From hip-hop to classical, music and gaming have paired beautifully to create a number of memorable products over the years. Without music, most video games aren’t the same. Likewise, without video games, certain music might not have entered the public consciousness. Together, in many instances, both genres of entertainment are stronger.
Over the years, a series of iconic titles have won over millions of gamers for a number of reasons, but in-game music is definitely one of the most common. Today, video game music is regularly listened to by people and populates many peoples’ playlists, with a selection of well known composers teaming up with a variety of developers to create some much-loved game soundtracks. Additionally, world-famous bands are featured on games and stars from the rap game have been prominent in certain releases. Overall, video game music is extremely diverse, particularly when factoring in the selection of different gaming genres that are out there. With that in mind, let’s look at some standout video game music below.
Doom features some of the most iconic video game music ever
Even if you aren’t into heavy music with big guitars, you’ll have found yourself nodding away to some of the tracks featured in Doom. Perfectly encapsulating the spooky and tense all-action nature of the game, a number of Slayer and Metallica-like compositions added some additional aggression to this classic gaming product. For a somewhat brutal creation, the music was absolutely perfect. Composer Bobby Prince, the man behind the game’s tunes, absolutely nailed Doom’s music and is a name many Doom gamers are aware of.
Def Jam: Fight for NY had hip-hop playing throughout
Def Jam: Fight for NY was a great product in its own right anyway, but the fact that the fighting action could be enjoyed with some of hip-hop’s best tracks being played in the background made it a mightily impressive product overall. As players fought as their favourite rappers, tracks from the likes of Outkast, Method Man, Redman, Busta Rhymes, Public Enemy, Xzibit, Joe Budden, Ice-T, and Fat Joe would enhance the atmosphere and bring a strong hip-hop vibe to accompany the game’s violence. As a result, Def Jam: Fight for NY will never be forgotten.
Casino slots like Age of the Gods Norse: Ways of Thunder have exciting scores
A growing category of gaming, online casino slot games typically feature some great music to listen to while you’re spinning the reels and hoping to come out on top. Popular titles in this category include the Guns N’ Roses slot game, deadmau5 and the Motörhead slot, although there is a large collection of releases out there. Epic games, such as favoured casino slots like Age of the Gods Norse: Ways of Thunder (based on Thor), serve up exciting scores as gamers play. It all adds to the enjoyment of the game.
The Legend of Zelda’s music is still played today
For many older gamers within the community, The Legend of Zelda is one of the most fondly remembered titles on classic console machines. An iconic Nintendo release, the game’s music is still played today by gaming audiences and was put together by Koji Kondo, a composer who has created tracks for some of gaming’s most memorable titles. Kondo’s tracks were so popular that he managed to gain permanent employment with Nintendo in 1986, going on to add his compositions in a number of other titles as a result.
