Sunday, November 2, 2014

The Top Ten Best NES Soundtracks of All Time

(Image taken from: en.wikipedia.org)

I love Chiptune...so freaking much. And listening to it just now, it actually got me thinking about my all-time favorite NES soundtracks. People are always so quick to point out Mega Man 2, but eh. I always found it just okay. But these babies below are solid (Solid as a rock). Disagree? Do so in the comments below. And suggestions would also be appreciated. (NOTE: I have not played EVERY game in the NES library, but I have played most of them through emulators, so if I'm missing anything, please forgive me).

10. Ninja Gaiden

This soundtrack is just so cinematic, which works because of the (snicker) "in-game cut-scenes" (I laugh because of how primitive they are compared to today's standards. But hey, it worked back when we were kids). I remember how intense some of these songs were, and how angry I would get at tough jumps, throwing my controller at the wall. This soundtrack reminds me of frustration...in the best possible way.



9. Super Mario Bros. 2

My favorite soundtrack of the three SMB's on the NES, I just love how bizarre it sounds. It totally plays like a totally different entity, which it is. The game started out as another game called Doki Doki Panic in Japan, and Mario characters replaced those characters because Japan thought their version of SMB2 was too hard. That game would later become The Lost Worlds. But most importantly, this soundtrack is just so catchy. I love it!



8. Adventures of Tom Sawyer

There's a sense of adventure with this soundtrack, which is why I think it fits the game it accompanies. Though the game doesn't quite live up to its tunes, I definitely think it compliments the game quite well. Give it a listen.



7. Duck Tales

Everybody always raves about "The Moon Theme," which is good to be sure, but this whole soundtrack is fantastic, to that perfect title music, to the stage select screen, to pretty much everything. Such a good soundtrack.



6. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

A truly lousy and frustrating game, but man, were those tunes slamming. It's upbeat at times, sinister at others, but always different and interesting. I will always hate this game (That f**king dam stage!), but the music still holds up, even to this day.



5. Bubble Bobble

I know I might catch hell for this, since The Legend of Zelda theme is not on this list, but I really love the Bubble Bobble song, which pretty much plays throughout the entirety of the game. This song drives my wife nuts, but I can't get enough of it.



4. Double Dragon II: The Revenge

A pulse-pounding, fist-pumping soundtrack to one of the best beat-em-ups on the NES. There are so many great layers to each level's song, which is surprising because most of the levels are so short on this classic.



3. Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest

A crummy sequel to the original, but probably my favorite music in the entirety of the Castlevania series, right there next to Super Castlevania IV.



2. Metroid

Spooky, atmospheric, dense, you truly feel lost in space with this haunting soundtrack. Great game, even better music.



1. Taboo

And now for a soundtrack that nobody has ever heard before. Seriously, Taboo is probably one of the least unplayable games ever made, but man, oh, man, does this soundtrack creep me out. Everything about it just gets underneath my skin. I had nightmares about the music in this game, and any soundtrack that can stick with me like that wins the title of best NES soundtrack in my mind.

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