Tag: review

I guess I play a lot of video games, and yeah, they have had an influence on my life. One aspect in particular that has been influenced are my musical preferences – I like video game music.

Video game music used to be beeps, boops, and other strange machine sounds; now it is a big deal with high-quality versions of popular “traditional” radio music. Well, my preference is usually for the earlier stuff, I don’t mind when video games use popular music, but for me it has to be appropriate, like the use of “normal” music on the radio stations in Grand Theft Auto. In a similar vein with a weird twist, I also like when video games (or movies for that matter) don’t have music unless there is a reason, the scene takes place at a concert, a radio is playing, for instance – it’s a thing, btw.

Anyway, as part of liking video game music, I also like remixes of that music, which is likely something you already knew based on the title of this article. Moving on, here are my top ten video game music remixes, in no particular order.

DuClare Chateau (Wine for two mix)
Deus Ex (2000)
Auteur Theory

Yeah dog, I don’t know what you know about music, but I do know that if you don’t like this, then you probably have terrible taste. This remix is of one of the best original pieces of music from the source game and is somehow an improvement in every way. The original song, due to the constraints of the game, was designed to be looped, but this version adds in a progression and pleasant conclusion. The somewhat sedate and depressed nature of the track is accented further by the fact that the group who made the remix are no longer producing music, which is authentically sad.

Little Mac’s Confession
Punch-Out!! (1987)
Game Over

Wow, this track is an evolution, a quantum leap, if you will. The original track, while cool enough, really gets development with this remix and even features lyrics that match with the material and theme of the game. Like the above track from Deus Ex, the original was meant to be looped, so this song adds in a conclusion.

Luther Broad Motel
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2006)
Yung Scrolls

I could easily make a list of my ten favourite Yung Scrolls tracks (and I might) but for me, this is easily the best of them all. Wow, a smooth jazz with gangster movie influences for a usually sedate medieval-themed instrumental? This is objectively fantastic. I know this is about the music, but even the “track art” really nails the mood. I have listened to the track on repeat for up to an hour at times and I do not regret a single second of that.

Mercenary Boxing
Street Fighter II (1991)
Malcos

This song is taken from a larger complete work known as Blood on the Asphalt which is a remix album of every song in the Streetfighter II franchise. This particular song impressed me because it is fairly sedate and understated, especially in comparison with the music in the game and in the genre in general.

Mute City
F-Zero (1990)
Mitch Murder

Okay, first of all, anything Mitch Murder makes could be mistaken as video game music, and the artist does a lot of video game covers/remixes, but man, this particular one caught me by surprise. It is light, springy, and upbeat in the most positive of ways. I will note that the one thing that made this particular song my choice ahead of other really great Mitch Murder video game covers is the above video. Deal with it.

Phantom Train
Final Fantasy III/VI
LZLS

My dude, if you expected this entire list to go by without a v a p o r w a v e song, you are mistaken, sort of. I would consider this to be more of a chillwave rendition, but I mean, it is good either way. Also, there are not too many vapor songs that heavily draw melody or sample from video games that are, in my opinion, all that fantastic. Most of the good vaporwave music in connection with video games involves fictional games, make that make sense. Anyway, this track is sedate, and probably the best on the album, and while it explores new sensations, it remains true to the source.

I Want Love (Studio Mix)
Silent Hill 3 (2003)
Akira Yamaoka / Mary Elizabeth McGlynn

Okay, you are going to tell me that this isn’t a “remix” because it is on the official soundtrack, but, I will argue that it is not the version that appears in the game, and is therefore a remix, even if it is made by the original creators. Whatever. This song is absolutely awesome, and aside from some weird lyrics at spots, it is a truly great piece of music, much better, in my opinion, than the original.

バラムガーデン
Final Fantasy VIII (1999)
Cinctulan

I always thought that the Balamb Garden music would make a great sample for a vaporwave song, but I guess I must be wrong, because I have never found one. This one is pretty good, and I think you may like it.

The Dragonborn Comes
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011)
Malukah

If you have ever listened to the actual source song in the game, you will have to agree that this is better in every way, and if you don’t you are trying to be a contrarian and you are a bad person.

Ashes to Ashes
Super Metroid (1994)
Zircon

I guess I am one of the few people that still enjoy dubstep, so well, here is a dubstep remix of an iconic piece of music from Super Metroid. I never really got into playing this game, but I always enjoyed the way it sounded. Like a lot of earlier pieces, this remix breaks the loop of the original and gives it a much better progression, the dubstep influence is subtle, and I think an overall improvement.

There you go, my ten of my favourite video game music remixes! Be sure to let me know how wrong I am in the comments!