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Staff Picks: Favorite Video Game Theme Songs Greg Lynch – XGF Staff 5) Daniel Indart - “Los Parranderos” from Tropico Regardless of whether you loved or hated Tropico, there are only a few audio-impaired individuals who might argue against it having one of the greatest videogame soundtracks of all time. The gaming community heaped award after award upon the game for the soundtrack alone, and it’s unlikely you’ll read a single review that doesn’t shout praises for the colorful Caribbean atmosphere created by the music. It may be one of the only games in history in which people would just leave the game loaded to listen to the soundtrack. While Daniel Indart’s “Los Parranderos” is easily one of the best theme songs in recent history, nearly every song on the soundtrack is equally great. If you have a soft spot for Caribbean tunes, this is definitely a gaming soundtrack worth picking up. 4) Paul Norman – “Forbidden Forest” from Forbidden Forest Considered by many to be one of the most innovative games of its time, Forbidden Forest was amazingly created single handedly by award winning composer/programmer Paul Norman. Despite its bargain shelf pricing, the game did more to further gaming technology than most the higher priced software of the age. The graphics were stunning, the sounds created a realistically scary mood (and even caused you to jump out of your seat at times), and it was the first game to feature a pseudo “3D” gameplay that allowed you to shoot at creatures not only approaching from left to right, but also toward the back of the screen. It also happened to feature a stellar soundtrack that changed according to the actions going on throughout the game. The theme song, along with the game, is still revered as one of the best of the classic gaming era by those people who have been around long enough to enjoy the Commodore 64.
WATCH SEGMENTS OF THE TITLE SCREEN 3) Louis Armstrong – “A Kiss to Build a Dream On” from Fallout 2 What other theme song can claim to both perfectly embody, and be the complete antithesis of, the videogame it supports? For those who don’t already know, Fallout 2 is widely considered to be one of the greatest RPGs ever made, and takes place in a retro-futuristic post-apocalyptic world. Armstrong’s music fits perfectly with the game’s “Duck and Cover” era roots, while offering a mellow, carefree intro that is completely opposite to the game’s insanely violent subject matter. Thanks to the gang at Black Isle, Louis Armstrong is introduced to a larger audience who should have already had a copy of this essential musician’s work in their collection. LISTEN TO A CLIP AND BUY THE MUSIC 2) Rolling Stones – “Paint it Black” from Twisted Metal: Black I can almost envision what happened in the offices at Incog when they were working on their first PS2 outing. Their project manager must have handed them a copy of Rolling Stone’s “Paint it Black” and said, “I want the essence of this song imbued into every aspect of the game. If any portion of the game strikes anything other than a depressingly minor chord, I want it nixed.” From the moment you get that opening riff at the title screen, to when the complete song plays during the closing credits, you are left completely depressed, yet strangely elated. Never has a song been more perfectly matched to the game’s content. 1) Frank Klepacki – “Hell March 2” from Red Alert 2 Simply put, if this article was not confined to theme music only, Frank Klepacki’s work would fill every spot. He has garnered award after award for his work in the Command and Conquer series, but his remixing of “Hell March” for Red Alert 2 is far and away his most effective piece. It’s hard to imagine instilling more adrenaline pumping guitar riffs into the original, but the remix, “Hell March 2”, accomplishes that and then some. The moment it starts pumping through your speakers, it’s like the C&C universe is welcoming you back with open arms. Unfortunately, only those select few who purchased the “Collector’s Edition”, or were lucky enough to buy their game at Best Buy, were given a copy of the game’s soundtrack. Westwood’s website does offer a couple of songs from the soundtrack, and it is available in its entirety for download for VIP members of AllofMP3.com. Posted:
12-13-03
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