>laboratory level
>futuristic sounding synths
Sounds like a good game.
Counterpoint: The Crosscode soundtrack.
Forest level: accordion, guitar, only a bit of flute, no violin.
Forest level 2: accordion, choir, and xylophone.
Forest level 3: steel drums, guitar, some other kind of guitar.
Ice level: flutes, bass guitar.
Ice dungeon: french horn, synthy violin.
Lava level: (none)
Desert level: Exactly what OP said.
Desert town: Totally different from what OP said.
Beach level: guitar, flute, piano, very little steel drums, no ukulele.
This makes me think about how Jean-Michel Jarre’s Calypso sounds like the most fun water level ever.
but anon, what if you are Spider-Man in a Fun House in 1991?
Bongos, error beeps, and the wails of the damned.
And that instrument that makes plastic clicky noises, expertly played.
current mood and song
i have difficult thinking of this as video game music it’s sooooo goodHell yeah. I’ve listened to the Mario Christmas medley every year since it debuted.
sleigh ride is so fun
And for a good variety of levels and backgrounds, I present Snails House.
I don’t mean to offend anyone but I cannot respect you as a human being, let alone a sentient organism, if you enjoy video game music at any time other than whilst playing a video game.
“I like the music in doom, it’s weirdly ambient despite being so aggressive.” Perfectly fine, even respectable. “I was listening to the mortal kombat soundtrack the other day…” You are lesser than a sea cucumber.
Was the last time you listened to game music when it was all chip and midi? There’s some beautiful and moving music in games.
Hell, even with the chip tunes alone, it’s amazing what people managed to squeeze out of two sines, a saw, and a square channel. Bloody Tears comes to mind. Or Willy’s theme from Megaman 2.
And the modern scene is still going strong
It’s excellent for the setting it was made for, but is lacking compared to the collected discography of generations of musicians tuned to at-home listening.
I listen to opera at the opera. I listen to symphonies at the symphony, or at home if I’m particularly nostalgic. I listen to game music when I’m playing games. Each has an environment crafted around it to maximize enjoyment. I can’t even listen to edm without dimming the lights.
Listening to a game soundtrack made to evoke specific emotions at specific times? It feels like the point was wholly missed and vast horizons entirely ignored.
This is a very narrow and limited way of seeing music. Music can be created for a purpose and a setting but once it’s out there it has no boundaries beyond what you impose upon it. Somewhere Over the Rainbow was written for the Wizard of Oz but it’s not like the only way to enjoy it is in a movie theatre. Certainly, music can be more or less appropriate for certain activities and moods, listening to EDM to fall asleep might be self defeating. However, music made for games can evoke all sorts of mental states and people are free to find appropriate settings and uses outside of them to enjoy it.
In the same way that a kid can watch a baseball game and notice none of the nearly superhuman athleticism playing out, many people simply can’t notice the difference between a bespoke listening experience and one tuned for a specific setting. And that doesn’t make them evil or stupid, and I’d never argue that. But it does place them firmly beneath vermin. People are allowed to feel any which way they like, even if it’s objectively WRONG.
Ok so you do mean to offend people then. Have fun with that, I’ll just be over here enjoying things on their own merits despite your whole thing going on over there.
You’re welcome to it and I hope you enjoy it! I’m not the arbiter of all things. Enjoy what you enjoy, but understand that we’re coming for “people” like you first.
Please listen to the endless space 2 ost (without playing the game). Imo it is even better outside of the game, because I can fully kick back and listen, instead of micromanaging a galaxy-spanning empire at the same time.
I jumped though it and it’s overwhelmingly ambient music. Which isn’t bad but I rarely play ambient music. Just not for me
Yeah I guess that is a big part of why it still works really well outside the game
I did scoop up a couple of songs for my mystical/transcendent dnd playlist, though, so I do appreciate it for that!
I could sympathize with your point if VGM was still the blips and blops of cheap midi synths like it was in Doom’s hayday. Heck, I still someshat sympathize with the idea that VGM just doesn’t work as well as albums for making a pure listening experience because the game inherently restricts it’s format (though I’d say it depends on the game). But VGM by [current year] has gotten so good I must ask what VGM you have heard. Would you make the same claim for film soundtracks?
Unsolicited VGM suggestions that I think prove my point
Expedition 33, Neon White, Ultrakill, Team Fortress 2, Hyper Light Drifter
I do feel the same way about movie soundtracks. My partner pulled the full interstellar soundtrack into their chill out playlist and I wince a little every time.
I liked the music in bioshock, shadow of the colossus, kingdom hearts 3, horizon, undertale, etc., quite a lot. But devoting time to listening to it, rather than modern music made for home listening just doesn’t appeal to me. It feels like pulling out a jigsaw when you need a dremel. Like, you can do that, certainly, but there are infinitely better options
So, you’re talking about a dedicated ‘sit down and listen to this album in whole’ kind of experience? I don’t think even most albums are great for this, but yeah video games typically aren’t good for this because of the different moods they go through. I listen to a few straight though though:
https://dotemu.bandcamp.com/album/wonder-boy-the-dragons-trap
https://c418.bandcamp.com/album/wanderstop
https://sundaemonth.bandcamp.com/album/diaries-of-a-spaceport-janitor-original-soundtrack
https://supergiantgames.bandcamp.com/album/bastion-original-soundtrack
I can’t even say that. I listen to singles, for the most part. I haven’t done a full album listen through in like 10 years, and that was mostly a rock opera bender. I’m not opposed to listening to full albums, but I am picky and my musical peas and carrots touching bothers me.
But my most major issue with video game music is just that it avoids calling attention to itself. “Ignore me” doesn’t feel like it should be a part of music.
Most of the songs are meant that way, but some (cutscene music for example) take the forefront. A different use case is normal though. It’s kind of like saying you’re not supposed to enjoy anything not prepared by a 5* chef.
I mean, if you had the entirety of the meals prepared by tens of thousands of 5 star chefs across their lifetimes and someone saw you choosing to eat pb&j instead, you’d get at least a coy look
Its almost a cliche to say it at this point, but Clair Obscur’s soundtrack is incredible.
It’s a great song, but I can’t see myself choosing to play it outside game night. (I played this one to death during our desert dnd campaign, yes I’m a hypocrite)
I don’t necessarily disagree with you. As much as I enjoy the song whenever I do pull it up, I can’t honestly claim it’s on my car playlist or party playlist. It’s pretty hard to beat popular music at the end of the day.
Film music, video game music, and even classical music are all great and impressive in their own right, but when you’re chilling/vibing/socializing, popular music is the way to go. And by popular music I don’t mean pop music, I mean the whole spectrum of contemporary music that people mainly listen to, I guess you could also call it vernacular music. So I pretty much agree with your point but I think you got downvoted because you stated it in a fairly blunt fashion.
It’s excellent ambiance. I pick and pull from video games aplenty for game nights. Ambient music in a specific style for specific demographics? Yes, directly into my stereo system on Tuesday.
Unequivocally was I baiting reactions with hyperbole mixed with sincerity in the 4chan community. I can’t argue otherwise, and I don’t blame people for not recognizing a, and this hurts to say, 20 year old meme setup.
Agreed. Can’t win em all buddy, you’ll get em next time
Another counterpoint
Look, I think gamers should definitely expand their tastes because I know a few who almost exclusively listen to games soundtrack, but that doesn’t mean games soundtracks have no artistic value outside of the game… now, not all of them do, but it’s not all black and white
Thanks Ocarina of Time
I dunno… According to this, Gerudo Valley should have a sitar and zurna flute, but instead the flamenco jam comes in hot with the Spanish guitar and trumpet.
Different kind of dessert.
Zitar and zurna flute for deserts with camels and sand dunes. Spanish guitar, trumpet, and I think drum rim? for deserts with cliffs and tumbleweeds.
Different kind of dessert.
So ice cream or maybe something more cake-like?
I always got more of a middle-eastern vibe from Gerudo Valley. Their clothing has kind of a belly-dancer thing going.
They might have mixed styles so that anyone playing would feel like they were an outsider rather than modelling the Gerudo on any one particular culture.
the first belly dancer i met was Roma
Also Mario 64.
Basically its ‘thanks Koji Kondo’.
There’s a ukulele in the OoT OST? O.o
OoT doesn’t have beach music. Mario games (by the same composer), however…
I was thinking Metroid Prime as I read those, at least for lava and ice levels. I think that was a different composer but on the same (or better) level.
Yeah, Koji Kondo didn’t do Metroid music. The ice and lava levels definitely qualify!
Unmute this greentext
I miss Seth Everman! Dude was so great
space level
theramin and sounds of masturbatinghey! stop fucking my mayo bucket
sex hole sandwiches
yeah we play that song. it’s not a good song, but we play it
I’ve been laughing out loud at a university cafeteria for a good minute now, thanks. Dark Orbit - EIC (New Music October 2013) 0:32.
Anon’s vibin
