If you play video games there's a chance that you enjoy video game music. And while some of the best games we've ever played are accompanied by great soundtracks and scores there's a bunch of games out there that most people forget and don't really talk about anymore. Scores that have great pieces of music that have been long since forgotten. So today I'm going to be showing you my top 5 picks for music in video games you've probably never heard of before.
Black Knight 2000 is a classic Williams pinball machine created by Steve Ritchie in 1989. While it's not really a video game it was released in a digital format recently on Pinball Arcade by FarSight Studios so this one makes the list. The music in Black Knight 2000 was created by Brian Schmidt and Dan Forden and although pinball machines are not really known for their music this one really stands out. With vocals and upbeat tempo, simulated electric guitar and lyrics challenging nearby people to play, the music for this game is one of its most prominent features. In fact Steve Ritchie was so proud of the music and sound effects of the game that he wrote in the owners manual for the table that the music should be kept at the loud setting stating in his own words The music, vocals and speech have a positive effect on the player’s ego. He becomes a hero in his own mind. It's one aspect that makes Black Knight 2000 especially appealing. There are many pinball games out there that have cool music tracks, like 1986’s Road Kings by Williams, Black Knight 2000 is in my opinion one of the best sounding pinball tables ever made.
Tommy Tallarico is known for having produced some of the best videogame music in the industry. Working on over 250 games in his career this title is easily one of the lesser-known of the bunch. Wild 9 is a 2.5D platformer released on the PlayStation in 1998. This game has all the fixings of a top-tier title created by pretty much everyone that was involved with Earthworm Jim. Wild 9 puts you in the boots of Wex Major as he fights against the malevolent Karn and rescues all of his friends. The track we are looking at today is the menu theme. The music here is about as heavy metal as my list gets. It brings on elements of Westwood Studios’ Red Alert theme. If you're a fan of Nine Inch Nails like I am well this song might really appeal to you. Wild 9 is still a fantastic game that plays really well to this day and it's a must play for anyone that's a fan of Tallarico’s music.
Captain Blood is a French video game from 1988 developed by Exxos. The game existed on multiple platforms but was first released on the Atari ST, a home computer system from 1985. The theme song was produced by Jean Michel Jarre a world-renowned electronic musician. The theme to this game is actually composed of elements and samples from a song called Ethnicolor from Jean’s 1984 album Zoolook. The sound of this song is very unique filled with multiple textures and synthesized sci-fi elements that fit right at home in the world of Captain Blood. While I'll admit that this is a strange tune it sounds way more advanced than anything else that was produced at this time.
Another World is an epic game that carved out a section of my childhood and defined what a cinematic experience in gaming really was. So when I heard that the game creator Éric Chahi was developing a new game well I had to get it. From Dust did not fail to captivate me in the same way that Another World did but one of its strongest features was it's amazing orchestrated theme by Tom Salta. Capturing the fear, uncertainty and wonder of the game’s world the theme manages to entice the player. With every transition to the next stage this soundtrack really puts you in the world of the game and it fits better than anything else I could have envisioned. This soundtrack stands apart as one of the greatest orchestral scores for any game I've ever played.
Snatcher is a treasured game for the Sega CD that was released in 1994 by Konami and designed by Hideo Kojima who is most well known for the Metal Gear Solid series. Most gamers would say that Snatcher is the defining experience on the Sega CD platform and while I'm a huge fan, I've beaten this game countless times for fun just to experience the world again and again, let's take a step back. See Snatcher wasn't first released on the Sega CD and while I liked that soundtrack plenty the MSX2 version that was released several years earlier in 1988 I think has a way better sounding score. And my favorite track on the soundtrack is Twilight of Neo Kobe City. This song harbors elements of ‘80s sci-fi films and sets the tone as you look across the futuristic cityscape of the Neo Kobe. Newer versions of the game have animated intros and present more upbeat music but the original’s introduction with this song is still really awesome and sets itself apart from the other versions of this game.
If you've never played these games before I can't recommend enough that you go out and try them out. Maybe you won't like the game but I promise you you're gonna love that soundtrack.
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