Themes you still hum decades later: music is an integral part of video games. This Top 100 gathers the retro games with the most memorable soundtracks, from 8-bit sound chips to CD orchestrations, based on RomWize's reassessed scores. For each title: its current score, its versions, their rarity and their collector value.
"Blending an adventurous orchestra and ethnic accents, the music raises Nathan Drake's journeys to the scale of a great action film. The unforgettable "Nate's Theme" and epic flights accompany every stunt with flair. This cinematic breadth, generous and exhilarating, is the whole sweep of the saga."
"Frantic and supercharged, Norio Hanzawa's music embraces the jubilant chaos of this Treasure run-and-gun with an overflowing energy. The nervy, rousing themes charge the action without ever letting up. This chiptune vitality, cut for all-out shooting, remains one of the most invigorating on the console."
"Andrew Prahlow's banjo and acoustic guitar lend space exploration an unexpected campfire warmth. With each astronaut playing their own instrument somewhere across the solar system, the music becomes a narrative thread as much as a feeling. Its cosmic melancholy, gentle and resigned, carries a final revelation that few scores could hold so truly."
"Signed by Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori, the music combines Gregorian chant, epic orchestra and electric guitars in an immediately legendary grandeur. The main theme, etched into collective memory, embodies the Master Chief's odyssey. This symphonic breadth, iconic and powerful, redefined action-game music."
"Signed by Inon Zur, the music combines a desolate orchestra and nostalgic hits of the 1940s and 50s broadcast by the radio, from the Ink Spots to the crooners. This contrast between retro sweetness and devastated lands elevates the post-apocalyptic atmosphere. This singular sonic identity, ironic and touching, leaves a lasting mark."
"Rousing and mischievous, the repertoire of Super Mario Bros. 3 signed by Koji Kondo varies its themes with the worlds, from the desert to the sea by way of the skies. Each melody, lively and catchy, perfectly matches the rhythm of the jump and the challenge. This timeless chiptune classic keeps all its joyful power."
"Blending an adventurous orchestra and ethnic accents, the music raises Nathan Drake's journeys to the scale of a great action film. The unforgettable "Nate's Theme" and epic flights accompany every stunt with flair. This cinematic breadth, generous and exhilarating, is the whole sweep of the saga."
"Grandiose and cinematic, the orchestral accompaniment raises every weapon duel to the rank of a heroic fresco. Vibrant strings and conquering brass build tension as the blades clash. This sonic breadth, of rare martial elegance, helped make the game an absolute benchmark of the console."
"Thunderous and martial, the music unfurls epic choirs, massive percussion and furious strings to accompany Kratos's revenge in Greek mythology. Each clash rises like a martial fresco of crushing intensity. This sonic grandeur, as immense as the game, strikes from the very first notes."
"Signed by Inon Zur, the music combines a desolate orchestra and nostalgic hits of the 1940s and 50s broadcast by the radio, from the Ink Spots to the crooners. This contrast between retro sweetness and devastated lands elevates the post-apocalyptic atmosphere. This singular sonic identity, ironic and touching, leaves a lasting mark."
"Hard to match such a selection: from Motörhead's "Ace of Spades" to hip-hop and ska, every track cracks at full power. The music sticks to the rhythm of the combos, turning the slightest session into a jubilant outlet. This cult assortment left its mark on a whole generation of virtual skaters."
"A compilation of several masterpieces, the box brings together the electro-ambient of Half-Life 2, the hushed pads of Portal and the unforgettable "Still Alive", sung over the credits. Each game unfurls a singular, striking sonic identity. This musical generosity, at the crossroads of minimalism and humour, makes it a treasure for music lovers."
"Between dread and melancholy, Koji Kondo's music makes the moon's threat loom over Clock Town with rare evocative power. Anxious themes, the countdown waltz and ocarina melodies weave a strange, poignant atmosphere. This sonic singularity remains one of the most striking in the saga."
"Christophe Héral and Billy Martin dress each world in its own sonic color, from hushed jazz to mariachi fanfares. And then come those musical levels where every jump syncs to the melody: "Castle Rock" and its cult rock covers turn platforming into a gleeful rhythmic choreography. Few games fuse sound and motion this completely."
"Ever more colossal, the music combines unleashed choirs and a titanic orchestra to magnify Kratos's revenge. Each titan confrontation rises into a sonic deluge of unheard-of power. This epic breadth, overwhelming and grandiose, remains one of the peaks of action music on the machine."
"Signed by Jason Graves, the music favours dissonance and orchestral chaos over melody, instilling a visceral terror. Strident strings and atonal clusters make dread rise in the slightest corridor of the ship. This sonic horror, daring and suffocating, remains one of the peaks of horror sound design."
"A frenzied military march, roaring brass and martial rhythms: Metal Slug's music gives the warlike chaos an energy at once heroic and comic. Each level pulses with a nervy theme that sticks to the action's sustained fire. This cult soundtrack, now iconic, is inseparable from the run-and-gun legend."
"For the conclusion, Steve Jablonsky delivers his most sweeping and moving score: grand orchestral themes, poignant choirs and elegiac surges carry the trilogy's climax. The music embraces grief and sacrifice as much as the fury of battle, giving the saga a sonic farewell of rare emotional intensity."
"Rousing and mischievous, the repertoire of Super Mario Bros. 3 signed by Koji Kondo varies its themes with the worlds, from the desert to the sea by way of the skies. Each melody, lively and catchy, perfectly matches the rhythm of the jump and the challenge. This timeless chiptune classic keeps all its joyful power."
"A few notes of the ocarina are enough to summon a whole world: Zelda's Lullaby or the Song of Time are etched into collective memory. Koji Kondo's compositions, woven into the gameplay, turn music into a genuine tool of adventure. This melodic magic, intact on 3DS, remains an absolute benchmark."
