Calinca Ruins by Makoto Tomozawa - Mega Man Legends 2
The music in the first areas of MML2 is fantastic for how well it reinforces its environment. This particular track has a simple haunting echoing melody that echoes the emptiness of the snowy fields and gives a hint that some mysterious is lurking just under the surface.
The Farthest Land by Koh Ohtani - Shadow of the Colossus
When I first got SotC for Christmas of 2005, I found myself gravitating toward the very energetic battle themes, but over time with my shifting taste in music and games, I tend to prefer the calm tracks and the quiet exploration in the game a bit more.
Time’s Scar by Yasunori Mitsuda - Chrono Cross
What was the start of all this?
When did the cogs of fate begin to turn?
Perhaps it is impossible to grasp that answer now,
From deep within the flow of time…
But, for a certainty, back then,
We loved so many, yet hated so much,
We hurt others and were hurt ourselves…
Yet even then we ran like the wind,
Whilst our laughter echoed,
Under cerulean skies…
Little Bonus Room by Terry S. Taylor - Skull Monkeys
It was too funny to not post.
Fourside by Hirokazu Tanaka - Earthbound
It’s a shame that this game will never be available on modern systems (unless they remake it). Earthbound really should be more accessible for people who are interested.
Lightning’s Theme by Masashi Hamauzu - Final Fantasy XIII
I really love the melody for the violins in this piece. It’s easily the most memorable track to come out the series since X (sorry Sakimoto, you lost your teeth after Vagrant Story). It’s a nice touch that this is a reworked version of the battle theme, Blinded by Light.
Alex Theme by Akira Yamaoka and Mary Elizibeth McGlynn - Silent Hill Homecoming.
Mary McGlynn could sing names from a phone book and make it sound like the most emotional thing on the planet.
A False Memory by Hitoshi Sakimoto - Vagrant Story
I hope you’ve played Vagrant story, so that this song’s poignant brilliance won’t be lost on you.
If you have not, I’d recommend getting on that. Vagrant Story should be available for PSN in the coming months.
Wrapped in Black by Hideki Naganuma - Sonic Ruch
I have no idea what the fuck Malcom X has to with this game either.
Song of MANA ~Ending Theme~ by Yoko Shimomura - Legend of Mana
A great Shimomura (Swedish) vocal piece for Cronotriggers who, up until yesterday, hadn’t heard of her at all. This might be Shimomura’s definitive soundtrack, so if anyone else is late to joining her fan club, I’d recommend starting here.
Unfortunately Legend of Mana is where all of the seeds of that series’ destruction sprouted. At least we got some good music out of it.
Zero Gravity by Kenichiro Fukui - Einhander
Remember the days when square produced tons of quirky experimental games? Sure, some of those turned out to be awful in every way imaginable (God damn you Soukaigi), but every now and then, they’d strike gold.
Rabbit Bed by Yoko Kanno - Napple Tale
Beautiful and mysterious. Yoko Kanno kicks a preposterous amount of ass.
Epunam by Masaru “Go” Shiina - Mr. Driller Drill Land
Drill Land’s soundtrack is second only to Katamari Damacy in the wacky, eclectic quality of its music.
Title Loop 1 by Shoji Meguro -Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
Call it what you will-
a revelation from god, or a curse of the demon king.
The fact remains that our world came to an end.
A heretic called upon an unearthly light, and devastation ensued.
Chaos crawled out of the depths of the ocean, from the black abyss.
Death upon death… Nothing but death in this barren land.
Who can we pray to? There are only demons and fiends here.
A voice in the dark beguiles me.
“Truth is a mystery, unraveled by the candles’ flames.”
- From The Journal of a Man Who Wandered into Another World.
One Foot in the Grave by Masaharu Iwata - Baroque
This Japan only first person dungeon crawler was a mix between Silent Hill and Shin Megami Tensei with some roguelike elements. It’s atmosphere really shines through in it’s music which has a lot of beautiful, minimalist instrumentation to compliment the Silent Hill style industrial grinding.
Watch some of the videos of the Saturn/PS1 version, they’re pretty interesting.
