robohobo93
New Kid on the Block
Towns Folk
One of the best parts of video games is the music. It's more than just background noise; it's a part of the experience. It can get you pumped or it can lull you into a false sense of security. It can make you nostalgic... or it can make you want to slam your head through a wall. Whether it's in a good way or a bad way, sometimes game music has a way of getting inside your head and never getting out.
In this first post of (hopefully) many on the subject, I want to talk about some of gaming's more calming tunes. Don't worry, I plan to get to the heavier stuff later, but for now, I'd like to start with the tunes that help you enjoy the beauty of a level... or as mentioned above, cause you to let your guard down.
I'm going to list my top five most soothing melodies from some of my favorite games, describing why I feel the way I do about each one. Afterwards, I invite you to do the same, though don't feel pressured to get as detailed as I'm about to!
5: Welcome to Booster Tower - Super Mario RPG
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I'm sure this one's meant more to be creepy than relaxing - or maybe that's just the vibe I get from it because Booster kinda scared me as a kid. My perceived creepiness of the song is aided by the fact that the first room you hear it in always reminded me of a hotel lobby... and therefore causing me to think of the song, Hotel California. While I disliked the whole of Booster's Tower back then (INCLUDING both tunes that played within), I now look forward to the visit every time, and I always stick around that first room for a bit, just to listen to the music.
4 Over the Hills - Final Fantasy IX
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This particular Final Fantasy has some great memories attached to it... and some not-so-great ones, like trying to fix a friend's scratched disk with a lighter. There are plenty of soft tracks in the game, with the world map's theme standing out as the best one. It fits well with the act of exploring the land, and it provides a break from the intensity of the battle... which unfortunately interrupts this song much too often. Thankfully, the battle theme here is the best one in the series, but that's for another list.
3: Stickerbrush Symphony - Donkey Kong Country 2
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All three DKC games have the best music on the SNES - possibly the best music on any console ever! DKC 2, being the darkest of the three, also has the most incredible music. It also has the bad habit of playing extremely calming music during the most infuriating of levels. I'm not sure if they were intended to balance each other out or not, but I think it's safe to say that it didn't work. Despite the violent tendencies its levels may have stirred, Stickerbrush Symphony is one mystifyingly peaceful song. At the risk of sounding a little weird, if wind had a theme song, this would be it. Watching the clouds through the bramble as they sailed past, I could almost imagine the wind blowing through the gaps, and the music served to cement that.
2: Lazy Afternoons (Twilight Town) - Kingdom Hearts II
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How great is Kingdom Hearts? It's a shame the finale won't come to Wii U, after all the 3/DS entries... The night I rented Kingdom Hearts II was awesome; it was a Friday night, so I played from 9pm to 5am! The first couple hours were focused on what appeared to be a regular kid trying to enjoy what was left of his Summer vacation. While some seem to dislike that and I, never having played Chain of Memories at the time, was anxious to know when Sora was going to return, I still enjoyed this portion a lot. As I guided Roxas through his mission, Twilight Town became a place I wished I could live. Plenty of shops, secret hideaways, and beautiful, never-ending sunsets? How could you NOT want to live here? This song is both happy, because of those details, but at the same time, sad, because... well, no spoilers!
1: Web Woods - Donkey Kong Country 2
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Have I mentioned how much I love the music in DKC? Once again following DKC 2's habit of playing inappropriately soothing music in an almost soul-crushingly difficult level, Web Woods is another double-edged sword. I prefer this over Stickerbrush primarily because Web Woods seems to take things a bit slower. And while it might seem out of place for levels within a haunted forest, it works, as it seems to give off a "haven for lost souls" kind of vibe, rather than a "cursed ancient burial ground" one.
So there's my list! Now how about yours? Remember, you don't have to push yourself to go into excessive detail, but the whole idea of this thread is to at least share a little bit about why a song has stuck with you. That's all I've got to say for now, so start making up your minds while I think of some more Top Five lists!
In this first post of (hopefully) many on the subject, I want to talk about some of gaming's more calming tunes. Don't worry, I plan to get to the heavier stuff later, but for now, I'd like to start with the tunes that help you enjoy the beauty of a level... or as mentioned above, cause you to let your guard down.
I'm going to list my top five most soothing melodies from some of my favorite games, describing why I feel the way I do about each one. Afterwards, I invite you to do the same, though don't feel pressured to get as detailed as I'm about to!
5: Welcome to Booster Tower - Super Mario RPG
(
I'm sure this one's meant more to be creepy than relaxing - or maybe that's just the vibe I get from it because Booster kinda scared me as a kid. My perceived creepiness of the song is aided by the fact that the first room you hear it in always reminded me of a hotel lobby... and therefore causing me to think of the song, Hotel California. While I disliked the whole of Booster's Tower back then (INCLUDING both tunes that played within), I now look forward to the visit every time, and I always stick around that first room for a bit, just to listen to the music.
4 Over the Hills - Final Fantasy IX
(
This particular Final Fantasy has some great memories attached to it... and some not-so-great ones, like trying to fix a friend's scratched disk with a lighter. There are plenty of soft tracks in the game, with the world map's theme standing out as the best one. It fits well with the act of exploring the land, and it provides a break from the intensity of the battle... which unfortunately interrupts this song much too often. Thankfully, the battle theme here is the best one in the series, but that's for another list.
3: Stickerbrush Symphony - Donkey Kong Country 2
(
All three DKC games have the best music on the SNES - possibly the best music on any console ever! DKC 2, being the darkest of the three, also has the most incredible music. It also has the bad habit of playing extremely calming music during the most infuriating of levels. I'm not sure if they were intended to balance each other out or not, but I think it's safe to say that it didn't work. Despite the violent tendencies its levels may have stirred, Stickerbrush Symphony is one mystifyingly peaceful song. At the risk of sounding a little weird, if wind had a theme song, this would be it. Watching the clouds through the bramble as they sailed past, I could almost imagine the wind blowing through the gaps, and the music served to cement that.
2: Lazy Afternoons (Twilight Town) - Kingdom Hearts II
(
How great is Kingdom Hearts? It's a shame the finale won't come to Wii U, after all the 3/DS entries... The night I rented Kingdom Hearts II was awesome; it was a Friday night, so I played from 9pm to 5am! The first couple hours were focused on what appeared to be a regular kid trying to enjoy what was left of his Summer vacation. While some seem to dislike that and I, never having played Chain of Memories at the time, was anxious to know when Sora was going to return, I still enjoyed this portion a lot. As I guided Roxas through his mission, Twilight Town became a place I wished I could live. Plenty of shops, secret hideaways, and beautiful, never-ending sunsets? How could you NOT want to live here? This song is both happy, because of those details, but at the same time, sad, because... well, no spoilers!
1: Web Woods - Donkey Kong Country 2
(
Have I mentioned how much I love the music in DKC? Once again following DKC 2's habit of playing inappropriately soothing music in an almost soul-crushingly difficult level, Web Woods is another double-edged sword. I prefer this over Stickerbrush primarily because Web Woods seems to take things a bit slower. And while it might seem out of place for levels within a haunted forest, it works, as it seems to give off a "haven for lost souls" kind of vibe, rather than a "cursed ancient burial ground" one.
So there's my list! Now how about yours? Remember, you don't have to push yourself to go into excessive detail, but the whole idea of this thread is to at least share a little bit about why a song has stuck with you. That's all I've got to say for now, so start making up your minds while I think of some more Top Five lists!
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