That said, the soundtrack is strong enough that it can be enjoyed independently of the game. If you've never played Donkey Kong Country, you're certainly missing out on arguably one of the best platformers of the mid-90s. For the underwater stages, Wise spent five weeks composing what would become Aquatic Ambience using a Korg Wavestation synthesizer. The company would show him graphics for levels and even let him play through some of the stages in order to get a feel for how they should sound. Shortly after, he was hired as a full-time composer by Rare. He was originally brought in as a freelancer to create three demo tracks that were ultimately blended together to create "DK Island Swing," the first level's theme song. Donkey Kong Country - 1994 - SNESĭavid Wise was responsible for most of the soundtrack in Donkey Kong Country, and what a gem it was. If you haven't played it, it's one heck of a rewarding game that I promise you won't regret picking up. It simply wouldn't have been the masterpiece today that it is without Yamamoto and Hamano.įrankly, I'm surprised to see it so far down the all-time sales list at number 33 with only 1.42 million units sold. The next day at work, he digitized the recording and played it for director Yoshio Sakamoto who said it was good.Ĭollectively, it makes for some of the best in-game music in any 16-bit title and really elevates the entire game to a whole new height. "For about 10, 20 minutes, just belting it out," Yamamoto said. He instantly pulled into a parking lot, pulled out a voice recorder and started recording what he heard in his head. Interestingly enough, the intro came to composer Kenji Yamamoto while he was riding his motorbike home from work one day. The third installment in the series, Super Metroid's title theme sets a spooky atmosphere that never lifts. "Eerie." That's the best word I can conjure up to describe the soundtrack of Super Metroid. Bison's theme did a good job of making you feel like you were fighting for all the marbles.
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Guile's stage had a patriotic feel, Blanka's made you feel like you were truly battling in the jungles of Brazil and M. One of the biggest takeaways from Street Fighter II is just how well the theme song for each fighter matches their personality. But no, I was too prideful, too stubborn.
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#GREATEST VIDEO GAME SOUNDTRACKS OF ALL TIME DONKEY KONG TV#
I could have it right then and there, they said, so long as I abandoned the new TV idea. Was this really happening?Īs sure as night follows day, I unwrapped a Super Nintendo with a bundled copy of Super Mario World. With what had to have been a few weeks or maybe even a month to go before Christmas, they pulled a rectangular-shaped present out from under the tree and said I could open it. To hell with the Super Nintendo, I wanted a new TV for Christmas instead.Įither I was incredibly convincing or my parents really just didn't want to fool with it because they called my bluff. Whatever the case, it was serious (at least in my nine-year-old brain) and I dug my heels in. It was too long ago to recall the specifics but as the year wound down, I got into an argument with my dad about the television in my room, a modest 13-inch set. It was Christmastime, 1991, and there was only one thing I had on my wish list: a Super Nintendo. The franchise spawned three sequels including the aforementioned Back in the Groove, which launched in 2019. According to Ken Horowitz in his book Playing the Next Level: A History of American Sega Games, Sega sold roughly 350,000 copies of the game during its run. ToeJam & Earl was more of a cult classic than an in-the-moment success. Backers of the Kickstarter project asked if he could include the track in the new game as an Easter egg.
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It was, and he even had an old copy in his garage. The moment you depress the power button and the title screen loads, you're greeted with a mesmerizing waterfall and an enchanting tune that rapidly changes to signal a serious adventure awaits. But it was the first title I remember playing with an enthralling soundtrack. That honor, in all likelihood, went to Super Mario Bros. The Legend of Zelda wasn't the first game I ever played on NES. Here are 10 prime examples where composers did just that. Hamstrung by hardware limitations, composers of yesteryear often had to get creative in order to conquer shortcomings associated with the platforms of the time. Quality games almost unanimously also have great sound and music. But there are many other aspects including good controls, a solid storyline and memorable characters that factor into the creation of a well-rounded game. Game systems from the 8-bit and 16-bit era weren't exactly the graphical powerhouses that modern consoles, PCs and even phones have evolved into.