Favorite game soundtrack releases

[Nemoide]

It goes without saying that a lot of gamers love the music of video games. I think it's safe to assume I'm not the only one who has amassed a decent collection of game-related music over the years.
I'm wondering what people's favorite game soundtracks are, but not in the "audio playing during/ripped from the game" sense. I'm thinking about separate soundtrack releases on vinyl, CD, or cassette.

A lot of soundtracks are included with games as promotional bonuses but a lot of them are totally forgettable. I'm wondering what discs folks like to actually listen to or prize over others in their collection! Here are some of mine:

Dragon Quest II - Anna - Love Song Sagashite - this is a vinyl 7" single that I find profoundly strange in that it's a J-pop version of the menu music from Dragon Quest II. I have no idea what kind of record-company deal brought this thing into existence but I can't think of any other pop-renditions of game songs like it.

Dragon Quest ~ Jipangu World ~ - I bought this at a Japanese used book store not really knowing what it was aside from Dragon Quest and I'm glad I did! What makes this soundtrack unique is that all the music from the first four DQ games performed on and arranged for traditional Japanese instruments. I like traditional Japanese music and DQ music but hearing them combined is really weird in a good way. It really stands out from the chiptune or symphonic versions of the DQ soundtracks.

Eschatos - This soundtrack came with the first printing of the game and I am so glad that this is the version I have. The songs manage to capture the feel of the best Genesis-style soundtracks but in a way that explodes into a more robust synthesizer sound. I love it!

NiGHTS into Dreams: Perfect Album - I have a deep-rooted love for NiGHTS into Dreams and listening to this causes feelings of warmth and nostalgia to overwhelm me. Really a dynamite soundtrack, this 3-disc release has to my knowledge every piece of music from the original game as well as Christmas NiGHTS.

Sonic Rush: Original Groove Rush - Hideki Naganuma is one of my favorite game composers and while I love Jet Set Radio/Future, Sonic Rush is the soundtrack CD I revisit the most. I love the energy! And those samples! And hearing it in higher quality than the DS can handle really helps for this kind of music.

[dogman91]

The arrangements for Super Street Fighter II on this album is top notch stuff: http://vgmdb.net/album/6926

Yuzo Koshiro's released CD OSTs include a crap load of unused songs from him, including an entire soundtrack for an unreleased Genesis game he composed for (The Stickman is Back): http://vgmdb.net/album/1818

http://vgmdb.net/album/211 <- Streets of Rage OST that includes unused tracks (that sound JUST as good as the songs in the game, I might add) as well as the main soundtrack having some alternate sections not used in the game.

edit: also, this album is essential for Sonic CD fans; at least, for the US version of the soundtrack. http://vgmdb.net/album/2292 This has the FULL versions of the songs that have been cut short on the Sega CD release of the game due to space constraints.

[ExedExes]

I really hope I'm not posting in a repeat thread, but the only game soundtrack CD I have I got from Japan, is from the Sega arcade game Scud Race (known as Sega Super GT outside Japan)



Most of the tracks are available here.

[Xeogred]

edit: also, this album is essential for Sonic CD fans; at least, for the US version of the soundtrack. http://vgmdb.net/album/2292 This has the FULL versions of the songs that have been cut short on the Sega CD release of the game due to space constraints.

Indeed! I was a huge fan of the game and didn't even know about this until a few years back, it's really cool hearing extended versions of the tracks.

Anyways, I didn't even have to hesitate here... the Secret of Evermore OST includes 8 tracks remixed to CD quality, cue ultimate Jeremy Soule.


http://vgmdb.net/album/882

[Bremaine]

Metal Gear Solid 3
Red Dead Redemption
Pretty much every Silent Hill soundtrack that has Akira Yamaoka
That's all I can think of right now.

[dsheinem]

FWIW:

http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... 44&t=29287

http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=393677

[Sarge]

I own very few actual CDs of soundtracks, because I'm a dirty music pirate. But I love remixed stuff, so a few of my favorites...

Dracula Battle I & II - These rock, literally. Seriously good stuff. My favorite tune from all of them is Iron Blue Intention.

ActRaiser Symphonic Suite - Real orchestra for an already great soundtrack? Sign me up!

Chiptuned Rockman - I love chiptune stuff, and almost the whole album is solid, solid work by a variety of chiptune remixers. I really like the Snake Man / Intro smashup.

A few I actually own...

Chronotorious - This is a very, very different album, lots of funk. But my favorites from the album are Rockin' on Heaven's Door and Longing of the Wind.

FFVI: Balance and Ruin - Good stuff here as well, a huge album by the folks at OCRemix. I really like the goofy Queen tribute song.

I'll stop here, I don't remember all the other albums I have right now. You'd think my memory would be better than that...

[marurun]

ActRaiser Symphonic Suite - Real orchestra for an already great soundtrack? Sign me up!

Yes! This! Orchestra + Yuzo Koshiro. Only track I don't like is Filmore. I've never heard a remix of this track I liked better than the SNES original. It's like Koshiro was channeling the very spirit of the hardware itself (and I don't often come out as a huge fan of the SNES sound chip).

[Sarge]

Oh, right, this came up in my playlist: F-Zero X: Guitar Arrange. Oh, wailing guitars, how I love thee.

[J T]

Doot doot doo doo doot doo da doot doo!

Doot doot doo doo doot doo da doot doo!

KATAMARI DAMACY-EE-EE-EE-EEEEEEEY!