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Best orchestral gaming soundtracks?

Man, Elemental Gearbolt. That game brings back memories. Such a hard lightgun game to play but the music was awesome.
 
Aside from the already favorites like Zelda and Final Fantasy... I have to mention the Baten Kaitos series, Fire Emblem series.

Some samples from Baten Kaitos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XARPxxfAeUc (To the end of the Journey of Glittering Stars)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvHMQXa0QLE (Disorder)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXU1oNkxfeA (Heaven Sea Flower Temple)

Some samples from Fire Emblem:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXLy_--y7Ic (Rally the Spirit)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMhiOzOenuk (Clash)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ttd2AHzzOag (Main Theme) -- (which you didn't hear until after finishing the game)
 
Lilsnubby said:
Michael Giacchino
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Oh yes, thanks for reminding me.

105bck6.jpg


<3

Favourite FPS ever.
 
Code_Link said:
Aside from the already favorites like Zelda and Final Fantasy... I have to mention the Baten Kaitos series, Fire Emblem series.

Some samples from Fire Emblem:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXLy_--y7Ic (Rally the Spirit)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMhiOzOenuk (Clash)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ttd2AHzzOag (Main Theme) -- (which you didn't hear until after finishing the game)
Click to expand...
I have this song playing in my head so often:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zhOtlLxX6I&feature=related

Still though, I think Fire Emblem soundtracks are only high quality MIDI and not orchestrated.
 
Going by the success of Mario Galaxy's incredible soundtrack, Nintendo would be downright stupid to not do the same with Zelda Wii. Seriously.
 
Is Otani scoring The Last Guardian? Dude is absolutely incredible. Sky Odyssey also has a ridiculously fantastic soundtrack.
 
PS2_primal.jpg

Not mentioned yet- probably because it deserves a slightly better game to accompany...every cue is a winner, and unlike so many soundtracks, it doesn't fall prey to endless repetitions of a single theme.
 
Agree with most choices that picked Super Mario Galaxy and Shadow of the Colossus.
And among the two, I think Super Mario Galaxy is better.
 
ClearCELL said:
.
K&#333; &#332;tani is amazing.
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Wait wait fucking WAIT..... K&#333; &#332;tani did the soundtrack to SotC? Is this the same K&#333; &#332;tani that did the Gundam Wing soundtracks....my favorite anime soundtracks of *ALL* fucking time? If so, then I'm buying the SotC OST like, yesterday!

Mechar said:
There is hardly nothing beating this game; Castlevania: Symphony of The Night.


MUSIC_CastlevaniaSotN_OST_cover.jpg
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This and the Dragon Quest Symphinic Suite box set are the only correct answers....although these Mario Galaxy suggestions have me intrigued ;)
 
isamu said:
Wait wait fucking WAIT..... K&#333; &#332;tani did the soundtrack to SotC? Is this the same K&#333; &#332;tani that did the Gundam Wing soundtracks....my favorite anime soundtracks of *ALL* fucking time? If so, then I'm buying the SotC OST like, yesterday!
Click to expand...

The same one.
 
They have already been mentioned but once again:

Shadow of the Colossus
Super Mario Galaxy
Xenosaga: Episode 1



Xenosaga 3 has a better soundtrack than xenosaga 1. The piano tracks are better. Yuki kajiura was better than mitsuda on the xenosaga soundtracks.

Tracks like "mother i miss you", "hepatica", "harsh truth", "promised pain", "battle of your soul", "main theme" and many more are much better tracks than mitsuda's work on xenosaga 1 ost.
Click to expand...

No.
 
Galaxy and Shadow of the Collosus for me too. Amazing stuff.

Y2Kev said:
Is Otani scoring The Last Guardian? Dude is absolutely incredible. Sky Odyssey also has a ridiculously fantastic soundtrack.
Click to expand...

We don't know yet, but i see the game being more like Ico where the soundtrack used is more subdued and ethereal, instead of the soaring bombast of the orchestral SOTC soundtrack, so i doubt he'll be scoring it as he seems to specialize in dong the latter.
 
Yuki kajiura was better than mitsuda on the xenosaga soundtracks.
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Kajiura was amazing the first few albums I heard, but I cannot stand to listen to anything from her anymore, it runs together so much.

But I don't care for any of the products she scores, so that's pretty easy to avoid for me.
 
honorable mentions

World of Warcraft: Had an amazing back when I played the original glad to see they are keeping up the good stuff with the Lich King.

God of War 1&2: ranks among the best their is especially when going against bosses.

Medeval II Total War: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hu1DJdbGZk8 around 1:55 imagine hearing that while seeing your army march inside the enemy's fort !!
 
Lilsnubby said:
Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction - Michael Giacchino
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I bought that CD its awesome!

also I would like to put in that Hitman Blood Money is prolly my fav, though killzone2 intro was sick as well.
 
r09 said:
Outcast is the only right answer. Seriously, anyone who likes orchestral music should give it a listen. The crappy Youtube sound quality doesn't really show how amazing it is.
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I was hoping that someone mentioned this.
It is such a pity that the sequel never surfaced.
Outcast plot/characters/atmosphere/world/music are movie worthy.
 
spritex said:
I was hoping that someone mentioned this.
It is such a pity that the sequel never surfaced.
Outcast plot/characters/atmosphere/world/music are movie worthy.
Click to expand...

Not only that...it was one of those games you could put in your cd player, skip the first track, and hear the full soundtrack :D Those were the days.
 
Super Mario Galaxy
Shadow of the Colossus



I'm going to read this thread now, and I expect these two to be mentioned at least 30 times or there's gonna be hell to pay!
 
Empty said:
Nintendo better be orchestrating the soundtrack to Super Mario Galaxy 2.
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THIS
GCX said:
They just need to handle a full soundtrack like this track:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tiq06cQPH44&feature=related
Click to expand...
THIS



And somehow I see Nintendo capable of abandoning orchestrated music for SMG2 and not bothering with orchestrated music for the next LoZ at all and go for shitty orchestrated sounding midi.

I still think it's quite unlike Nintendo to orchestrate a Mario game. I would've never have guessed it beforehand, since the Mario series actually is perfectly fine with happy electronic tunes. Makes the SMG soundtrack all the more amazing. The grandness of a symphonic orchestra combined with the frivolity of Mario tunes. A weird mix but sooo good.

There is no excuse for the next LoZ to not be orchestrated, because they have been mimicking the orchestrated sound for quite a while now with this game series. It has so many classic tunes that would translate naturally and awesomely well into orchestrated music.

I say a little prayer every night.
 
Souldriver said:
And somehow I see Nintendo capable of abandoning orchestrated music for SMG2 and not bothering with orchestrated music for the next LoZ at all and go for shitty orchestrated sounding midi.

I still think it's quite unlike Nintendo to orchestrate a Mario game. I would've never have guessed it beforehand, since the Mario series actually is perfectly fine with happy electronic tunes. Makes the SMG soundtrack all the more amazing. The grandness of a symphonic orchestra combined with the frivolity of Mario tunes. A weird mix but sooo good.

There is no excuse for the next LoZ to not be orchestrated, because they have been mimicking the orchestrated sound for quite a while now with this game series. It has so many classic tunes that would translate naturally and awesomely well into orchestrated music.

I say a little prayer every night.
Click to expand...
Nintendo's been saying midi sound offers a more dynamic approach so it can easily change depending on the gameplay situation. Now they have no more excuses since Galaxy's soundtrack proved it's perfectly possible to combine a full orchestra with dynamic music.

And Nintendo is funding lots of games with orchestrated soundtracks (like Xenoblade and Last Window) so why not let Zelda have one too. Right, Iwata..?
 
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