Good Dog's Top Five Video Game Soundtracks

I grew up listening only to ABBA, Blink-182 and the sound of my brother playing N64 games 12 hours a day. Here are my top five favourite game soundtracks [plus four extra bonus tracks] from some classic games and some newer ones. 

Note: This is not a definitive list of the best soundtracks ever, just my favourite ones and I’ve probably missed out some amazing ones because I’ve forgotten about them… [Final Fantasy]. In reverse order:

5. Sword and Sworcery (2011)

Composer: Jim Guthrie

I think this was the first time I heard game music which sounded like non-game music. It feels very alive and real, maybe just because there’s a real guitar in there somewhere... The soundtrack made the game 50% better and the game is already 110% good (I am bad at maths). I don’t have a record player but I bought this soundtrack on vinyl.

Overall rating: 9/10, a point deducted because I wanted the game and soundtrack to be longer. 
Nostalgia: 7
Arrangements: Really nice
Listenable sans game: 110%
Favourite track: The Prettiest Weed (at 1:41 there is a chord change which makes me want to scream with joy!)

4. Birdworld (2017)

Composer: Leon Chang

This is a soundtrack for a game that doesn’t exist! Amazing. These tracks are beautiful and inspired by/use samples from all the game soundtracks I grew up listening to with added extra modern production flare, and minus the limitations of writing for an actual game. Look at the map of Birdworld, listen to the songs and construct a nice little story in your head. Great.

Overall rating: 9/10, one point deducted for having to just imagine the game inside your head.
Nostalgia: Yes, very much.
Arrangements: 11/10
FFO: Mario Kart 64, trappy hi-hats and the legendary N64 marimba sound.
Favourite track: Lychee Beach

3. Spore (2008)

Composer: The music’s procedurally generated, generative music by Brian Eno and Cliff Martinez [the old drummer for the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, but don’t let that put you off!]

Most generative music I’ve ever heard [or tried to make – we did a whole module on it at university, ohh boy...] sounds VERY BAD. Spore’s a super fun game with a super fun ambient-ish soundtrack, quite Aphex Twin-y. A nice break from manic chiptune, but if you don’t like spacious long ambient pads then you will hate this.

Overall rating: 8/10: Definitely the least bad generative music I’ve ever heard.
Ambient: Yes it is.
Different every time? Yes I think so.
Listenable sans game: Not realllllly for me.
Bonus: You can hear a very dry talk about procedural music generation in Spore here.
Favourite Track: A Scrapbook of the Past (Timeline)

2. Fez (2012)

Composer: Disasterpeace aka Richard Vreeland

I think this soundtrack sounds exactly like the game looks. Three-dimensional modern floaty chipchoon, a bit sad and mysterious. Inspired by all them nice crushed sounds from old console sound chips but with added ZHUZH. It's also very human-sounding like all of Disasterpeace's music, and kind of melancholy. My favourite.

Overall rating: 10/10
Nostalgia: uh-huh.
Arrangements: Really nice.
Listenable sans game: Abbbbsolutely! 
Favourite track(s): Noctourne, Puzzle

***very obvious choice alert***

1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)

Composer: Koji Kondo

I would have sold my soul to live inside this game given the opportunity. I would have lived in Kakariko Village, worked as the post-person and had a very happy life working away to the Kakariko theme song, unless Ganon destroys Hyrule of course... 

The soundtrack for this whole game is unbeleeeeiiiiivable, both musically, arrangement-wise, and storytelling-wise. It all ties together so well. SO WELL. A really super example of how sound and music can help enhance a story and make you form a LIFELONG CONNECTION with the story and characters in your imagination.

Overall rating: 14/10
Nostalgia: Yes!
Listenable sans game: Oh yes!
A lot of 'chillwave remixes' of these themes: Definitely yes!
Favourite track: I cannot pick just one I’m afraid – Windmill Hut, Hyrule Field, Lon Lon Ranch

Bonus Tracks

And some honourable mentions have to go to the following, in no particular order: Shooting Star Summit by Yuka Tsujiyoko [Paper Mario 64, 2000], Main Title Theme by Matt Furniss *big tune* [Alien 3, 1992], Birdman by Dan Hess [Pilotwings 64, 1996], every single track by composers Yasuaki Iwata, Yumi Takahashi, Shinobu Nagata, Sayako Doi and Masato Ohashi on Animal Crossing: New Horizons [2020]. Semi-popular YouTuber KickThePj recently rated all Animal Crossing: New Horizons tracks from best to worst which is wrong because they are actually all amazing. Here's the theme song performed LIVE!

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Good Dog's Journey to the End of the Jelly World soundtrack is released via OK Pal Records on 2 Jul; the 8-bit RPG created by SliceyBredd Game Productions, aka Suse Bear and Faith Eliott, was made possible thanks to The Glad Cafe's Glad: Online project

The game is available to play now at sliceybredd.com; there is an official launch party and live playthrough happening tonight (2 Jul) at 8pm via twitch.tv/sliceybredd