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Pokemon music appreciation thread R-2

T

Teknoman

Member
Welcome to the world of pokémon!

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With the release of a brand new entry into the Pokemon series right around the corner, I felt that a new music appreciation thread should also be created. Of course this isnt just restricted to main series Pokemon games, but also any great tracks from spin offs or versions of various themes from the anime. My initial picks are by no means the absolute best the series has to offer, but most of these should be a good starting point to branch off from. Either way, lets get things started!

Main series

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Title screen

The minute I saw the animated intro while this theme was playing, I knew I was in for something great. Whats funny is that the game actually released on my birthday...so looking back, i'm surprised I ended up getting the game day 1. Or maybe we just knew release dates and not ship dates back then?

Route 04

One of my favorite route themes from the first entry in the series. Really has that..."i'm on a great journey" feeling.

Trainer Battle

VS Champion theme

Wow nostalgia overload (and a great 8-bit theme in general), the first time I made it to the champ in Blue version, it was a car ride during a really bad thunderstorm. The combination of heavy rain, thunder booming, and this theme, made the perfect setting for a final battle.

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Route 27

Most of my favorite route themes have that "long journey ahead" feel to them, and Route 27 is no exception.

Lucky Channel

Goldenrod City

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Always thought the main series titles had some great themes up until this point, however with the release of R/S, my level of Pokemon music appreciation skyrocketed.

Wild Pokemon Battle

Packed with energy!

Evergrande City

Trainer Battle

Team Aqua/Magma Battle

Regibattle

Route 104

Deoxys Battle

Still holding out hope there is some sort of secret Deoxys battle in Black/White...

Mount Chimney

Right up there with Mount Ordeal from FFIV, and that other range from Lost Odyssey as far as great mountain themes go.

Dive deep

The dive HM was worth it for this theme alone.

Route 113

Rustboro City

Route 120

Route 111

Always like a good desert theme.

Mt. Pyre outer wall

Magma/Aqua Hideout

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Trainer Battle

I know there is some controversy regarding this...but I actually like the LgFr version of the trainer theme more than the original. Maybe its the build up at the beginning?

Gym Battle

Same here.

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Lake

Really nice and peaceful.

Route 228 (Night)

Galactic Boss Cyrus

I believe this marked the start of "evil team" leaders having a really threatening sounding battle theme. Wouldn't have it any other way, and I cant wait to hear Team Plasma's.

Route 225 (midday)

The first time I heard this theme, I was kinda hoping it would be Victory Road's theme.

Route 203 (midday)

Route 216 (Night)

The first time I arrived at Route 216, I had to let my DS sit so I could just take in the music. Really fitting for a snowy area.

Mount Coronet

Eterna Forest

Trainer Battle


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Trainer Battle

Team Rocket Battle

Gym Leader Battle

Entei Battle

Ho-oh Battle

Really out themselves with this legendary battle theme.

Ecruteak City

National Park

Once the 1:21 mark hits...whoa.

Global Terminal

Feels like something from Phantasy Star Online or something from a Sega Saturn game...which is never a bad thing.

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The most recent version set in the main Pokemon series. A new region, whole new set of monsters to catch, and one of the best soundtracks in the series thus far.

Wild Pokemon Battle

Trainer Battle

Gym Leader Battle Amazing stuff, especially the way the song builds up. Really like the strong impact of the drums in the background.

Battle: In a pinch! Yup, the sound that has been ingrained into pokemon fan's minds everywhere, has been turned into a dynamic music track.

Gym leader's last stand! Even the Gym Leader Battle theme has a dynamic element to it.

Rival Battle Once this theme gets started, its actually kinda catchy. Really drives the point that you're just having a friendly battle.

Team Plasma Battle

Entralink theme

Nacrene City Very relaxing.

Battle Subway station Classic.

N's Battle Theme

Event Battle This sounds like some sort of fast paced secret battle against a robot in Earthbound. Well Mother 3 to be exact.

Mistralton City

Celestial Tower The perfect combination of Pokemon, Zelda, and Chrono Trigger.

Icirrus City So many classic RPG vibes emanating from this track.

Spin offs

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Catching Pokemon AND playing portable pinball with rumble? Amazing combination.

Blue table: Catch'em mode

Red table: standard theme

Blue table: standard theme

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Ronald's theme

Would be nice if Ronald made a cameo appearance in the main series at some point. I'd just like to hear the theme with modern technology. Really is one of the better rival themes in the series.

Club leader duel

Grandmaster Duel

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Mewtwo Battle

I have no idea why Game Freak hasnt used this as Mewtwo's battle theme in the main series...especially when they had the chance to implement it in HG/SS.

Gym Trainer Battle

Really nice version of the standard RBY battle theme.

Prime Cup Battles 1-3

Gym Leader Castle road

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A few posts opened my eyes (ears?) to Colosseum's music...and now I kinda want to give the game a shot.

First Battle

Pyrite Town

Snagem Hideout

Cipher Peon Battle

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Another controversial pick. Quite a few people think PBR's soundtrack isnt of the same quality as past Pokemon games. While I think that some of the tracks sound too similar, I still believe that they aren't low quality in the least bit.

Sunny Park Colosseum

Magma Colosseum

Sunset Colosseum

Really liked the environment here.

Minor Boss theme

Anime

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Burning Battlefield
The first time my friends and I heard this while watching the show, everyone immediately shut up and was on the edge of their seats.

Johto Wild Battle

Persistant Pokemon

Champion Battle

Intense Action

Burning Battlefield ver.2

Guitars were really put to good use during most of the first generation's episodes.

Regibattle

Hoenn Elite Four Battle

A Formidable Enemy Appears

I got a Pokemon

Spoilers for B/W themes arent really needed since the game has been out for a decent amount of time



Other Contributions:


lynguist said:
Junichi Masuda's blog.

http://www.gamefreak.co.jp/blog/dir_english/?p=143

Provides insight about the music, its creation and technology in the Pokémon games.
Click to expand...
 
Teknoman said:
Regibattle
Click to expand...
This is still my favourite legendary battle music.
Teknoman said:
Route 225 (midday)
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Pretty much all the route music in DPP is great but I like this one the most. Does anyone know if Black and White have day and night versions of music like DPP did? I really missed that in HGSS.

And since you mentioned it, here is my favourite music from the trading card game: Grandmaster Theme. I still wish they would remix this some day and make it the elite four battle music in one of the main games.
 
Hyperborean said:
The guitars drown out what is good about the song. Every else about this remix is cool though.
Click to expand...

To be fair I'm not 100% sure if that's the song I meant to find because I forgot my headphones and I can't turn the sound on my laptop on right now, but if it's not, I'll post what I meant later. Lol.

EDIT: Just checked. Yeah it's the song.
 
The National Park theme from G/S was amazing already but the first time I heard the SS/HG version it hit me with feeling. Few games have done that, it's an awesome melody.
 
I am in total love with the Pokemon Black/White soundtrack. Almost every battle theme is like among the best in the series to me. I think B/W overtook Drill Dozer as my favorite Game Freak soundtrack.

I think this is the "best quality" music on Youtube (I'm in a classroom now, no sound) but here are my favorites:

Battle Legendary Pokemon
Kyurem
Battle Wild Pokemon
Battle Strong Wild Pokemon
Battle Gym Leader
Battle Spoiler sort of
Final N Battle
Battle Champion
A later area in the game
Wonder Bridge
A later area in the game
Village Bridge
It has weird almost Vocaloid-like voices...

And I've been listening to them almost non-stop since around the time the games came out. That's many months of mostly listening to the same thing, over and over. Hasn't happened to me in a long while...
 
OMG Aero said:
Pretty much all the route music in DPP is great but I like this one the most. Does anyone know if Black and White have day and night versions of music like DPP did? I really missed that in HGSS.
Click to expand...

No day and night, but the route music changes each season.
 
Pokemon Crystal(and Gold+Silver) has the best music of them all. All the other soundtracks are also very good except for maybe the Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald generation which was subpar in spots (and not just soundtrackwise).

Every single track in Crystal is amazing, but if i had to chose one it would be "welcome to the world of pokemon" which is also used for route 30 and 33

It's one of the most uplifting tunes i have ever heard, so amazing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIFsnJuc20Q


edit: I'm not sure i like the remakes of the G/S/C music for Heartgold and Soulsilver, the music that were made specifically for those games are better (See Lugia's battletheme)
 
VS Mewtwo from Pokemon Stadium is awesome

but

My favorite song is Double Trouble

Prepare for trouble
Make it double
Prepare for trouble
Make it double

We'll be the greatest rogues of all time
Creators of grand design
I'll be the king
I'll be the queen
and I'll be the joker
of crime

Prepare for trouble
Make it double
Prepare for trouble
Make it double

To protect the world from devastation
To unite all people within our nation
To denounce the evils of truth and love
To extend our reach to the stars above

Jesse
James

TEAM ROCKET BLAST OFF AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT
SURRENDER NOW OR PREPARE TO FIGHT
 
The Pokémon Sound Anime Collection CD is awesome. It is basically orchestrations from the 2 first games and it is always very enjoyable every time I listen to it. Too bad the tracks are shorts (only one loop of the theme itself). I think you can find it easily.

And as always with Nintendo game music appreciation thread, Brawl and Melee tracks deserve their mention too.
 
Pokémon Battle Revolution
Gateway Colosseum
Sunset Colosseum

Pokémon Black and White Versions
WCS Champion Battle?

Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver Versions
National Park (HGSS) (GB Sounds)
Route 47/48 (HGSS) (GB Sounds)
Lavender Town (HGSS) (GB Sounds)

Pokémon Diamond and Pearl Versions
Champion Cynthia (pre-battle)
Mt. Coronet
Eterna Forest (game) (anime)
Route 216 (Day) (Night)
Route 209 (Day) (Night)
Route 210 (Day) (Night)
Route 228 (Day) (Night)

Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald Versions
Route 104
Route 113
Petalburg Woods
Abandoned Ship (game) (anime)
Sealed Chamber (game) (anime)
Fight! Ancient Pokémon! (game) (anime)
Fight! Frontier Brain

Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen Versions
Sevii Islands

Pokémon Trading Card Game
Battle Theme

That's what I can think of right now. The Frontier Brain theme is my favorite out of Gen 3, and the Mt. Coronet theme, as well as Rt. 228 Night and Cynthia's little piano solo out of Gen 4. Gen 1...the main battle theme, Gym Leader theme, and champion theme are my favorites (the anime versions even moreso), and out of Gen 2, there's the National Park theme, as well as the Kanto Gym Leader battle (in both GS and HGSS).

Off the TV Anime CD, some other favorites are:
Battle (VS Wild Pokémon)
Battle (VS Trainer)
Battle (VS Gym Leader)
 
The new games have a bunch of awesome themes, which for the most part, I won't spoil.

The fact that there is a villainous team isn't really a spoiler, right? It's like saying "Dr. Wily did it!" in a Mega Man game.

Anyhow, their theme can be found HERE, and it is awesome.
 
The music in this thread is so nostalgic. A lot of the Pokemon music was burned into my brain as a child. At night when I went to bed, I always swore I heard the battle music of Pokemon Red/Blue. It seemed so real that I would get up to make sure my Gameboy was turned off. I played way too much Pokemon as a kid.
 
Jackano said:
The Pokémon Sound Anime Collection CD is awesome. It is basically orchestrations from the 2 first games and it is always very enjoyable every time I listen to it. Too bad the tracks are shorts (only one loop of the theme itself). I think you can find it easily.

And as always with Nintendo game music appreciation thread, Brawl and Melee tracks deserve their mention too.
Click to expand...

Seconded.

Smash Bros. Pokemon Medley (orchestrated)

I feel like RBY/GSC had far and away the most memorable pieces, but the next 2 gens have their moments here and there. Haven't played gen 5 yet, but from what I've heard so far, it's fantastic.

The remakes ruin the mood of most songs imo. The GB player in HG/SS is the greatest feature in the history of video games. Sooooooo good.

Some of my favourites:

Ecruteak City (GSC)
Azalea Town (GSC)
Dark Cave (GSC)
Rival Challenge (GSC)

Vs. Gym Leader (RBY)
Vs. Trainer (RBY)
Indigo Plateau (RBY)

I could go on all day, this shit is classic.
 
One of my friends has a super violent reaction to hearing Pokemon Red/Blue music. He heard it so much for so long that it just triggers anger receptors or something. It's actually pretty frightening.
 
I really would of rather had just a Video Game Music Appreciation topic, but eh.

Wonder if I should get the white or black pokemons.
 
My favorite battle music of the series actually isn't from the main game...

Pokemon Colosseum Friendly Battle

It's such an uplifting and quirky battle theme that really got me into the game...unfortunately, in XD, it was replaced for the most part and only played in one or two places. This was the replacement.

Also, this is pretty rare, but there's actually an Official Vocal version of the Trick House theme from RSE. I wish more songs got vocal versions...I remember seeing an official vocal version of the RBY Surfing Theme and Bike Theme awhile back on this old Pokemon Music site, but I can't find it any more.

EDIT: Oh, apparently the same CD has a vocal version of Slateport City
 
This thread is excellent. Browsing through all of these tunes is bringing back so many great memories. Can't believe I've been playing these games for over 12 years now
 
Oh, and another thing about Pokemon Music I feel is under appreciated is the little tunes that play when you encounter trainers before you fight...probably as most people skip through the text to get to the battle. Some of my favorites include:

DP Sailor/Fisherman Encounter. Apparently, this is a real Enka Song called Misoji Misaki.
DP Ace Trainer Encounter
RS Elite Four Encounter

And here are some of my new favorite songs from Black and White...

Hodomoe City Music. Sounds very Goemon-ish.
Forest of Illusion.
Castle Bridge The full name of this is sort of a spoiler, so watch out.
Rival Battle for Belle and Cheren.
Credit Theme

Wow, I love this.
Click to expand...
It becomes kind of creepy though when
you run into the ghost girl who died during the bridge construction
 
Never had the chance to play Colosseum or XD, so i'm glad some of the tracks from those are being posted. Anything decent from the Ranger or Mystery Dungeon series?

Oh and that Route 27 Orchestral version Varjet posted? Someone needs to use that as a graduation theme. Even if you didnt know where the theme came from, you'd be so full of hope when you walked across the stage.
 
Listening to the old titles makes me wish that Nintendo would make a Pokemon Red/Blue 2 for DS Ware or something. That had the same graphics/sound/etc (think Mega Man 9) but an expanded story line going from the end of the originals or just a new hero but with the same 150. There would be updates obviously (moves would be up to speed to recent times, such as Bite being dark) and other things would be fixed (such as poison not being super effective against bug). I just feel like it wouldn't be that costly of a project and a lot of people would buy into it.
 
Red/Blue, to me, is up there with Mega Man 2 as the best soundtrack EVER.

My favorite was always Route 4, for the reason in the OP. It makes you feel like you are on an awesome journey and still have a long road ahead of you. It takes me right back to that moment in time of my life. Embodies the feeling of the game and the series as a whole.

Other good Pokemon songs:

Route 11 for the same reasons as 4. Ahhh man Route 24/25 too

Dark Cave from Gold/Silver is cool

Club Master Duel from the Trading Card Game

PokeRap!!!

Bonus: I highly recommend downloading this guy's mixtape

Edit: Something I want to mention is that I always loved the artwork for the original pokemon games, like the three trainers in the OP for example. It has really gone downhill in my opinion.
 
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