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[Triforce141]

The West made Metal Gear Rising, but the East made Xenoblade Chronicles.

They're both pretty close in terms of hyping the shit out of you for major events in their games.

 

[Seraphis Cain]

Japan has Akira Yamaoka, Shinji Hosoe, Shoji Meguro, Yoko Shimomura, Masaharu Iwata, Hitoshi Sakimoto, Masafumi Takada, Daisuke Ishiwatari, Koji Kondo, Yuzo Koshiro, Nobuo Uematsu, and countless others.

The West has Jeremy Soule, Virt, Chris Christodoulou, everyone from Hotline Miami, and I'm sure many others.

I obviously prefer Japan, but also there seems to be a lot fewer "notable" Western composers than Japanese.

 

[Ravidrath]

Western games with Japanese composers.

Yamane in Skullgirls
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58NKCwjz6e8

Kikuta in Indivisible
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ld2blrN8oqE

 

[TacosNSalsa]

West . Jesper Kyd' Darksiders 2 soundtrack is probably my favorite soundtrack of any medium.

 

[punkmaggit]

Both are good for different reasons. I have to give the edge to Japan because of Masashi Hamauzu & Hitoshi Sakimoto.

For the West: can't wait to hear Vincent Diamante's new score for his next game. Flower was incredible.

 

[h#shdem0n]

I may have been too reductive, saying all chiptune just mimics old Japanese composers.

The Ecco: The Tides of Time soundtrack ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmKH9Yf6WQY ) is incredible.

 

[Funyarinpa]

Japan. The whole VN industry is a pretty damn big point most ignore.

Just check out Umineko and 999.

 

[SephLuis]

My favorites are from Japanese games, but there are a few western OSTs that I really like.

 

[MetroidPrimeRib]

Japan. Well over half of the soundtracks I would say are the best are from JRPGs alone.

There are plenty of Western composers and soundtracks I love like Hotline Miami or Darksiders 2, but they are few and far between the number of great soundtracks that are from the East.

 

[PetulantChild]

Japan, only because the West is too obsessed with boring as hell orchestra trash. However whenever the west actually makes something with actual rythym like this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSIV7CjH4cU) it typically turns out better than stuff the East produces.

 

[SoundPulse]

Both sides of the ocean have made fantastic music. It depends on what you like.

If I had to pick, Japan.

 

[Fug Slanderson]

Most of the video game music that is memorable to me is from Japan. Can't remember any music from a Western game except Halo and Gears. But that could be more due to the change in the nature of games where everyone is trying to make movies now, and most of the Japanese games I've played and loved are from before last gen. Japanese game music is definitely catchier and more fun overall. A lot of the Western music just sounds like generic movie background music with no definitive theme.

 

[Jachaos]

I prefer those from Japan if we're generalizing. Of course there are also plenty of amazing video game composers in the West.

I just don't care as much for atmospheric background tracks that you can't really recall from what game it was. In general, western games do more of that.

Thankfully, indies and some franchises do the opposite. Hotline Miami, Transistor, etc.

 

[Blobbers]

Shimomura is overrated. I find 20% of her music good, the rest is mediocre.

That said, I'd pick Japan, because I feel Japanese music seems more melodic. But if we only pick the best of the best in both regions, I guess I'd call it even.

She's awesome.

Legend of Mana
Radiant Historia
Live a Live
Front Mission
Most of Kingdom hearts series. I've seen criticism that the music is samey but it's still full of classics like Dearly Beloved, Destati, Hikari, most boss themes, Roxas' Other Promise...
The iconic Parasite Eve OST

I've never played the Mario RPG games, so idk about those.

 

[L Thammy]

Japan. The whole VN industry is a pretty damn big point most ignore.

Just check out Umineko and 999.

Speaking of oft-ignored parts of the Japanese industry, Shade is pretty awesome. I wish that Capcom or some other normal company picked him up.
(It's the battle themes that most people remember, but that whole OST is good. Listen to it!)

 

[Joyful]

just gonna post more good 'western' osts cause they unrepresented tbh

deus ex/deus ex hr
neotokyo
mirrors edge
dustforce
mighty switch force 1/2
darwinia
DmC
half life 1/2
transistor

 

[crap monkey]

Chiptune isn't the same as new retro wavey stuff.

Yuzo Koshiro is still making incredible chiptune music for DS/3DS titles to this day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEsgRhIhHf8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOsRITXDBxk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GtGLNPJqrA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_0TeykT5NA

He still makes this shit with a decades-old PC-88 synth. I don't know how the hell he makes it sound this good.

That fourth track is absolutely disgusting. Never played an Etrian Odyssey game before but this is making me want to.

 

[Canis lupus]

They're not even in the same league, Japan is still ahead even if we only count what they produced in the 80s.


Come back when the west has created catchy tunes like 80s arcade games:

Outrun

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEl7JuAI0nM

After Burner

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyIIEBMh_2k

Space Harrier

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_Tam9lv1KQ

Psycho Soldier

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4y13vnGXec

 

[Kurt]

Kondo it is. Most memorable songs in the history.

 

[Loakum]

Final Fantasy
Silent Hill

are Japan, so I gotta say Japan.

 

[IAmRandom31]

Japan has Otani ( shadow of the colossus ) and Uematsu ( FF and many others ) and Kondo ( Zelda ) and Hagashino ( Suikoden 1/2, etc. )

Western composers have made some great ones like Journey ( Austin Wintory ) and Halo 1 and such, but overall still Japan has the best.

 

[Augemitbutter]

it's japan.

 

[Blobbers]

Also, let me name drop Yasunori Mitsuda before pass the first page without mentioning him.

 

[Aaronrules380]

That fourth track is absolutely disgusting. Never played an Etrian Odyssey game before but this is making me want to.

Etrian Odyssey games are amazing dungeon crawling RPGs. The fact that they have great music is just icing on the cake

 

[h#shdem0n]

They're not even in the same league, Japan is still ahead even if we only count what they produced in the 80s.


Come back when the west has created catchy tunes like 80s arcade games:

Outrun

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEl7JuAI0nM

The Turbo Outrun theme for the C64 is one of my favorite videogame tracks. "Outrun" has even become a kinda sorta genre. /r/outrun is a thing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEl7JuAI0nM

 

[Pimpbaa]

Chiptune isn't the same as new retro wavey stuff.

Yuzo Koshiro is still making incredible chiptune music for DS/3DS titles to this day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEsgRhIhHf8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOsRITXDBxk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GtGLNPJqrA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_0TeykT5NA

He still makes this shit with a decades-old PC-88 synth. I don't know how the hell he makes it sound this good.

I love the mix of real instrument samples and FM synthesis he's using there. Wish he was doing music in games that I actually play however.

To answer the OP's question, Japan. They still create more memorable music, but I think they are both not making music as memorable as they use to. Although I would take a Jesper Kyd soundtrack over any modern Japanese soundtrack these days.

 

[fatty]

I've always been in love with FF tracks but Nier, Zelda,

But some Western ones that I've recently fallen in love with:

Cod: MW2 Boneyard Fly By
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMDPwBikzps

Shatter: Kinetic Harvest
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZg8_uZ7Luk&list=PLA58139415DC27347

iji Further
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSn8Kp53ys0

Bastion Setting Sail
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDflVhOpS4E
and Jesper Kyd's Hitman songs I like too

Before it would have been Japan but now I say its even.

Chiptune isn't the same as new retro wavey stuff.

Yuzo Koshiro is still making incredible chiptune music for DS/3DS titles to this day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEsgRhIhHf8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOsRITXDBxk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GtGLNPJqrA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_0TeykT5NA

He still makes this shit with a decades-old PC-88 synth. I don't know how the hell he makes it sound this good.

Wow, those are good.

 

[PillarEN]

You forgot Yoko Shimomura and she's really talented, so, Japan of course.
She worked on Kingdom Hearts, Mario and Luigi RPG series, currently on FF XV.

She's the best ever.

If I had to really pick a side I'd go with Japan. There is great stuff coming from all over this planet but then I think of some of my top OSTs and they are written by Japanese composers.

 

[Scientist Supreme!]

Both make great music.

 

[Tezzeractor]

I feel Japanese games tend to have more memorable soundtracks. There's a lot of good OSTs in western games, but not nearly as many.

 

[GKSilKamina]

Japan by far.

 

[crap monkey]

She's awesome.

Legend of Mana
Radiant Historia
Live a Live
Front Mission
Most of Kingdom hearts series. I've seen criticism that the music is samey but it's still full of classics like Dearly Beloved, Destati, Hikari, most boss themes, Roxas' Other Promise...
The iconic Parasite Eve OST

I've never played the Mario RPG games, so idk about those.

The SMRPG OST is amazing as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocAJZWp40Y8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQl7wDCKXSM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abDCsQrDLTE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qf5yHuWyuj8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z9ZmOktINI

Her battle music is top notch especially.

 

[bede-x]

There's good stuff on both sides. I don't know how you could possibly argue either way.

This thread doesn't have enough C64/Amiga music, but maybe people are mostly from the US or have forgotten just how much good music was made in that era.

 

[Ran rp]

r.i.p. in peace western composers

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

Have played a very varied library of games throughout my life and can easily say Japanese VGM is much much more powerful.

So Japan is my answer.

 

[DeSolos]

My favorite soundtracks come from Japan. There are some Western soundtracks I really love, but there just happens to be less of them than the Japanese ones. Recent Western OSTs are similar to Western film music in the school of Hans Zimmer where music is more about setting a mood and less about catchy melodies that you'll remember for decades.

Here is a short list of songs that are characteristic of what I love if my descriptions weren't clear enough:

Xenoblade Chronicles - You Will Know Our Names
https://youtu.be/ooZyHLLQ5e8

Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess - Trailer Music
https://youtu.be/4DuHmfq7t_I

Bravely Default - That Person's Name Is
https://youtu.be/sk-9ihcy2R8

Phoenix Wright - Cornered
https://youtu.be/Y3R8tkvlAlk

 

[The12thGripper]

Japan here, I love me some melodic music. I also almost exclusively play Japanese games so that might be why.

 

[Dennis]

Sometimes I forget how weaboo GAF can be.

Both Japan and the West makes some good videogame soundtracks - and a lot of crappy ones.

 

[entremet]

Japan mostly because they haven't completely succumbed to movie score mimicry.

Western indie games tend to have melodic style OSTs, though.

 

[Zee-Row]

Japan for me. Western soundtracks try to be like movies.

 

[Paracelsus]

West has got some amazing top tier scores but the average totally goes to Japan. You could get kusoge (or just small budget games like Wild Arms 3) with better ost than several big budget western productions.

 

[Ran rp]

Why doesn't anyone ever mention that Shimomura composed the Street Fighter II soundtrack

 

[zeopower6]

Sometimes I forget how weaboo GAF can be.

Both Japan and the West makes some good videogame soundtracks - and a lot of crappy ones.

Well, the thread is kinda asking for people to choose one.

 

[kyser73]

Neither,

VG OSTs are the most conservative, generic form of music around.

Not to say there aren't some good-to-listen-to pieces, but that's very different from actually innovating in composition.

I'd love to hear a game scored by someone like Unsuk Chin.

 

[JuanLatino]

NIER........

Spoiler

NIER

 

[Charlouie Jonesman]

One can always post a bunch of really good western game music to try and make a point, like this, this or this, but that doesn't change, that overall Japan still wins by a long shot.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

Music definitely isn't an international thing so this topic is really important to settle.

 

[Chindogg]

I can't pick between both.

Asia and the west both have absolutely fantastic composers.

 

[Laputa_94]

Both can produce good music but then of think of many osts I have on my phone, multiple for Japan and 0 for the west.

 

[Ganzlinger]

Japan has better music
West has much better atmospheric music

Agree.