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[Aerocia]

Silent Hill 2.

/thread

 

[Trago]

Going back to listen to these ost's is giving me nostalgia tears. Fuck, this is hard.

 

[daydream]

I skimmed those Wiki entries and came up with a list of stuff that I'll probably end up including (posting it here to remind people of these games, it's hard to think of everything that came out):

Rhythm Tengoku
The Sims/2
Jet Set Radio/Future
Super Mario Sunshine
Space Channel 5/Part 2
Animal Crossing
Advance Wars 1/2
Silent Hill 2
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Final Fantasy X/X-2/XII
Kingdom Hearts/II
Gitaroo Man
WarioWare Inc.: Mega Microgame$
Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Katamari Damacy
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Persona 4

Hm, Persona 4, Advance Wars 2 (dark horse!) and Katamari Damacy are early frontrunners for me. Well, Rhythm Tengoku is my no.1, naturally.

 

[sublimit]

Man this is going to be super tough.

 

[Erheller]

1. Shadow of the Colossus
The Sunlit Earth, Swift Horse, The Opened Way

2. The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky
Silver Will, [URL="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yk4XF8uaPNs"]Hollow Light of the Sealed Land[/URL], Royal Capital of Grancel, A Cat Relaxing in the Sun

3. Sid Meier's Civilization IV
Baba Yetu, Chairman Dances, The people are the heroes now, Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007: V. Menuet I and II (Couldn't find a link to the original track from the game files)

4. Katamari Damacy
Cherry Blossom Color Season, Katamari on the Rocks, Angel Flavor's Present

5. Final Fantasy XII
Esper, The Phon Coast, Esper Battle

6. Gradius V
Stage Boss, Intermezzo

7. Final Fantasy X
To Zanarkand, Suteki da ne?

8. Persona 4
Heaven, Reach Out To The Truth, SMILE

9. Yggrda Union: We'll Never Fight Alone
Yggrda Union, We'll Never Fight Alone

10. Metal Gear Solid 2
Metal Gear Solid Main Theme, Yell 'Dead Cell'

 

[IAmRandom31]

On a phone so I will clean this up a bit once I get on my desktop Pretty easy though. Subbed thread though. Would be nice to have YouTube links for some of the best of the soundtracks.

1.) GOAT: Shadow of the Colossus

I have scoured the internet in search of a soundtrack that captures the sheer sense of grand adventure, danger, remorse, and resolution that is showcased in this absolutely incredible OST. The greatest orchestrated soundtrack of all time without much question at all.

Prologue:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJnfkb1hKv4&list=PL4619CDF2FD0D8394

The Opened Way ( try not to get goosebumps with this one, i dare you )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sr2nK06zZkg&index=8&list=PL4619CDF2FD0D8394

Farthest Land ( perhaps my favorite track of any game of all time ... could listen to this all day )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vk5Q7ALNQpc&index=18&list=PL4619CDF2FD0D8394

Swift Horse ( the desperation and suspense in this song is palpable ... amazing )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w09sKTkyAOk&index=27&list=PL4619CDF2FD0D8394

2.) Dragon Quest VIII
A soundtrack with majesty and grace. One of my personal favorites. Anytime I listen to it I am instantly at ease.

Travelling with the Wagon:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37Bs9QO7JhQ&index=2&list=PLFF48874738197D15

Church Tune:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d014CuliaX8&index=7&list=PLFF48874738197D15

3.). Zelda: Wind Waker

I mean its Zelda. When it this not one of the best soundtracks you'll ever hear? There is just something special about the music of these adventures. Capturing the adventure to come, the mystery of the dungeons, the majesty of the faeries, the dangers and triumphs. All well done.

The Legendary Hero: Perhaps my favorite of all the Hero tunes in the series.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVVswCTUPAA&index=3&list=PLZzKhgUfPukDkKAAmlEPfIVvs9cnhOGAr

Inside the Pirate Ship:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9tDiQb1Tqg&index=19&list=PLZzKhgUfPukDkKAAmlEPfIVvs9cnhOGAr

4.) Final Fantasy X

5.) Metroid Prime

6.) Halo

 

[entremet]

It's gonna be hard to choose between Metroid Prime and SoTC.

 

[nrvalleytime]

On a phone so I will clean this up a bit once I get on my desktop Pretty easy though. Subbed thread though. Would be nice to have YouTube links for some of the best of the soundtracks.

1.) GOAT: Shadow of the Colossus

2.) Dragon Quest VIII

3.). Zelda: Wind Waker

4.) Final Fantasy X

You have pretty good taste. Let's start a group and invite people who mention DQ VIII, WW, and FF X. All three have to be there, so it's exclusive.

 

[skLaFarebear]

1. Xenosaga Episode 3: Also sprach Zarathustra
Godsibb, Testament, Hepatica (Kos-Mos), Fatal Fight

2. Okami
Giving Kushinada A Ride, Reset (Thank you Version), Demon Lord Ninetails

3. Persona 3
Mass Destruction, Battle For Everyone's Souls, Tartarus Block 6

4. Digital Devil Saga 1
Hunting - Comrades, Hari-Hara, Hari-Hara Second Movement, Muladhara

5. Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker
Molgera Battle Theme, The Great Sea, Ending theme

6. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
Doopliss Battle, Rawk Hawk Battle, Bowser Battle

7. SMT3: Nocturne
Normal Battle, Normal Battle Large Map, Fierce Battle

8. Kingdom Hearts 2: Final Mix+
The Other Promise, 13th Dilemma, Rage Awakened

9. Fire Emblem 6: Binding Blade
Beneath a New Light, Battle For Whose Sake, Shaman in the Dark

10. Xenosaga Episode 2: Jenseits von Gut und Böse
The Image Theme of Xenosaga II, Albedo, Here She Comes (Kos-Mos)

Edit: Just found out Legend of Heroes was a PC game in 2004 in Japan, but I'll save that one for PSP generation. I'm happy with these votes.

Honorable Mentions: Xenosaga 1, Devil May Cry 3, Persona 4, Kingdom Hearts 1, Final Fantasy X, Metroid Fusion, Halo 2

 

[Anko]

This must be where I proclaim my love for Kajiura Yuki and her awesome Xenosaga III & II OSTs.

1. Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra - Kajiura Yuki

Testament. Godly song. The whole song is great, but 1:48 onwards is just on a whole other level.
Promised Pain. Final boss music. It is awesome in its own right but as far as boss theme goes, I thought Godsibb sounded even more epic. I'm not saying promised pain was a bad song. On the contrary, I think it's better than most boss themes. The problem is that Godsibb exists. Nothing like a Kajiura boss theme to make you feel "OH SHIT. It just doesn't feel like I can win"　勝てる気がしない. That's just the music though.

2. Akai Ito - MANYO

MANYO is a composer from Japan who mostly composes for visual novels. He has worked on pretty much all of Innocent Grey's VNs. His recent work include Flowers, a VN series from Innocent Grey, and D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die, for which he was responsible for the majority of.
For a VN, the music really sets the mood and atmosphere and this OST does an excellent job at doing that. Since there is no official English title, I've provided the translated title in parenthesis.
古唄 (Ancient Song) does a great job at bringing in the traditional Japanese feel of the VN, which is heavily steeped in traditional Japanese folklore.
A WARNING that the image used on the next two youtube videos can be kind of NSFW. Unfortunately they were the only ones I could find.
時の雫 (Drops of Time). A relaxing track. Sometimes used during day to day scenes, but mostly used after a tense moment has passed and they're glad to be alive.
夢の苧環 (Yume no Odamaki) Menu music. It brings you straight into Akai Ito's world. There's a very dreamy feel to it, fitting for the title which I have no idea how to translate. Sorry.
いつかのひかり (The Light of Someday) A piano piece that still tugs at my heart strings. It's pretty much the theme of my favourite character, Yumei. Suits a lot of the tender moments shared by her and the MC, Kei. It also has a vocal version, one of two sung by Shimotsuki Haruka, both of which were written after having been chosen from the OST by popular vote, four years after the game was first released.
去り逝く者、残される者 (Those Who Pass Away, and Those Who Are Left Behind) is an arrangement of the opening song, Mawaru Sekai de (Vo: Shimotsuki Haruka/Riya), which was also composed by MANYO. As the title would suggest, this is a song played during bad endings, endings this VN is full of.
泡沫 (Bubbles) For everything will eventually disappear, as though they were as transient as bubbles. The overall winner of the popularity vote for a vocal version. I'm actually quite surprised that the vocal version wasn't written first. This is the original song of the same name. Despite what that second link says, this song, especially with its lyrics, is clearly Sakuya's theme song. Saying any more will go into spoiler territory.

3. Aoi Shiro - MANYO

A sequel to Akai Ito (lit, the red string of fate, but there are many word plays on the title itself and is thus written using Katakana instead of Kanji), and set in the same world with different characters. Just as Akai Ito took up the theme and colour of red, and was mainly set in a forest/mountain setting, Aoi Shiro (lit. blue castle) takes on the colour of blue, and features the ocean heavily; something which I think, can also be felt in the OST. I curse the bankruptcy of their parent company, SUCCESS, which has robbed us of any chance for any more sequels.
水の囁き (Water Murmurs). The menu music. I could probably sit on the menu forever. Like Akai Ito's menu music, there's a very atmospheric feel to it that helps immerse you in the world the VN seeks to create. I really like his use of strings here.
瑠璃の宮処 (Palace of Lapis Lazuli)
悠久の彼方から (From the Other Side of Eternity) is basically Aoi Shiro's version of Ancient Song. One of the first songs played in the game, where the teacher speaks about the legend of the Oni on the island across from where they are having their summer camp.
龍捷虎搏 (Swiftness of a Dragon, Spring of a Tiger). One of the battle themes. Has a bit more fight to it than the ones in Akai Ito since Kei was a defenseless school girl who mostly just ran away; sometimes ironically to her death. Comparatively, Syouko, the MC in Aoi Shiro, knows Kendo ...although she still isn't much of a match against the kind of enemies that show up in this VN. Still, it's a lot less Horror! Run! than the first OST.
闇の彼方に (Beyond the Darkness). Opening song sung by Rita/Shimotsuki Haruka. Features the same layering/harmonising of voices/lyrics as Akai Ito's OP. The ED, Minamo Made is a ballad, and is just as nice. As with Akai Ito, the singers lead one song each.

4. Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse - Kajiura Yuki

I'm actually quite torn about putting Xenosaga II here. As much as Kajiura's tracks were awesome, those that weren't hers... not so much. Still, I'm just so in love with these.
Assault, like quite a number of other tracks, is an arrangement of the theme song "sweet song", which was also composed and written by Kajiura Yuki herself. This arrangement, however, is completely different from the original song in terms of feel. It's dark. It's ominous. It's everything I love about Kajiura.
Communication Breakdown was criminally underused in the game. It did, however, get a nice PV that made everything seem so exciting.
The Image Theme of Xenosaga II. I've linked the live performance that was re-arranged by Kajiura herself, performed by FictionJunction, with Kajiura on the keyboard. How glorious is that build up. It practically melted my brain when I listened to it live.

5. Shadow of the Colossus - Otani Ko

Prologue - To the Ancient Land, A Despair-Filled Farewell - Battle with the Colossus, The Farthest Land
I decided to go with only one battle theme because although they made the fights great, the other two set the atmosphere and feel for the entire game.

6. Kingdom Hearts II - Shimomura Yoko, Utada HIkaru

Fate of the Unknown, Passion, The Other Promise

7. Kingdom Hearts - Shimomura Yoko

Dearly Beloved, Destati

Honorable mention:
Kingdom Hearts Series - Shimomura Yoko
From Shimomura's best of album, Drammatica, The 13th Anthology
An orchestral re-arrangement of several songs from across the Kingdom Hearts Series. Since it is not a track available on the original soundtracks, but only in her personal album, and since it spans multiple games, I included it here. Notable songs used in this track include Another Side, Organization XIII, The 13th Struggle, The 13th Reflection, Graceful Assassin, The 13th Dilemma and Lord of the Castle.

I'd be very disappointed if at least Xenosaga 3 was nowhere near your top.

No worries there. *thumbs up* Where else could it ever be.

Apologies for not being able to resist adding a few more songs to Akai Ito and Aoi Shiro. They're my favourite VNs of all time after all. Truth be told, there are quite a few more that I would have loved to add but I shall refrain from doing so.
By the way, Akai Ito was released as a PS2 archive game in the Japan and Asian PS Store for the PS3!

 

[skLaFarebear]

This must be where I proclaim my love for Kajiura Yuki and her awesome Xenosaga III & II OSTs.

I'd be very disappointed if at least Xenosaga 3 was nowhere near your top.

 

[randomkid]

I hope people list good arcade soundtracks, all my favorites are from before the year 2000 so that generation's a real blindspot for me.

 

[Alo0oy]

1- Shadow of the Colossus

2- Final Fantasy X

3- Ico

4- God of War 2

5- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

6- Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

7- Silent Hill 2

8- Civilization IV

9- The Sims 2

10- Devil May Cry 3

 

[Dryk]

I'm passionate about the music of this era but I hate making numbered lists, can I just submit a post of honourable mentions to remind people that they exist?

 

[Dark Schala]

I'm passionate about the music of this era but I hate making numbered lists, can I just submit a post of honourable mentions to remind people that they exist?

I don't see anything wrong with that. Go ahead!

 

[DealWithIt]

1. Xenosaga
2. Disgaea
3. Wind waker
4.kingdom hearts 1 (title track!)
5.X enosaga 3
6. Xenosaga 2
7. Way of the Samurai 1 (very underrated game)

 

[WhyMe6]

**My list is in-progress, I'll keep editing, including links and making changes with time, as I'm not certain about the exact order just yet. Also, some of the song names may be incorrect, which will be fixed when I add Youtube links.

For me, choosing the best soundtracks isn't which has the "best" music, structurally or theoretically, but simply a deeply personal choice, rooted in my own memories and experiences. Selecting the best soundtrack of that generation, moreso than selecting best game, is a deeply emotional and personal journey through my memories, one which I thoroughly enjoy. Please note: personal highlights are listed in alphabetical order, not in order of preference.

1. Persona 4
Personal Highlights: Alone, Corner of Memories, Heartbeat, Heartbreak, Heaven, I'll Face Myself, Like a Dream Come True, Never More, New Days, Reach Out to the Truth -First Battle-, Signs of Love, SMILE, Your Affection

2. Animal Crossing
For me, two parts of this soundtrack stand out the most. First, the hourly songs. Each hour's song has been carefully composed and represent the mood of that time of day, in a typical routine. For example, 5PM seems to represent the completion of work that day, leaving work, returning to home, that second part of your day is beginning where you are free and get time to yourself. Another example is 4AM, where the song seems to represent that feeling where you've stayed up all night, you're a bit delirious - hence the striking beat - but the tempo of that beat and the inclusion of the "normal" Animal Crossing theme suggest that, yes, the day is going to start soon, and there is a pressure to hurry up and get to sleep. There are even special Christmas versions of each hourly song, which also have a wonderful mood. The second part are the airchecks of K.K.'s songs. Each song is incredibly unique, catchy, and has been created with a particular theme in mind, from Okinawan Folk Music, to synthpop, to country music. For me, though, the hourly songs alone make this one of my favourite soundtrack of that generation.

Personal Highlights: 5AM, 5PM, 7AM, 8AM, 9PM, Go K.K. Rider!, K.K. Ballad, K.K. Faire, Rainy Day

3. Rhythm Tengoku
Personal Highlights: The * Bon Odori (+ Bon Dance), The Clapping Trio, Horse Machine 4, Game Select 2, Iai Slash, Night Walk, Space Dance (+ Cosmo Dance), Remix 6, Remix 8, Tap Dance

Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean
Personal Highlights: Bellflower, Dark Conviction, Glowing Cloud, Heaven Sea Flower Temple, House of Cards, Imperial Dynamics, Rays of the Rising Sun Flowing Through, Soft Labyrinth, The True Mirror

Final Fantasy X
Personal Highlights: Assault, Auron's Theme, Besaid Island, Fight With Seymour, Macalania Woods, Normal Battle, Palace of Ordeals, Servants of the Mountain, Someday The Dream Will Die, Suteki Da Ne?, To Zanarkand

Okami
Personal Highlights: Shinshuu Plains [In progress]

Persona 3 FES
Personal Highlights: Afternoon Break, Iwatodai Dormitory, Joy, P3FES, Want to be Close, When The Moon's Reaching Out Stars

Skies of Arcadia: Legends
Personal Highlights: Battle 1, Battle 2, Boss Battle, Credits, Kingdom of Ixataka, Main Theme, Valua

Final Fantasy X-2
Personal Highlights: Besaid, Gullwing Group March, Memory of Lightwaves (Original | Piano), Reunion, Vegnagun Starting

I swear, if there are no more votes for Baten Kaitos, I will cry ㅠㅠ (Thank you thesaucetastic!)

 

[NipplesAndToes23]

This is piss poor easy for me compared to the last as no one generation has a bunch of exceptional soundtracks. This generation's is dull as hell unless I can cheat and bring in soundtracks from ported games.

1. Okami
Composers: Masami Ueda, Hiroshi Yamaguchi, Hiroyuki Hamada, & Rei Kondo
Notable Songs: The Sun Rises, Dragon Palace, Reset (Thank You)

2. Final Fantasy X
Composers: Nobuo Uematsu (lead), Junya Nakano, & Masashi Hamauzu
Notable Songs: To Zanarkand, Normal Battle, Seymour Battle

3. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Notable Songs: Juicy Fruit, Broken Wings, The Message

4. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
Composer: Koichi Sugiyama
Notable Songs: Overture, Strange World ~ Marching through the Fields, War Cry ~ Defeat the Enemy

5. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Notable Songs: My Lovin' (Never Gonna Get It), Welcome to the Jungle, It Was a Good Day

6. Kingdom Hearts
Composer: Yoko Shimomura
Notable Songs: Dearly Beloved, Halloween Town, Under the Sea


That's all I can think of. The rest ain't worth noting. If it was for the PS3/Wii/360 gen, this list would be a lot smaller. Basically it would just be Brawl, Super Street Fighter IV, and Scott Pilgrim.

 

[Elfforkusu]

it is an OUTRAGE that I am the first person to name Grandia II! An OUTRAGE I say!

1. Sonic Adventure
Variety, quality, consistency. Even the cheesy vocal tracks aren't all that bad -- but obviously it's the level themes that really shine. There are too many to mention, but I picked 3:
Snowy Mountain
Tricky Maze
Speed Highway - At Dawn

2. Skies of Arcadia
Magic.
Main Theme
Bombardment
Rixis

3. Shadow of the Colossus
Kow Otani is the man.
Swift Horse
Epilogue

4. Grandia II
Don't be discouraged by III's OST!
Fight!! ver. 1
Have Faith in Yourself

5. Deus Ex
Hong Kong Streets
DuClare Chateau

6. Phantasy Star Online
Close your eyes and you're somewhere else.
Tricktrack Part1
Jungle - A forest cage

7. Metroid Prime
Intro Theme
Phendrana Drifts

8. Venus & Braves
I have never played this game, but its OST owns.
Waltz for Ariah (of course)
World Map

9. Kingdom Hearts
Dearly Beloved -Reprise-

10. Halo 2
Unforgotten

HM: Beyond Good and Evil, Half Life 2, DQ8, etc etc...

 

[K.Sabot]

I own most of the top ten save for select few (damn you mother 3) in physical form. A power failure while doing this a while back killed my drive, but I pulled through by listening to a few of these OSTs!

1. Phantasy Star Online Ep 1 & 2 Nothing will come close to this.
Rose confession
The whole new world - Phantasy Star Online EPISODE2 OPENING THEME~
For eternal story
Crossing3084
Image of hero
Codes of silence
Mother earth of dishonesty PART1
Cry, for "IDOLA" the holy
Can still see the light ~ENDING THEME~(Lyric Version)
After the story 2

Silent palace
"IDOLA" have the immortal feather
"IDOLA" have the divine blade
World with me ~Phantasy Star Online EPISODE2 ENDING THEME~
Jungle -A lush load-
Jungle - A forest cage
Chaotic bar
Valentine

2. Street Fighter 3: Third Strike - Simply the most stylish and consistent soundtrack for a fighting game, perhaps for games in general.
Third Strike
Gill Stage -PSYCH OUT-
Alex & Ken Stage -JAZZY NYC '99-
Staff Roll
Ibuki Stage -TWILIGHT-
Akuma Stage -KILLING MOON-
Makoto Stage -SPUNKY-
Necro and Twelve Stage -SNOWLAND-
Chun-Li Stage -CHINA VOX-

3. Mother 3 - Happy music, sad vibes. It's not just the songs either, but the cues and the ways they use it. One of my favorite games of all time and one of the best OSTs of all time.
Mom's Hometown
Welcome!
Confusion
Happy Town? and its awesome variation Going Alone
Mother?!
Monkey's Delivery Service
Bean Bean Pork Bean
It is Finished
And that song that plays during the ending cutscene, but nobody has identified or uploaded it from what I remember.

4. Drakengard - One of the most experimental soundtracks for anything of all time. Takayuki Aihara and Nobuyoshi Sano went insane on this OST, sampling famous classical works and working them into a sanity destroying mix. The original tracks are also pretty spectacular. Every now and then I'll hear the samples they used on a classical radio station I listen to a lot and I feel the immediate urge to pop the soundtrack in and just wild out.

Route A Staff Roll
Route B Staff Roll "Exhausted" or the english version "Growing Wings"
Seere's Prayer - In The Sky
Twelfth Chapter - One The Ground
Fifth Chapter - In the Sky 1
Weapon Selection
Mission Clear

5. Persona 3 - Has good music, has also been elaborated on better than I could!
Burn My Dread
I Want to be Close
Kimi ni Kioku
Changing of Seasons
Bonds
Memories of the Academy
Street of Memories
Deep Mentality

6. Melty Blood - Pales in comparison to the Actress Again OST, but it's still an earlier version of one of the greatest OSTs of all time.
Troublesome Visitor (Lobby - Night)
Elegant Summer (Tohno House Lobby)
Fearless (City of Shadow Pictures) (
The Dream Has Not Yet Ended
Encount (Before The Shrine)

7. Tales of Legendia - THE BEST TALES OST BAR NOTHING. The official soundtrack is incredible, but the in game OST is no slouch. Just the best composed songs in the series, the most interesting motifs.
A Cheerful Bandit (OST)
Seeking Victory (Game) vs Soundtrack Version
Battle Artist (Game) vs Battle Artist (OST)
The Bird Chips, I Sing
Run in the Middle of the Storm (OST)

8. Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Nobuyoshi Sano (sanodg) makes hot fire dnb that blends into the GitS world effortlessly, great collection of tracks.
Tohoku Autonomous Area Office Block
Underground Weapon Storage ~ Art Farm - Bio Dome I
Remembrance of Niihama N3

9. King's Field IV: The Ancient City - Forlorn, atmospheric, a precursor to the souls series in gameplay as well as music.
Dark Reality
End Credits
Earth Folk Area

10. Kunoichi - Has some of the best Sega music from my favorite era of sega games (1999-2004)
Shinobi Tale
Shinjuku
Arashi

 

[kuroneko0509]

Oh damn. This is harder to think than the Game of the Generation list D:

 

[Dark Schala]

Another Rought Draft:

Numbering and extrapolation forthcoming.

Just had to say that we're only voting for one single generation.

Platforms allowed: Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, Gamecube, Xbox, Game Boy Advance, Neo Geo Pocket Color, Wonderswan, Wonderswan Color/SwanCrystal, N-Gage, GP32, Tapwave Zodiac, PC 2000-2005, Arcades 2000-2005

DS games wouldn't count.

If it were one soundtrack per generation, that would be interesting, but this is moreso to coincide with AniHawk's thread.

 

[K.Sabot]

Just had to say that we're only voting for one single generation.

Platforms allowed: Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, Gamecube, Xbox, Game Boy Advance, Neo Geo Pocket Color, Wonderswan, Wonderswan Color/SwanCrystal, N-Gage, GP32, Tapwave Zodiac, PC 2000-2005, Arcades 2000-2005

DS games wouldn't count.

If it were one soundtrack per generation, that would be interesting, but this is moreso to coincide with AniHawk's thread.

Already fixed.

 

[Voliko]

This sounds exponentially more difficult to narrow down than the overall games of the generation! Not sure if I can do it personally

 

[daydream]

Final list:

1. Rhythm Tengoku
2. Ace Attorney 3
3. Ace Attorney
4. Ace Attorney 2
5. Persona 4
6. Katamari Damacy
7. Advance Wars 2
8. Napple Tale
9. Kingdom Hearts
10. Jet Set Radio

Honourable Mentions: Animal Crossing, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Super Mario Sunshine, Need For Speed: Underground 2, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy X-2, Final Fantasy XII, The Sims, The Sims 2, Space Channel 5, Space Channel 5: Part 2, Sonic Adventure, Jet Set Radio Future, Silent Hill 2, Advance Wars, Kingdom Hearts II, Gitaroo Man, Wario Ware Inc.: Mega Microgame$, Gotcha Force, Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, Gran Turismo 4, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

 

[Thoraxes]

I don't think I've ever participated in one of these before, but with a whole month I should give it a shot. I love that gen.

 

[demidar]

Sorry to be a butt Schala, but do the Touhou games count? Because if they do I'm gonna put like 1-3 of them on my list.

List is subject to change. Will add sample tracks at a later date (and maybe some descriptions).

1. Rhythm Tengoku
2. Ace Attorney 3
3. Ace Attorney
4. Ace Attorney 2
5. Persona 4
6. Katamari Damacy
7. Advance Wars 2
8. Kingdom Hearts
9. Jet Set Radio
10. Final Fantasy X

Honourable Mentions: Animal Crossing, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Super Mario Sunshine, Need For Speed: Underground 2, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Final Fantasy X-2, Final Fantasy XII, The Sims, The Sims 2, Space Channel 5, Space Channel 5: Part 2, Sonic Adventure, Jet Set Radio Future, Silent Hill 2, Advance Wars, Kingdom Hearts II, Gitaroo Man, Wario Ware Inc.: Mega Microgame$, Gotcha Force, Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, Gran Turismo 4, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Ahh of course you would have Rhythm Tengoku as your number 1.

 

[Anth0ny]

Just realized my two favorite licensed soundtracks of all time were released this gen.

This is going to be impossible.

 

[Dark Schala]

Sorry to be a butt Schala, but do the Touhou games count? Because if they do I'm gonna put like 1-3 of them on my list.

The only butt around here would probably be Beef.

List of Touhou games eligible depending on their PC release date:
Imperishable Night
Phantasmagoria of Flower View
Shoot the Bullet
The Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
Perfect Cherry Blossom
Immaterial and Missing Power

...I think that might be it. Might have to go through the list of Touhou games I have again to see what might qualify, but I think those are cool.

 

[Yuterald]

That's why you've got a month. :V

(You don't have to write a lot. I'm probably not going to write as much because I have midterms this month.)

Ha, but a month will fly by in no time! Yeah, I'm knee deep in my company's busy season, so it's going to be tough for me to get down what I'd like to say too, but I definitely would like to participate. I think I'm going to pass on the Game of the Generation thread because I just find discussing game music to be more enjoyable and easier to write about. On my way home from work tonight I was thinking about a dozen games I'd put above the rest...and then I thought about a dozen more! This is still an almost near impossible task for me, but I'll do my best to gather my thoughts over the next few weeks.

It's funny, a thread like this (and the games of the generation) encapsulates so much time that it's is so hard for me to wrap my head around. I feel like my perspective/values on shit evolve/change every 5 years, so it's more like these will be my "current" soundtracks of that particular generation, if that makes any sense. =/

EDIT: Yeah, I too may opt out of a traditional numbered list and just post about shit. I'll see how I'm feeling as I start to weigh my choices.

EDIT 2: Oh, and I can guarantee that there will be one (if not two) games that I'm sure NO ONE will nominate, not even as an honorable mention. I'd be shocked if proven wrong...

 

[RecursiveFault]

These are almost in no order, but since I had to make a tiered list, and was limited to ten:

1. Silent Hill 2
   Theme of Laura - Love Psalm - Overdose Delusion - Promise - Theme of Laura (Reprise)
2. Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne
   Title Loop 1 - Normal Battle - Fierce Battle - Boss Battle - Large Map - Normal Battle ~ Town - Normal Battle ~ Large Map - Large Map ~ Last Area
3. Super Smash Bros: Melee
   Opening - Menu 1 - Menu 2
4. Shadow of the Colossus
   Revived Power - The Opened Way
5. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 (FES)
   Master of Tartarus - Unavoidable Battle - Joy - so many more like Jesus Christ
6. Devil May Cry 3
   Taste the Blood - Devils Never Cry - Dante's Office
7. Halo: Combat Evolved
   Title
8. The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker
   Title - Dragon Roost Island
9. Silent Hill 3
   I Want Love (Studio Mix) - End of Small Sanctuary
10. Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald
    Vs. Gym Leader

Honorable Mentions - Linked titles were really close to being in my Top 10
Katamari Damacy
Sonic Adventure 1
Sonic Adventure 2
Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga
Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon
Persona 4
Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga
Half Life 2
Silent Hill 4
Street Fighter 3: Third Strike
Capcom vs SNK 2
Super Mario Sunshine
Jet Set Radio: Future
Warioware Inc. Mega Microgame$
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
Metroid Prime
Xenosaga III (Yet to play it or the series, but damn, that soundtrack though)

Cheating Honorable Mentions: “It counts dammit”
Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario Advance 3
Mega Man Collection
Mega Man X Collection

 

[Love Deterrence]

My head is spinning between this and the Game of the Generation list. Lawdamercy.

 

[demidar]

The only butt around here would probably be Beef.

List of Touhou games eligible depending on their PC release date:
Imperishable Night
Phantasmagoria of Flower View
Shoot the Bullet
The Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
Perfect Cherry Blossom
Immaterial and Missing Power

...I think that might be it. Might have to go through the list of Touhou games I have again to see what might qualify, but I think those are cool.

Awesome, thanks for clarifying.

Now hope I don't just up and forget to make my list :S

I already know Sonic Adventure 2 is going on there!

These are almost in no order, but since I had to make a tiered list, and was limited to ten:
-snip-

DMC3? Should that really be on there, over Persona 4?

fraudwil pls

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

My head is spinning between this and the Game of the Generation list. Lawdamercy.

Lawdamercy indeed! Gen 5 or 7 would be a lock for first (Chrono Cross and Etrian Odyssey III, respectively), but this one is tougher by FAR.

 

[RecursiveFault]

DMC3? Should that really be on there, over Persona 4?

fraudwil pls

Devils Never Cry though.

Seriously, that song playing during the credits is one of the most amazing moments I can think of. It works so damn well.

I'm also kinda sick of the P4 soundtrack, but ssshhhhhh

 

[Dark Schala]

Ha, but a month will fly by in no time! Yeah, I'm knee deep in my company's busy season, so it's going to be tough for me to get down what I'd like to say too, but I definitely would like to participate. I think I'm going to pass on the Game of the Generation thread because I just find discussing game music to be more enjoyable and easier to write about. On my way home from work tonight I was thinking about a dozen games I'd put above the rest...and then I thought about a dozen more! This is still an almost near impossible task for me, but I'll do my best to gather my thoughts over the next few weeks.

It's funny, a thread like this (and the games of the generation) encapsulates so much time that it's is so hard for me to wrap my head around. I feel like my perspective/values on shit evolve/change every 5 years, so it's more like these will be my "current" soundtracks of that particular generation, if that makes any sense. =/

EDIT: Yeah, I too may opt out of a traditional numbered list and just post about shit. I'll see how I'm feeling as I start to weigh my choices.

For what it's worth, I'm not entirely sure what I'm doing with my list yet.

You see, this was the generation I stopped playing newer console video games to concentrate on high school (and I was in like a billion after-school clubs), so I barely had time to explore a lot of the mid-gen/late-gen console games until last gen, actually. If I played something, it was an SFC game, a PC game, or something like that. I did keep up with soundtracks pretty well, so at the very least, I'm somewhat well-versed in that. I'm happy that Ghaleon has more time to dedicate to the thread because I feel like he has more expertise in this generation than I do. I wish I could say that I have a lot of attachments to this particular generation, but I don't think I do...

Long-story-short, it's going to take me a while to think about this too. Like I said, I'm not writing long-expansive writeups for this one since I don't have the time this month with midterms and a few projects on my backburner, and it probably might be weird if I take up 5-6 posts for a top 10! We'll see, though. I might change my mind during Reading Week.

 

[ultimax]

Devils Never Cry though.

Seriously, that song playing during the credits is one of the most amazing moments I can think of. It works so damn well.

I'm also kinda sick of the P4 soundtrack, but ssshhhhhh

I guess we have no choice but to call you Mrfraudwil lololol amirite?

 

[skLaFarebear]

DMC3? Should that really be on there, over Persona 4?

fraudwil pls

As good as the P4 soundtrack is

Sibling Showdown > The Genesis

And Devil's Never Cry is amazing too.

 

[Trago]

1. Kingdom Hearts
Yoko Shimomura
Hikari (Simple & Clean) Orchestral Version
Dearly Beloved
Forze Del Male

2. Shadow of The Colossus
Kow Otani
Revived Power
The Opened Way
A Despair-filled Farewell

3. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Koji Kondo, Toru Minegishi, Kenta Nagata, Hajime Wakai
Staff Credits
Ocean's Theme
Departure

4. Halo 2
Martin O'Donnell, Michael Salvatori
Ghosts of Reach
The Last Spartan
High Charity Suite

5. Deus Ex: Invisible War
Alexander Brandon
Title Theme
Cairo Mosque
Tarsus Apartments

6. Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald
Go Ichinose, Morikazu Aoki, Junichi Masuda
Rival Battle
Trainer Battle
Route 120

7. Super Mario Sunshine
Koji Kondo, Shinobu Tanaka
Bianco Hills
Delfino Plaza
Sirena Beach

8. Panzer Dragoon Orta
Saori Kobayashi, Yutaka Minobe
Altered Genos
Pain
Gigantic Fleet

9. Shenmue 2
Takenobu Mitsuyoshi, Yuzo Koshiro
Aberdeen
Rooftop Battle
The Morning Fog's Wave

10. Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 (Not even joking)
Tetsuya Shibata, Mitsuhiko Takano
Character Select
Clock Tower Stage
River Stage

 

[TheSpaceBetween]

Damn, this will be hard as fuck. Metroid Prime will easily take the number one spot with Echoes close behind. I am going to have to go back over some games OST's because there are so many great ones it's going to be tough to decide which ones won't make the cut.

 

[RecursiveFault]

I guess we have no choice but to call you Mrfraudwil lololol amirite?

 

[Lunar15]

I just made a play list of tons of songs from this era while I finished up some work tonight... this is outrageously tough. I'll probably spend the entire week listening to music from this era.

Of the top of my head though, some early leaders are Metroid Prime 2, SOTC, Paper Mario: TTYD, and Persona 4. That list is only gonna get bigger, though.

God, I just want to sit and talk about all of my favorite composers. Let's start a podcast, dammit.

Also, I wouldn't mind doing work on building a youtube playlist of the winners, but that would require knowing everyone's favorite songs from each game.

 

[shintoki]

Sees it doesn't include 2006, meaning Ace Combat 0

/Walks out crying.

 

[Dad]

Sees it doesn't include 2006, meaning Ace Combat 0

/Walks out crying.

The 2000-2005 stipulation only applies to PC and Arcade games. Ace Combat 0 should be in the clear.

 

[demidar]

The 2000-2005 stipulation only applies to PC and Arcade games. Ace Combat 0 should be in the clear.

Yeah. Persona 4 also counts despite being released in 2008.

P4Golden probably doesn't though.

 

[thesaucetastic]

This is comparatively much easier than the game of the generation thread. I'll probably still regret this list later though. Still so many games I haven't played yet.

1. Baten Kaitos (Introduction Peak, Rumbling of the Earth, Violent Storm) [It is so damn hard to pick only three.]
2. Tales of Legendia (The Legendary Sorcerer, The Bird Chirps, I Sing)
3. Golden Sun (Main Menu, Elemental Stars)
4. Kingdom Hearts (Dearly Beloved, Hikari/Simple and Clean)
5. Baten Kaitos: Origin (Le Ali Del Principio, The Valedictory Elegy) [The first song is sung entirely by Motoi Sakuraba's 8 year old daughter, in Italian. Like, holy shit.]
6. Golden Sun: The Lost Age (Dehkan Plateau, Tundaria Tower)
7. Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (Title Theme, Dragon Roost Island)
8. Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga (Sahasrara, Manipura)
9. Digital Devil Saga 2 (The Opening, Battle for Survival)
10. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (Mysterious Tower, Heavenly Flight)

I'm not really confident with the last half of that list (specifically DDS1&2, for as much as I love those specific songs, I'm not the biggest fan of the rest of the OSTs...) so this might change. I think Twilight Princess should probably be in there somewhere, especially for Midna's Lament.

I swear, if there are no more votes for Baten Kaitos, I will cry ㅠㅠ (Thank you thesaucetastic!)

I got your back! But it's too bad it will lose its rightful place as soundtrack of the generation because hardly anyone's played it. :'(

(It sucks that either Persona 3 or 4 will take it, I hated those soundtracks entirely.)

 

[Huge Succeeded]

my favorite track from each game is underlined.

shocked as fuck i'm the only one in for God Hand and Yakuza so far but eh

1. Final Fantasy X - PS2 has the best ost of any game imo

To Zanarkand
The Sight of Spira
Auron's Theme

2. Halo - XBOX is powerful and really helps to draw you into the fight and into the universe

Halo
Intro
The Long Run

3. Metroid Prime - GC is a perfect mess of techno-biological strangeness

Tallon IV 2
Phendrana Drifts Depths
Meta Ridley Fight

4. Kingdom Hearts - PS2 is like a love letter to the kid inside me

To Our Surprise
Dearly Beloved
Traverse Town

5. F-Zero GX - GC plain flat out fucking rocks dude

Shotgun Kiss
Osc-Sync Carnival
8 Guitars

6. Yakuza - PS2 is Metroid Prime and F-Zero's lovechild

Unrest
Blow to the City
Intelligence for Violence

7. God Hand - PS2 will bust your damn head

Battery Size AA
Bronco Buster
Funk Man

8. Civilization IV - PC is only beaten out by its immediate successor

Baba Yetu
Resercada
Media Vita 1

9. Super Mario Sunshine - GC is mostly riffs on one motif, one base track, but there's some awesome standouts

Hotel Delfino
Bianco Hills
Pianta Village

10. Sonic Advance 2 - GBA equal to any Genesis Sonic OST in both consistency and quality. quality of these compositions makes up for the GBA-tier soundfont

Ice Paradise 1
Sky Canyon 1
Techno Base 2

 

[Wazzy]

1. Jet Set Radio Future; This is one of the best soundtrack's I've ever listened to. It's something I've never gotten sick of and it's just so consistently enjoyable. Every track fits perfectly into the game's colourful and upbeat style. Catchy songs throughout that leave you wanting to dance like an idiot, matching the characters doing it.

Let Mom Sleep[Remix]
Rock It On[Remix]
Birthday Cake

2. Final Fantasy X; What a soundtrack. There's so many emotional and beautiful tracks that really fit the atmosphere. The OST really knows how to contrast the more sorrowful music with hardcore tracks to get you pumped such as Overworld and Battle With Seymour. You have your hauntingly beautiful track with Hymn Of The Faith that fits into the religious tone making the game a well rounded mix of sounds. One of the best soundtracks in the Final Fantasy series.

Ending Theme
Besaid Island
Battle With Seymour

3. Kingdom Hearts

Destati
Simple and Clean
Simple and Clean Orchestrated

4. Persona 4

Pursuing My True Self
Long Way
I'll Face Myself

5. Final Fantasy X-2

YRP, Fight!
Real Emotion
The Bevelle Underground

6. Kingdom Hearts II

Passion
The 13th Struggle
Reviving Hollow Bastion

7. Silent Hill 2

Theme Of Laura
Forest
The Reverse Will

8. Tales of Abyss

Finish The Promise
Overflowing Emotions/Tear's Song
The Floating Imperial City

9. Zelda Wind Waker

Gohma Battle Second Half
Farewell Hyrule King
Princess Zelda's Theme

10. Devil May Cry

Flock Off! [Griffon Appearance ~ Battle]
Ultra Violet [Nelo Angelo Battle]
I'm Coming!


Honourable Mentions:
Ace Attorney I - Announce The Truth
Ace Attorney III - Cornered[2004 DS]
Smash Bro's Melee
Final Fantasy XII
Persona 3 - Burn My Dread
Marvel Vs Capcom 2 - Opening Title Theme

I'll need some time to work on my write ups.

 

[Jucksalbe]

10. Xenosaga Episode 2: Jenseits von Gut und Bose

I know it's mean to complain about that (and you probably don't even have that character on your keyboard), but it's "Böse". "Bose" makes me think of speakers.

1. Xenosaga Episode 3: Also sparch Zarathustra

I'm still catching up on this series (currently somewhere around the beginning of Xenosaga 2), so it's nice to see the soundtrack apparently improves quite a bit in the last game. I hope I'll get to that someday. Also, "sprach".

 

[Kurtofan]

Fuck yeah

Work in progress (posting all the soundtracks I can think of that I really like from this gen, then I'll make my list in my next post)

Deus Ex

Soul Calibur

Aria of Sorrow

Wind Waker

Metroid Prime

Persona 4

Persona 3

Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne

Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (PC/home console versions, by Jeremy Soule)

Wario Land 4

Smash Bros Melee

Marvel vs Capcom 2

Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc