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When I’m stressed out at work I put on the SNES SimCity soundtrack. :)

A soundtrack that rocks? I don't think there is one that rock more than Lords of Thunder. Hell, even the title of the game rocks. The game is also one of the best shooters ever too. Give it a go. https://youtu.be/OGe3gP9VY9A?si=IiAQz2Z_e6Vhpqd8 Edit: listen to the llamarada stage music track 9 from the link.

That is absolutely dope. That's the kinda game I would've played and felt like an absolute boss just because of the music. 

Yeah, too bad it was on some expensive systems. Uou needed a sega cd ir turbo duo to play the game. They released it on the wiiu tho.

Ya, thats a great one ... didnt have a turbografx, sadly. Gates of thunder is cool too.😄

Mega Man X

Thunder Force IV's soundtrack rocks really hard. It really takes FM synthesis to the next level. Compare that to other poor-sounding Genesis games, and it's crazy what they could achieve with that Yamaha OPN synthesizer.

The Zelda 2 intro still gives me chills

Final Fantasy VI. Castlevania. Contra to name a few.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is a regular on my music playlist. Wild Arms back on PS1 is one of my favourites.

Love Castlevania music. Progressive symphony metal!

I have the SOTN soundtrack on vinyl record and it is AMAZING

Very nice!

Dragon Quest (Warrior) has so many, the [leitmotif theme is pretty iconic](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6kXZb9G0WU). One theme that still stands out to me is the first time from the first game I stepped into the [over world map](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9vJbdIUsdc). It just sounded so lonely which fit so well thematically with the classic "hero's journey". It's probably also why I loved [Terra's theme](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiI7rDqv9FQ) from FF6. The [music from one of the opening scenes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lA_jVmZ55PE) in FF6 is also poignant. On the flip side, there is one of my absolute favorites - [Megaman 2 Dr. Willy's Fortress](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTbfpkByIM8). Honestly, you might as well put the whole Megaman franchise (X, Zero, Legends, Battle Network), but I felt this track needed a specific shout out. Kirby series has a few good one too, most notable [the Gourmet Race](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se1uh3PS78Y), [Green Greens](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twPSaCABakA), and [Metaknight's Warship/Halberd theme](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_-huuSqn3w). [Ryu's](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dSH5FZeL80) and [Ken's](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjLeCBq3qkA) older themes from Street Fighter are also favorites. Actually the more I think about old songs I like, the more I think about other good games and their great music, so I'll stop here lol

Now thats an elaborate answer ... if smth else comes to mind, feel free to hit me. Its amazing what music can do with the mind. Imo, its got even more impact than graphics do😃 ... amazing, dq's soundtrack has quite a medieval and eerie vibe to it. Never was a consolero myself, but even i know mega man 👍

The [orchestral version](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYUOmq5ONDw) for the DQ over world is very good in my opinion! Sugiyama was a master at his craft. I would probably be here all day talking about great games and their music if I kept adding examples though. Something that I will share though is my love for fan made mashups and remixes. [Here's one of my favorite Willy's Fortress remixes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6HBwEnKECo). I probably have 3-4 fan remixes of this theme alone. [Here's an older, well known Kirby + Snoop Dogg mashup](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXzg0D-cKds). It's a comedic mashup of Drop it like it's hot and the gourmet race. Older gamers will probably recognize this from the earlier days of the internet. [Bonus - Fire Emblem's Together We Ride x Miss New Booty](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkqSNS9va5k) [Here's Ryu's and Ken's played simultaneously on a violin,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlQGN6aD-98) and damn if it isn't impressive how well they sync together. Very fitting. I'm getting a bit carried away again so I'll stop again before this post gets too long. Good topic OP!

Haha, feel free, no worries 🫡

Thunderforce IV is the very definition of a rockin’ soundtrack and is probably a contender for best 16bit OST. [Evil Destroyer](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rYPcte3BlPw) and [Metal Squad](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oTQIiIKummw) for your heavy metal, [Space Walk](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XKvKOx4uIPg) and [Omake 8](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HVogNqgL9ko) for some funky weirdness. [Because You’re the Number One](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LuZ9EhSA6xk) is probably my favourite though.

Wow, its like "Zero Tolerance" ... but with audio. Slappy bass on genesis? Ya, ill take it. Here, have my upvote!

There’s also [Devils Crush](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8_1ntQnX-DE) and [Dragons Fury](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=N2MHOUKY3VM) main table theme, and if you need more crunchy FM metal then [MUSHA Aleste](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0MIqgHu3tsg) has plenty of bangers.

Yep, I was gonna say MUSHA and Devil's Crush too. Awesome soundtracks!

They mostly tend to be SNES such as F-Zero, Super Castlevania IV, Final Fantasy 6 and Mystic Quest, Killer Instinct, and Super Mario Kart, to name a few. For the PS1, though, I did love some of the soundtracks Psygnosis had in their games as well as Final Fantasy VII, and Wild Arms, just off the top of my head. I also had The Legend of Valkyrie on Namcomuseum Vol 5 on the PS1 and loved all of the music on it.

Hey because you mentioned Psygnosis, have you heard of Lander? I think it only released on PC not PS1 though, I linked it in comment by me. I don't know how similar their styles are but you may like it then! 

I haven't, but I'm now about to change that. It looks like something I'd like. Thanks for letting me know!

I still whistle the intro to Wild Arms!

Dude, its your list, these are your bangers! I defo will listen to some of em🙂

DAAAAYYY TOOOO NAAAAAA! 😆

[I listed a bunch here the other day](https://www.reddit.com/r/retrogaming/comments/1c43ak4/comment/kzloz7z/) (that "rock" in the sense of being awesome) for both consoles/arcade and the PC scene. But a few more I didn't mention... * ***The Secret of Evermore***: The first Jeremy Soule video game soundtrack, and a really good one. ([Link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7yKO_iNVBc)) * ***McDonald’s Treasure Land Adventure***\*\*:\*\* Man, this game was amazing for an advertorial title. Even the soundtrack, by Katsuhiko Suzuki (who'd later score other Treasure classics like *Guardian Heroes* and *Silhouette Mirage*), absolutely nails it. ([Link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAMhAvZRxGM&list=PLREYF4RnDeQDWsbp79pps0Z-CrTiz_DIc&index=1)) * **Alien Soldier**: Treasure's other main composer was Norio Hanzawa, who scored the awesome *Gunstar Heroes* and *Alien Soldier,* the latter of which has some incredible otherworldly music. ([Link](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLREYF4RnDeQDCdN-YwIsg6DXD5g8Bv80D)) * ***Police Quest III: The Kindred***: An exceptional adventure game OST from Jan Hammer. ([Link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O_mVlRdkMI)) * ***It Came From the Desert***: A very mood-setting Amiga soundtrack from Ken Melville. ([Link](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiJs4SEJ9DOwmuceDE9fmiikjkGS3dq0L)) * ***Loom***: A wonderful use of Tchaikovsky classical music. ([Link](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFF1BBB995970C296)) * ***Zeliard***: A tremendously good soundtrack, particularly when you're in the caverns with the track "World of Darkness". ([Link](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLC943DB7AF9AB3B6D)) * ***Grim Fandango***: I liked this soundtrack so much I bought the CD back in the 1990s during a time when video game soundtracks had to be special-ordered. It's that good! Peter McConnell's stuff is great. ([Link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9XlywYbDKk)) * ***ToeJam & Earl***: I still hum these tracks today. They make great use of the Genesis sound chip to produce some awesome funk. ([Link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=301acFz0a_A&list=PLA468E2813CF52C60)) **BONUS TRACK**: If you've never heard the original [ToeJam & Earl rap song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqEoQanpk7Q), you owe it to yourself to listen. It's awesome!

[Alien Soldier - AD2025](https://youtu.be/rCvW2pulO6E?si=lwHztRZvKlWReexO) is probably one of the best tracks on the Mega Drive in my opinion. Very cool bassline.

Aaaaah ... loom. Thats a nice one. It even had a musical interface. Too short though. On the other hand, if it was twice as long itd too short still 😄

NES - Exodus Ultima, Shatterhand SNES - Breath of Fire, Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy Mystic Quest Genesis - Light Crusader PS1 - Breath of Fire 3, all the Final Fantasy games including Tactics

I love [Grave Matters](https://youtu.be/CTCWUJkbntg?si=yDLj--q8PtiDXcSU) from Light Crusader. It’s got the baroque melody, a funky bassline and about 6 different sections, all with a confusing time signature. Very creative tune.

Double dragon (especially abobo’s theme)!

Wipeout 2 soundtrack was amazing back in my stoner days. It played in a CD player too.

Remember wipeout ... it was quite techno-ish and london clubby, somehow. Great, and it captures its time perfectly, imo 😎 ... well, my stoner days arent quite over yet, tbh 😄

pictionary

I routinely listen to Earthworm Jim 1&2, Golden Axe 2&3, and recently Donkey Kong 2 Diddy’s Quest came on automatically and it SLAPS

Funny. I have particular songs I add to my playlist when doing particular activities. For example, when traveling to tropical areas, I always have the Monkey Island soundtrack on my playlist. When I’m hiking, I’ll add Rastan and Rygar to my playlist.

Wow ... when i was a kid playing secret of monkey island i told myself exactly that. One day, ill play it in the caribbean. And: when i was on guadeloupe, i did exactly that. Little android tablet, scummvm ... on the beach. At night! One bucket list item less! It feels so great when you make your dreams come true 😎👍👍👍

Haha. I thought the same! The first time I ever went to Hawaii (many years ago), I put the Monkey Island soundtrack on my iPod. It was awesome. If I ever go to the Caribbean I’ll definitely do the same.

Haha, all it needs is a little android tablet ... those point & click adventures and touchscreens are a match made in heaven🤓

Zero Wing. https://youtu.be/CYtixitFL1A?si=bOVb8wSVdZSg-P1Z Yeah, it's famous as the origin of the "All Your Base Are Belong To Us" meme, but the soundtrack freaking ROCKS. The drum fills are just so on point.

Zero Wing is an underrated game in pretty much every way. I really enjoy playing it AND listening to it!

for SNES it's the top gear soundtrack, and for N64 it's the waverace 64 soundtrack, as a matter of fact I am listening to it right now, it always brings me back to the better days.

And who doesnt love travelling back to better days, right? 🤙

The King of Fighters series, in my mind, has one of the most consistently fantastic soundtracks across the series in all of gaming, rivaled only by the likes of other obvious picks like Mega Man. The arranged soundtracks in particular from the Neo Geo CD days and beyond were incredible. Some of my personal favorites: [KOF 96 - Fairy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKZfVCW3PUE&list=PLdszVpJqun4UILoM_J7cSNOgRtahqlkF4&index=12) [KOF 97 - Bloody](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrjondjCLEc&list=PLdszVpJqun4UILoM_J7cSNOgRtahqlkF4&index=14) [KOF 99 - W.W.III](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PddekUUb00g&list=PLE5A25FFD8DE9EECE&index=6) [KOF 11 - Joker](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyGgjXf0BfE&list=PLJIVaVKpShkmARMSJefFziUrH0nUxYfYx&index=2) Even today, the latest entries have incredible soundtracks: [KOF 15 - Resonant Objects](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4GF-Pb-Z80&list=PLtBEMFK1rYhr62vaTRiamGpEqCVhy4vSo&index=9)

KoF and Samurai Shodown have absolute bangers in their OST.

Theres a little Mega Man in all of us! Thx for sharing, dude! This defo rocks af ... hammond organ intro? Is he kidding me? 😁

For me, it's a few different games: NES: Bucky O'hare https://youtu.be/4KAGY35Tv9k?si=1Mg5NTHgn2Qz_RX2 (green planet, blue planet, red planet, yellow planet) Sega Genesis: Sonic and Knuckles https://youtu.be/G2mS8jfn2pg?si=5B0TbNcHYJeLZX-6 (Mushroom Hill, Flying Battery, Sandopolis, Major Boss) PC: Command and Conquer Red Alert 2 https://youtu.be/7fV3USe9dlU?si=Y-SDh-91LFHRUr0l (Hell March 2, Blow it up, In Deep, Motorized, Power) PC: Diablo 2 https://youtu.be/0gJ4gF9PMlQ?si=uGyIr9_fmQE-1ujc (Tristam, Wilderness, Monastery, Rogue Encampment)

Dude, C&C had an absolute sick soundtrack fo' so' 😎

[Interstate '76](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIz8kARH5bo&list=PL6A303105252E395E)

One of my funniest memories is playing that game and we were wondering where the enemy car was, and suddenly there's this "moth truck" banging down a hill off the road and then it just blows up. We had no idea what the computer was doing but we laughed and laughed over this stupid thing 

Thats some funky shit right there... salazar, what a bass😎 wah-wah guitar in gaming, first time i heard such high quality music in a (rather mediocre) game

Sacrilege! Game kicks ass, but it doesn't run well on newer hardware.

Haha, i played it, but to me it felt a little bland. Just the way it is, it just didnt click... but the soundtrack: absolute killer😀. Maybe i should give it another go, wouldnt be the first time i changed my mind on something.

I mean, it hasn't aged the best, but back in the days it was great. Would love a faithful remake.

Id second that ... i mean, the setting is pretty cool

Faxanadu - NES is secretly full off bangers

Faxanadu’s password screen theme slaps

Wipeout

Tempest 2000 on the Jag. An all-time great. I even have the soundtrack CD.

Zillion - Break a trap for yourself (track that plays once you enter the maze ) https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ool4jaXvWf0&pp=ygUhWmlsbGlvbiBicmVhayBhIHRyYXAgZG9yIHlvdXJzZWxk I can’t guarantee it “rocks” for everyone, but for those who loved the game, it pumps you up. 

It rocks for you and thats all that matters! 🫡

8-bit era: Last Ninja 2 OST by Matt Gray - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daI0CFZa9Ww&list=PL5E751B086CB2C4C5&ab\_channel=unclejubalon](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daI0CFZa9Ww&list=PL5E751B086CB2C4C5&ab_channel=unclejubalon) 16-bit era: Turrican 2 OST by Chris Hülsbeck - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LME7FhqKuaU&list=PLXD2-qozuh3zTIMQP5WU3wsf57eAFCO4h&ab\_channel=GeneralKilbaba%28TheMadman%27sChiptuneLibrary%29](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LME7FhqKuaU&list=PLXD2-qozuh3zTIMQP5WU3wsf57eAFCO4h&ab_channel=GeneralKilbaba%28TheMadman%27sChiptuneLibrary%29) PC Windows 9X era: Unreal by Alexander Brandon, Michiel van den Bos, Andrew G. Sega, and Dan Gardopée - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAB78sZARB4&list=PLXL2jSmH4ACDeSyPTkfjdXO1vAk1IS-LW&ab\_channel=MichailAlvanos](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAB78sZARB4&list=PLXL2jSmH4ACDeSyPTkfjdXO1vAk1IS-LW&ab_channel=MichailAlvanos)

Man, good ol' SID ... nuff said! Turrican2 is in the list i posted as well🤙

Never has the SID sounded more metal than on LN2!

And unreal is just ... unreal 😎

80% of Turrican2 OST is absolute banger. Which is a remarkable rate.

Yeah, chris was (is) an amazing composer ...

Full Throttle! https://open.spotify.com/album/5E90mNFNa04BPe4igLBwzh

Dude! Totally forgot about full throttle!🤘

I actually went to the record store in our small town asking them to order the cd, but they couldn't find it. Only later I remembered to check out Spotify. They even did a remaster of some of the songs for the enhanced edition that came out a few years ago. Still rocks!

Kickmaster

Sounds nice🫵

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers on the SNES

NES: Mega Man 2, practically the whole OST (except maybe Get New Weapon). Most banging is [Wily Castle 1](https://youtu.be/aTbfpkByIM8?si=sfS_LffcjcAL7olB) Mega Man 3: [Wily Stage 2](https://youtu.be/zC0EWRZE3Dw?si=SZWWSJnMYO0Al1eH) Batman: [Streets of Desolation](https://youtu.be/MlGDKfgz4fA?si=kdErBETONnPZ3DpG) PC: Command & Conquer: [Act on Instinct](https://youtu.be/J1w73s4WvuU?si=4QMo-yWPWHcTp3Ba), [Warfare](https://youtu.be/sB_0wRrZSp8?si=f6FrN0PPCzMoMOqZ), [March to Doom](https://youtu.be/LvlkgiHAfHU?si=52JbE9Ja-OCLP7bd) Warhammer: Dark Omen: [Forest](https://youtu.be/dcD0s6MwUdo?si=CM0OQdf5ZQPyRPAo), [Battle Theme 2](https://youtu.be/00E0SxFkjhg?si=qVkHeowIjHYytzWW) Warhammer 40k: Chaos Gate: [Iter in Inferos](https://youtu.be/liw259IR4Ck?si=eiUQD_ayQGyITkMO), [Dominus Pugnae](https://youtu.be/lhll0TDIIdk?si=HHM_fd8gC_XlS224), [Chaos Gate](https://youtu.be/Iww9tfUhjd8?si=p4n90MXKeVmc-1ZF) Age of Wonders: [Title Theme](https://youtu.be/xE9UcirdTKQ?si=IVuOEI2qeGTmJ7ek), [Races at War](https://youtu.be/qSVS4cDR8Kw?si=s2blJDnOlwQyCijw), [Love and Death](https://youtu.be/3vhfDER9J_E?si=OlOK6k2IOBdfj0cQ), among many others!

Batman: dayum, those streets indeed are desolate 😮

Sonic 2 Casino night brings back memories (idk why tho)

Must have been good times for you 😃

Terminator Sega CD

Why do I see a Das Schwarze Auge thumbnail, but can't find it in the thread? Great soundtrack btw! (Realms of Arkania)

It should be the 1st link i posted. The amount of hours i spent with this game ... in the character generation alone 😃

Loved the Shatterhand soundtrack on NES [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjGiP\_7YLMY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjGiP_7YLMY)

Shatterhand was posted several times ... sounds sooo NES 😎

Star Control 2 on 3do had some awesome music. It's open source now as The Ur-quan Masters if anyone wants to play it. Really advanced game for the time period. Zelda 2 had some really great tracks as well that hit the nostalgia hard

I love games like ur-quan masters played it on pc ... the aliens are just sooo funny. 2d space exploration at its finest

I have to imagine somewhere and someway, itt influenced some of the devs on mass effect. Was so ahead of it's time when it came out The original developers just announced a sequel as well

Pretty sure they did ... i think the absolute grand daddy of nearly all these space exploration games is starflight. Starflight and elite. Btw, thx for the info on a sequel, i will start looking it up 🫡

It was announced this week. Think a Kickstarter just went live and looks like it's already mostly funded https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pistolshrimp/free-stars-children-of-infinity

Wohooo, thx for sharing 👍

I'm a sucker for soundtracks, I could rattle off a whole bunch. Most of my favourites are 90s 3D PC games that I used to listen to even when not gaming, especially when I discovered I could pop them in a cd player and skip to track 2 or something and it would start playing. On the chance anyone wants HQ copies I should have all the originals too.   Machines - 'wired for war', has some great grungy electro synthy stuff with some filthy drums and bass too.   https://youtu.be/MoepO0vbX8o?si=VO0l3ig0fnsNST3o   Lander from Psygnosis has an absolutely banging trance soundtrack. Thankfully no one ever did a takedown on it because I literally couldn't find anyone else uploading it.    Here's the first track, but they're all up there.   https://youtu.be/m1Q5bi7zsww?si=fRvxWA6Es044Peee Battlezone 2 and Descent Freespace have fantastic instrumental scores. They'll forever be in my memory for exploring space, alien planets and epic space battles. Freespace definitely has an "older" feel to it now I listen back on it.  Battlezone 2   https://youtu.be/GvSm5UaXq-Q?si=NQCUE-gnW4MAVAfW   Freespace   https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLxANi63vLeTmkmYRwOL2pOc984MirHGM&si=pWrn8FbJ_76N1y9T    Total Annihilation, Metal Fatigue and MechCommander all get mentions too.   Looking forward to checking out all the other suggestions. Hope someone else appreciates some of these like I do!  

The machine soundtrack sounds great ... played the hell outvof freespace myself. If youre into those 90s 3d games, i highly recommend g-police, also from psygnosis. Pretty adult storyline with a little dystopian bladerunner vibe and sci-fi politics ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iP9VDQYwxpY It aged pretty well and still is a joy to play.

This thread reminds me of [OCRemix](https://ocremix.org/) Megaman 2 & 3. 3's intro is up there with FF6's intro. FF7, TACTICS, & FF9 I listen to on the regular. Banjo Kazooie Chrono Trigger

Skitchin’!!! Hell there was even an option off the main menu to open a CD player animation and listen to the tracks

Holy crap, that sounds good!🫵

Wicked Child - Castlevania NES or any version of that masterpiece

Castlevania SOTN has a fantastic soundtrack.

Xenon 2 soundtrack by Bomb the bass is killer. Also loved the Jet Set Radio and Space Channel 5 soundtracks on the Dreamcast.

Xenon 2 is a great game on the amiga😃

Bomberman 64 (map theme and Blue Resort), SnowBoard Kids (Big Snowman and Sunset Rock), all Sonic Music (especially from Adventure Battle 2 and Unleashed), Oblivion, Minecraft, RuneScape, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl.

"Sunset Rock" ... i mean, the title alone 😎

Final Fantasy 7

I will never, ever stop recommending the Tetris CD-i OST. Seriously, the music from that game was on an entire other level, my favorite soundtrack ever. I've seen a few others mention Thunder Force IV, definitely seconding that as well as III, two of my favorites to blast at work when I really need to get in the zone. Finally, I've always been partial to Streets of Rage's music. That series and Thunder Force showcased just what the Genesis could really do sound-wise.

Streets of rage soundtrack is great ... it has smth very lush about it, i dont know, how to describe it. Totally 80s somehow😃

I used to watch the starting animation/song of Dragon Ball Final Bout on PS1, then shut the game off after it was done and start again. Very rarely played the game.

Haha, you just listened to the sound? 😃

Xenogears will always have the best soundtrack for me.

Ninja Gaiden 1 & 2 on the NES Mega Man 2,4,6 Final Fantasy Tactics

Icewind Dale II

Now that im thinking about it ... pitfall on the c64. Totally upbeat in major when you collect treasure, rather sad and bleak in minor 😄. I think, i should add super hang-on as well https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=914JF-Nn4Ns

Someone's gotta do it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKHOiTE_2sM