunch outside of playing the game. Very dark, abrasive guitars mixed with distorted synths. Just fits the mood of the game perfectly.

2. FTL by Ben Prunty (sample track)

I love that the soundtrack covers the happier, wondrous aspect of exploring a galaxy (like with the sample track above) but it also has a set of darker tracks for when you're battling for your life (literally since the game is hard as shit and seemingly any one battle can wipe out your ship).

3. Primordia by Nathaniel Chambers (sample track)

Another sci-fi game, but I can't help it. I just love this sort of sound. It's desolate and bleak to match the post-apocalyptic setting, but it has some beautiful synth work across a lot of tracks as well. A bit reminiscent of early 80's Vangelis in some spots. While playing the game, it's the soundtrack has a played a big part in bringing Primordia's world to life.

 

[botty]

1. Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance
2. Kid Icarus: Uprising
3. Journey