I love these games and I think the soundtracks are underrated as an essential part of their appeal. I’ll Start with one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kk72RMv9d0s
Tube of Medusa from Ecco2: Tides of Time.
Personally, I think the Sega CD version soundtrack is… fine, but it has a different composer. If I remember correctly, it;s the composer from the first Ecco. In my opinion, it’s inoffensive, but completely forgettable.
EDIT: I have edited the topic to include older stuff.
Ducktales NES Moon Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF32DRg9opA
all the MegaMan on the NES
The Thunderforce III and IV, the 3 (yes, three, including the experimental soundtrack of the third!) Streets of Rage on the MegaDrive Anything Nobuo Uematsu on the SNES (Final Fantasy IV, V, VI, Chrono Trigger, Actraiser, etc.) and U.N Squadron
Soldier Blade and Final Soldier (and Air Zonk!) on the PCEngine (that a small part of the world calls TG16 for some reason?!)
Top Gear - SNES:
https://youtu.be/cxAXTHBxgTw?si8nO81VKWhW6JohvY
This was better than a lot of electronic music available in the US at the time. Absolute bangers.
I would have brought it up myself if someone hadn’t already.
Top Gear 2 is just as good in my book:
surprised i haven’t seen much reference to Tim Follin’s work! IMO the title screen music from Plok! is unquestionably the most impressive bit of sound i’ve ever heard from a SNES. just when you’ve picked your jaw off the floor from the amazingly convincing harmonica sound, the lead “guitar” kicks in and your jaw drops again.
for a bit of a more conventional chiptune sound, the NES Pictionary soundtrack (also Tim Follin) hits pretty damn hard considering that it is, well, Pictionary
Pictionary brings it HARD!
There are a lot of comments mentioning Follin’s work. Plok, Solstice, Silver Surfer, Pictionary, it’s all there.
Chemical Plant Zone from Sonic
They went so unnecessarily hard on that one but it’s great
I don’t have exotic choices to give, but Final Fantasy VI is still my favorite soundtrack. Kefka’s theme is iconic.
Also, the music for the first level of Castlevania 3 (“Beginning”) is timeless.
The OG Castlevania still brings me so much spooky joy ,but you’re right, FF6 is next level.
Corneria from Star Fox is a fucking banger.
F-Zero - Big Blue Theme. Still stuck in my head decades later.
The Stunt Race FX theme also goes hard.
NES is Contra Jungle
SNES is Simon’s Theme from Super Castlevania IV
N64 is probably most of F-Zero X
The 'Cube is rough since I grew up with it so I love a lot of it. Luigi’s Mansion, Mario Sunshine, Wind Waker, Twilight Princess. Too hard to pick.
TG16 is the original Bonk. That level 1 music lives in my head.
The Spring Yard and Starlight Zones from the original Sonic game.
You know, from that game I particularly love Marble Zone.
Outrun. Magical Sound Shower. Splash Wave. Passing Breeze. Perfection.
I love the arcade, and Jeroen Tel did a worthy version for Commodore 64 Turbo Outrun.
Turtles in Time for the SNES, every song is a banger
Deep Blue immediately comes to mind:
But a deeper more interesting cut would be the entire Pictionary OST:
That game’s soundtrack goes so much harder than you’d think it should.
Holy shit, Tim Follin! The composer of the song I posted about elsewhere in this thread. I had no idea! Thanks! That Pictionary song is crazy.
Super Mario Land or Mario Bros. 3. Amazing.
