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NeoGAF’s Official Game Soundtracks of the Year 2011 (Voting Ends January 13th)

G

GSR

Member
Nert said:
GhaleonQ’s highlights:
Turnabout Prosecutor 2/Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth 2
Pursuit
Hakari Mikagami ~ Goddess of Law
Reminiscence - IS-7 Incident
Click to expand...

I'm going to sound nerd a bit on these because I put some effort into getting GK2's music out there when it was released. The first link is from my rip of the game, which while mostly accurate has some audible differences from the track that was on the official soundtrack. The second is horribly staticy - I don't think it's from my rip, but in any event it's pretty bad to listen to.

The third is from the actual OST release, though, as are the rest on that channel (which, full disclosure, is mine). Here's the OST versions of the Pursuit and Mikagami themes if you'd like to edit those into the post instead.
 
B

Bebpo

Banned
Are we limited to soundtracks to games released in English in 2011? Because Xenoblade is a 2010 ost and XIII-2 is 2012 US release.

Assuming there are no rules, my picks:
1) FF Type-0
2) Catherine
3) Need to think about this. Maybe SoTD.
 
D

Duffyside

Banned
Man, every time someone posts a Portal 2 track I hope its the one I've been looking for, and still to no avail.

GAF Challenge: It's the part where Wheatley puts on the Australian accent, thinking it will fool GlaDOS, but of course it doesn't so you have to make a run for it through the wall.

They also played it on 8-4 Play once, for one of their breaks. Though they never listed the song in their credits.
 
S

Snuggles

erotic butter maelstrom
1. Rayman Origins
energetic, eclectic, silly, and instantly memorable - just like the game
The Dragon Chef's Belly
Chasing a Dream
The Lums' Dream
Moskito and the Inferno
Breaking the Force Field
The Darktoon Chase (jibberish jungle)
The Darktoon Chase (sea of serendipity) *track of the year*


2. Catherine
as much as I enjoyed the nightmarish remakes of classic compositions, the laid back, melancholy tunes of the Stray Sheep are what place Catherine on my list
Also Sprach Brooks
Holst Planets Suite Jupiter
It's a Golden Show


3. The Witcher 2
doesn't really cover any new ground as a fantasy epic OST, but it's masterfully done with a few powerful themes
Vergen By Night
A Nearly Peaceful Place
Assassins of Kings

I feel like I might be overlooking a few, but these are the first that come to mind.
 
T

The Technomancer

card-carrying scientician
1)Portal 2
I Am Not a Moron
Valve has produced some amazing sound design for this game, with tracks that range from soothing to haunting. This one is my personal favorite and is one of the best songs I've ever heard in gaming.

2)SpaceChem
Working
SpaceChem was the sleeper hit this year in many ways. In addition to being my GOTY it also had a killer soundtrack that captured tones from industrious to upbeat to eerie, oftentimes alternating between the three in a single track.

3)Mighty Switch Force
Whoa I'm in Space Cuba
I defy anyone who listens to this to keep themselves from snapping their fingers around the 2:35 area.

Honorable Mentions:
De Blob 2
Bastion
Xenoblade
Rayman: Origins
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
 
N

Nert

Member
I'm back from a much needed break, and I'll be around for a few hours to fix some things.

GSR said:
I'm going to sound nerd a bit on these because I put some effort into getting GK2's music out there when it was released. The first link is from my rip of the game, which while mostly accurate has some audible differences from the track that was on the official soundtrack. The second is horribly staticy - I don't think it's from my rip, but in any event it's pretty bad to listen to.

The third is from the actual OST release, though, as are the rest on that channel (which, full disclosure, is mine). Here's the OST versions of the Pursuit and Mikagami themes if you'd like to edit those into the post instead.
Click to expand...

Heh, no worries. This is the perfect place to be a nerd about this kind of stuff (lord knows I am). Thank you for pointing out the poor quality of those links; I'll make sure to change that right away.

I didn't want to burden the already large original post with too many minor details, but now that I find myself continuously pointing out little things, I might have to. For some questions asked already:

1) If the game was released anywhere this year, it's eligible for voting (although the spirit of these things tends to be " if it was released in your own country or you're certain that it will not be released outside of its country of origin and it came out there this year").

2) A game does not have to be in the archive already to be eligible for voting.

3) If a game is not already in the archive and you would like it to be, just say so in this thread (although we'll be checking votes and hopefully catching omissions automatically). This is also a great opportunity for you to shape the archive itself, as we'll include song links posted by you guys instead of our own choices when we don't already have something.
 
S

SatelliteOfLove

Member
*repeated post from locked thread*

This one's tough, I had my face rocked hard by three rereleased/ported/localized titles from 1994, 1999, and 2004 respectively (check the bottom of post for great tuuuuunes), but I'd have to disqualify them on the grounds of those pieces being composed at or before those years and not 2011 sadly.

1st: Xenoblade Epic as HELL as befitting the game it audially complements.

2nd: Radiant Historia

Blue Radiance

Mechanical Kingdom

Red Locus

An Earnest Desire of Grey

Edge of Green

The Garden Where Celestite Lies

The battle tracks are God Tier, but the extreme repetition of 6 or so tracks over the course of large parts of the game knock this below Xenoblade, however.

marcurius said:
Dungeons of Dredmor! The only game music from this year that stuck to my head really. I've started up a few characters just to hear the music. Weird, unique, moody and catchy.

Ghosts

Brawl

Icebattle

Pits

Shop

Man, listening through it on youtube and I'd like to post a link to every track. But I doubt many will listen anyway so this'll do!
Click to expand...

Dungeons of Dredmor is an odd case, no one track is monumental, it's an entire soundtrack of excellent album cuts with no single to be found. I'd rank it...

3rd: Dungeons of Dredmor

Disqualified Honorable Mentions:

Trails in the Sky: First Chapter

Leiston Fortress

A Fading Light in a Sealed Land

Studio City of Zeiss

Tactics FUCKING Ogre: Let Us Cling Together

Overture

Avilla Hanya

Blasphemous Experiment (A flute solo par excellence)

Harvest Dance

Restriction

Persona 2: Innocent Sin

Mu Continent

Knights of the Holy Spear

Maya's Theme
 
N

Nert

Member
The archive should be slightly less empty now, and I've added several of the songs mentioned by you all to it. Expect more updates throughout the day tomorrow.
 
S

ShinobiFist

Banned
Yoshiya said:
I'll listen to some of GAF's picks before editing in my votes proper, but I have no doubt my top pick will be Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP. Love the album as much as the game, and like Nier last year it's the only game soundtrack I listen to frequently outside the context of the game. Excellent work from Jim Guthrie.

The Prettiest Weed
Bones McCoy
Little Furnace
And We Got Older
Click to expand...

Fuck! That Super Brother shit is amazing!
 
M

mèx

Neo Member
1. Xenoblade Chronicles

Colony 9
Gaur Plain
Satorl, the Shimmering Marsh - Night
Eryth Sea
Unfinished Battle
To the Last Battle
Tragic Decision
Impatience
While I Think...
Engage the Enemy
Mechanical Rythm
On the F.A.

2. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Skyloft
Crimson Loftwing
Romance
Bamboo Cutting Room
Ghirahim's Boss Theme
Lake Floria
Fi's Theme [Piano]
Exploring the Sky
Sky Islands
Stalfos
Koloktos
Credits Theme

3. Gemini Rue

Sayuri
Another Day's Work
The Winchester Building
The Director

Honorable Mentions:
- Total War: Shogun 2
Taiko Shuffle
Major Attack
Ona Hei

- Jamestown
War Upon the East Frontier
Prisoner of the Badlands
Lost Temple of Croatoa

- Portal 2
I don't like to listen to the Portal 2 OST, but I love how the music blends perfectly with the game.
 
D

Dark Schala

Eloquent Princess
Holy crap at the Mighty Switch Force tracks in this thread!

I think I might have to re-evaluate my top 3 soundtracks, and get the game while I'm at it. :O
 
S

slaughterking

Member
1. Xenoblade
2. Ghost Trick
3. Portal 2


Not a great year for soundtracks, even though it was at least good enough to put a solid Top 3 together.
 
S

Spiffy_1st

Member
1) Xenoblade Chronicles
2) Skyrim
3) Pokémon Black/White

Dissidia 012 deserves an honorable mention, even thought most of the original stuff wasn't very good.
 
N

Nocturnowl

Member
1. Xenoblade
Having a huge soundtrack seems to be something that comes with the territory of being a jrpg, this of course runs a risk of having quantity over quality, for me though this soundtrack hits a consistent high of quality for the games lengthy duration.
Satorl Marsh: Night
This track ran away with my top position from the moment the sun went down in the marsh, while most areas in Xenoblade make use of an altered version of the day theme for the night theme the marsh instead goes for a more contrary option which in turn matches the visual change to the environment.
Makna Forest/Forest of the Nopon
I guess it's really more of a jungle than a forest, i'd say it's quite a different tone than i'd expect from a jungle theme which helps in stand out to me over the many usual types of jungle music i'm used to hearing in games.
Frontier Village: Day
There's something I find oh so uplifting about this piece of music, probably due to those Nopon all over the place.

2. de Blob 2
While the game itself didn't do too much for me the soundtrack blew past my expectations which were in fact pretty high due to the first games great soundtrack. de Blob 2 contains the most funky music you'll hear in a game from 2011. Music plays a pivotal role in de Blob as painting the environments increases and builds upon the music with the more areas covered and each paint colour corresponds to an instrument, which extends to me painting the town literally red for the saxophone.
The Colourist Agenda
My main pick from this soundtrack. A slow build that leads into a very disco styled theme.
Pinked
Peppy and upbeat, I don't have much else to say so just give it a listen!
Blob in Space
It's like the bizarre cross between a surfer theme and sci-fi strangeness, somehow this works.

3. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Personally i've always thought that Zelda soundtracks after ALttP and OoT have been kind of underwhelming with only a few truly great tracks and then a bunch that just sort of fill the void. Skyward Sword is the first Zelda soundtrack in years that feels very consistent in high quality across the game. While it's not quite the Mario Galaxy level I was hoping for (what with the news that they were going to use orchestration) it is still a great soundtrack.
Lanaryu Desert: Skipper's Retreat
I'm thinking that this is the games most underrated song.
Romance Theme
Notable for being one of the very few trailer themes for the game that wasn't ballad of the goddess for a change.
Lake Floria
A water theme that has a kind of pleasant almost dreamlike feel to it.


Honorable Mentions

Sonic Generations: I avoided putting this as number 3 since like 95% of the soundtrack is all previous Sonic music which doesn't seem right for a soundtrack of the year. Still it's great stuff with Rooftop Run being my track of choice. (also here's the act 1 version)

Rayman Origins: Could have made the top 3 if there was less of the silly voices, I get that it's going for craziness but it's a bit too much for me, most people love the underwater music for the zany lum singing, personally i'll take this version.

Pokemon Black/White: You can usually expect a solid soundtrack from pokemon and this one is no exception, in fact it feels like a great step up as well, the rival theme is an odd one that grew on me over the course of the game, oddly addicting I guess.

There's still time before the poll is done so I guess it's still possible for another game to speed in and take 3rd place as i'm not entirely solid on that position right now. Alas I don't think AAI2 and VC3 are going to be replacements due to their non localization, I feel like i've been cheated out of great soundtracks!
 
N

Nert

Member
Even though I already included it in my vote, I decided that I should make a bit more of a case for Blocks That Matter, as it might not get much attention otherwise.

Morusque_-_Blocks_that_Matter-OST-WEB-2011-RAiN.jpg


Without a doubt, this soundtrack has my favorite ambient music of the year, serving as a nice compliment to some of the year's more boisterous soundtracks (like Xenoblade). Yann Van Der Cruyssen, who has contributed to Knytt Stories in the past, has created songs that are simultaneously soothing and memorable. I've often found myself humming along to Ruby and Sand, yet they can also serve as exceedingly pleasant background sounds when you're focused on something else.

This is also one of the few (for me, at least) notable soundtracks going for a more retro sound this year. Last year had Super Meat Boy, VVVVVV, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Minecraft, and more, so I can see how chiptune fans might be a little let down by this year. Don't write it off completely until you've listened to Blocks that Matter, though!
 
AgentP

AgentP

Thinks mods influence posters politics. Promoted to QAnon Editor.
1. infamous 2
2. Uncharted 3
3. Dark Souls
 
J

JaseC

gave away the keys to the kingdom.
Limiting myself to games I've played to completion, I'd have to say:

1. Portal 2
2. Alice: Madness Returns
3. Deus Ex: Human Revolution

Edit: Can't believe Alice initially didn't come to mind.
 
H

Himself

Member
People have already been doing a wonderful job of posting tracks so I'll just contribute my vote.

1. Shadows of the Damned
2. Portal 2
3. Child of Eden

Honorable mentions: Dodonpachi Resurrection, Rayman Origins, Uncharted 3
 
E

Earthpainting

Member
My picks:

1. Xenoblade Chronicles
(Yasunori Mitsuda, Yoko Shimomura, ACE+ and Manami Kiyota)
The soundtrack that stood out this year. Does a great job at both being catchy, varied and atmospheric. When I hear the Gaur Plains theme, my mind drifts off to giant open fields bustling with life. Most appreciated was the fact that every location had two arrangements that complimented the game's day and night cycle.
2. Ghost Trick
(Masakazu Sugimori)
If there was one soundtrack this year that good me pumped and on the edge of my proverbial seat, it would be Ghost Tricks. It's got a very distinct, in your face sound that complements the game perfectly.
3. Radiant Historia
(Yoko Shimomura)
While this soundtrack heavily channels Kingdom Hearts, I still can't help but appreciate what it brought to the table. Especially the battle themes stuck out to me. Shimomura knows how to make a confrontation feel exciting and important.

Honourable mentions:

- Portal 2
Cara mia is probably the song of 2011 that'll stick the longest with me, providing a perfect ending to a fantastic experience. While the rest of soundtrack is never bad, it sadly enough wasn't particularly interesting to me.
- The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Enjoyed this soundtrack immensely and would have put it in my top three if it wasn't for the nasty stains that are the harp songs. Maybe these compositions were limited because of the game mechanics that were tied to them, but I absolutely hated those harp songs. Disappointing.
- Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Reverie
Another very enjoyable soundtrack that works well with the game, but it's a shame that it doesn't really have a sound of its own. As much as I like the music of this series, there is little to nothing that sets the music from these games apart. When I see other franchises successfully sound different, while still retaining the feel of the series, then it's not unfair to expect the same from Dragon Quest. Also I did not like the battle theme in this at all.
- Bastion
I have yet to play this, so I don't know how well these tracks flow with the game, but the quality seems to be quite high.
 
L

LordAlu

Member
Duffyside said:
Man, every time someone posts a Portal 2 track I hope its the one I've been looking for, and still to no avail.

GAF Challenge: It's the part where Wheatley puts on the Australian accent, thinking it will fool GlaDOS, but of course it doesn't so you have to make a run for it through the wall.

They also played it on 8-4 Play once, for one of their breaks. Though they never listed the song in their credits.
Click to expand...
Do you mean this one?
 
D

Dog Problems

Banned
1. Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP
Lone Star: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPa-GNSIj8s
Ode to a Room: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v10kZfQAh5g
Com64 (bonus track): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9joOZBTsDE
How We Get Old (bonus track): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oybcZB5JKCQ (personal favorite)

2. Bastion
Spike in a Rail: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQWAcgefsQQ
Slinger's Song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mDWzu5yxLg
In Case of Trouble: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jU9EFTMhbY
Faith of Jivel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_CRopcnFeY
Build That Wall: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry8hPZu77uo&hd=1

3. Ghost Trick
Prologue ~ The Beginning of the Night: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVBDt3VRDfA
Suspicion: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H65O7dz8QB0
Chained Past: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3HuFvn-CVo&feature=related

Honorable mention: Mighty Switch Force. It came so close to making it on there.
 
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