video game music

From 8-Bit to Orchestral: The Practicality of Video Game Soundtracks

Learn all about the origins of video game music, how it affects the way you play, and more!

Musicnotes

• 8 min read
video game soundtracks

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Without a doubt, a large part of the appeal and popularity of video games today is the music. Is there anyone who doesn't recognize the Super Mario Theme? Much like a film score, video game soundtracks play an important role in the success of the storytelling. Although this music had very humble beginnings, the best video game soundtracks have gone on to have a life of their own. For example, fans of The Legend of Zelda can now attend live concerts of the Hyrule Symphony Orchestra. The growth of the video game music industry is a testament to the success of this fascinating, dramatic, and highly captivating musical form.

The Origins of Video Game Music

Have you ever played the 1978 video game classic Space Invaders? If so, you have heard one of the earliest background soundtracks created for an arcade video game. Conceived by designer Tomohiro Nishikado, it featured a rhythmic ostinato of only four pitches that got faster and faster as the aliens got closer to attacking the player's home bases. Although quite simple in concept, it was very effective in driving adrenaline and creating excitement.

In 1985 video game music took a big leap forward with composer Koji Kondo. He was hired by Nintendo to compose music for some of their most popular releases. These games had music with actual little tunes, although they were still primitive. His first big hits were the game soundtracks for Super Mario Bros and its various successors. He has had a long and influential career with Nintendo and still composes music for their games today.

Another important game soundtrack from the genre's early days is from the 1986 classic, Metroid. Composer and sound designer Hirokazu "Hip" Tanaka has a background in electronic engineering. He put this to use by creating new sound chips for different sound effects in Nintendo games. For Metroid, he focused on combining those sound effects with music clips and periods of silence. The overall effect was a somber, bleak soundscape that perfectly accompanied the futuristic industrial-style play.

Of course, all this early sound design and composing took place in an 8-Bit world. Computers were capable of transferring eight bits of data all at once. This only allowed for very tinny, mechanized sounds and music. There were a lot of "blips" and "beeps." This changed when Sony and Philips released the CD-ROM in 1985.

Now video games could have true instrumental scores underpinning the action. The CD-ROMS were capable of capturing the finest orchestras and ensembles authentically. Video game composers were delighted to make use of this new technology and soon games were flooded with music that was as exciting and dramatic as any film score.

How Video Game Music Affects the Way You Play

The purpose of any music is to change the way you feel. Beethoven wants you to feel liberated and ennobled. Whitney Houston wants you to feel like dancing. Adele wants you to share her pain. The commercial jingles you hear want you to feel that you can't live without their product. So what do video games want you to feel?

Maybe excited. Or tense and agitated. They may want you to feel calm and happy after a successful adventure. The music is purposefully designed to provide a more enjoyable playing experience. Therefore you will hear a lot of fast, pulsing music in a battle. This will increase your heart rate and make you more eager to fight. When it's time to relax and take a breather, the music will be slower to decrease your heart rate and help you calm back down. As game composer Grant Kirkhope said, "The images tell the story, but the music tells you how to feel."

Different game genres tap into different emotions to enhance your gaming experience. Some of the most popular genres include:

  1. Adventure games: These are the games that take their players on an epic quest. Titles like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim with music by Jeremy Soule and Final Fantasy with main themes composed by Nobuo Uematsu, have dramatic, uplifting music written for huge orchestras and choirs. Red Dead Redemption 2's main theme by Woody Jackson features Western Cowboy-influenced musical ideas. One of the most popular adventure themes was composed by Koji Kondo for The Legend of Zelda. The sheer scope of the orchestration and the soaring melody give it a truly epic feel.
  2. Horror Games: Composers enjoy scoring for horror games and movies alike. It allows them to use sounds and timbres that might not be as effective in other settings. A great example of this genre is the music from Little Nightmares II by Tobias Lilja. It features throbbing ostinatos and ominous booms in the bass to ratchet up the tension. Silent Hill with music by Akira Yamaoka and Resident Evil with music by Masami Udea and Makoto Tomozawa employ similar compositional techniques to create a feeling of eerie distress.
  3. Sports Games: These games typically feature uptempo songs with bright, driving rhythms. The object is to encourage the player to keep going until they win. Games such as Tony Hawk Pro Skater or Madden use pop songs that give the player something recognizable to hook into.
  4. Action Games: This genre demands high-intensity music that gets the heart pumping and the adrenaline flowing. One of the most popular examples here is the music from Halo, composed by Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori. The pulsing, pounding rhythms are all but guaranteed to raise the heart rate. Battlefield 1942 has a fantastic score from Joel Eriksson with martial-sounding drums and brass that evoke WWII. The futuristic music from Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty features a hyperkinetic drum track with soaring strings, lending an epic quality to this game.
  5. Kids' Games: Games for children are a part of video soundscaping, too. The music here tends to be more gentle or happy to encourage more exploration of the game world. The score for Minecraft by musician C418 is a soft, undulating electronic soundscape that has a calming effect. Super Mario Brothers music from Koji Kondo has the opposite goal. The jaunty, upbeat tune is energizing and engaging.

Well-crafted video game soundtracks are not mere background music. They are an integral component of the gaming experience. The best soundtracks work in tandem with interactive gameplay and visual storytelling to transport the player to a completely different time and place. The game designers and developers are making intentional decisions about all three of these elements to offer players an alternate, albeit temporary, reality.

Why Musicians Should Learn To Play Video Game Soundtracks

The main reason musicians should play game soundtracks is that they are just plain fun. Letting your fingers fly over the keys while you play Skyrim or strumming your guitar to Assassin's Creed is an enjoyable way to spend an hour. It can help you de-stress after a hard day or get you revved up and excited for an important event. It is among the most emotionally satisfying and rewarding music to play.

In case that's not a good enough reason for you, consider these:

  1. Video game music can often be the gateway that engenders a lifetime of interest in music. Many of today's video game composers attribute their careers to the music they heard playing games when they were young.
  2. The music is more dramatic and cinematic. This is especially true of music from the '90s onwards. Dramatic music allows you a wide range of expression in your playing. You can find a song to match any and every mood.
  3. Classical orchestras all over the world are adding video game music to their seasonal repertoires. Sometimes it's even accompanied by a video projected on a big screen. If major orchestras are realizing the importance and validity of this art form, musicians shouldn't hesitate to play it at home.
  4. Video game composers come from a variety of backgrounds, including classically trained. This gives game scores variety and depth that can challenge any musician regardless of their playing abilities.

Examples of the Best Video Games Soundtracks To Learn Using Sheet Music

Fortunately, video game sheet music is available for many of the most popular games and even a few of the more obscure ones. This music comes in a variety of formats and arrangements, from piano solos to string quartets. Reading sheet music is a quick and effective way to learn your favorite video game themes. Some of the best to choose from include the following:

  • Final Fantasy: Play guitar, piano, and organ solos from this extremely popular game.
  • Halo. There are a variety of Halo themes available for harp, violin, piano, and guitar.
  • The Legend of Zelda: This game series has numerous titles and one is even arranged for ocarina.
  • God of War: Enjoy the drama by playing a theme from this adventure game.
  • Animal Crossing. With arrangements for piano, guitar, and even flugelhorn, everyone can enjoy playing the music from this game.
  • The Last of Us: The tension mounts with the main theme, available for guitar, piano, and flute. 
  • Little Nightmares: A selection from this game would be perfect for a Halloween concert or a similarly spooky program. 
  • Mass Effect 2: The heroic main theme of this game will take you right back to the excitement of the game itself.
  • Uncharted: Enjoy the driving energy of Nate's Theme as a piano, guitar, or cello solo.
  • Kingdom Hearts: Gentle and soothing, the main theme of this game will calm you after a difficult day.

Game Soundtracks Come Into Their Own

Video game music was not much respected in the earliest days of the genre. It was often considered a bit of a "side job" while musicians were waiting for their lucky break elsewhere. Nothing could be further from the truth in the 21st century. Video scoring is a craft and an art form that has won its way onto the concert stages of the world. Playing and performing the best video game soundtracks is an enjoyable and personally rewarding way to immerse yourself in the excitement of the games. With so many options to choose from, everyone can find something fun to play.

FAQ

  1. Which video game has the best music? If you ask 10 different people you will likely get 10 different answers. However, there is some consensus among music professionals that if you were to compile a "best of" list, Super Mario Bros, The Legend of Zelda, and the Final Fantasy Series would likely be at the top. The first two are by composer Koji Kondo, which may make him a candidate for best video game composer.
  2. Can I become a video game composer? Absolutely. You will likely need an education to do so. In the early days of gaming, composers were being hired with little, if any, training. That doesn't happen so much today. There are countless colleges and universities that offer degrees in video game music and sound design. It's a good idea to study at one of them. Also, as with any job in the arts, the profession is highly competitive. You will need to make the right connections and work hard to break into the industry. It will be very helpful to your future career if you love video games and play them a lot.
  3. Is video game music a legitimate art form? Yes. It takes as much skill and creative ability to compose great video game music as it does a film score or a concert piece. The fact that so many orchestras are now performing video game music shows that it is considered worthy of the concert stage.
  4. What makes a piece of game music good? Music that makes you feel something and pulls you into the gameplay is a good piece of music. Great music will have motifs, little musical ideas, that are associated with characters, places, or objects. For example, if you hear the same music every time a character pulls out a sword, that's a motif. Large orchestras playing dramatic, sweeping themes are a nice touch as well.