Great Game Music You've (Maybe) Never Heard Before
There's a ton of really great video game music out there, but a lot of it is hidden away in the least likely of places. Today I have compiled a list of 50 (!) songs from various games that you've maybe never heard before. Here you'll find no Castlevania, no Final Fantasy, and certainly no Streets of Rage. Instead, what you'll find are some deep cuts and surprising jams from games you've potentially never even played before.
To begin, I want to apologize for embedding 50 YouTube links into this article. I know it's a bit excessive, but I wanted to have all 50 in one place. The list is broken up into five tabs which you'll find at the bottom of the page.
And remember, this list is not about whether you've heard of these games. I have no doubt several of the following games are known by the kind of people who would visit this site. Rather, it's about whether you've heard the songs chosen from these games. Maybe you'll hear something new! Or maybe you've heard them all before, I don't know.
So here we go!
1) Alien 3 - Main Title Part 2
Composer(s): Matt Furniss
Platform: Sega Genesis
The Sega Genesis version of Alien 3 has a completely different soundtrack than its Super Nintendo counterpart. While the Super Nintendo one goes for a more moody tone, the Genesis one is more rockin'. If you like this track, I highly suggest listening to more music from this soundtrack.
2) The Amazing Spider-Man vs the Kingpin - Track 10
Composer(s): Spencer Nilsen
Platform: Sega CD
Track 10 might be a misnomer if you're counting track 1 as part of the soundtrack (track 1 is always the game data on these discs), so don't get confused. If you're not listening to this entire soundtrack you're missing out. My friend Brett Elston actually had the composer on his podcast VGMpire, and you should definitely check that out, too.
3) Bandai Golf: Challenge Pebble Beach - Title Screen
Composer(s): Akihito Hayashi
Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System
Here's one you probably haven't heard before. NES era sports games are ripe with excellent soundtracks, especially at the title screen. The title screen here is a pretty peppy tune that I think is pretty good. There's not a lot of music to be found in this game, but what is here is a treat for the ears. It's not a bad golf game if that's your thing, too.
4) Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg - World Select Theme
Composer(s): Mariko Nanba, Tomoya Ohtani
Platform: Nintendo GameCube
Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg has a nice, cheerful soundtrack. This music right here exemplifies the type of jams you'll be hearing as you roll around your Katamari egg. Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg has a real PlayStation One era vibe to it, and not in a bad way. It's definitely worth checking out. Since this game, the character Billy Hatcher has been seen in a few games, most prominently in the Sonic racing series. Unfortunately this was his last (and only) solo game. G-I-A-N-T-E-G-G!
5) Bomberman 64 - Blue Resort
Composer(s): Akifumi Tada
Platform: Nintendo 64
Bomberman 64 doesn't play like other Bomberman games, but that doesn't make it bad. It doesn't even make it a black sheep entry in the series, because Bomberman has been in many different types of games. The Blue Resort is the second area you go to. The music here is very chill and one of my favorite Nintendo 64 songs ever. I think it's actually the only Nintendo 64 track on this entire list.
6) Capcom's Gold Medal Challenge '92 - Event Preparation
Composer(s): Sachiko Oita
Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System
Remember what I said about Bandai Golf: Challenge Pebble Beach and NES era sports games? Here's another one. I really can't think of much to say about this one. It's a pretty serviceable game based around the Olympics. If that sounds like something you'd enjoy, then you'd better get on it.
7) Captain America and the Avengers - Scene 4 - The Giant Laser Cannon
I feel the Sega Genesis version of this game is a lot better than the Super Nintendo one for a variety of reasons. The Genesis one seems so much faster and frantic, and the soundtrack hits a lot harder than the SNES one. It's not a stellar beat 'em up game, but it's definitely fun.
8) Cel Damage - Wild Wooly West
Composer(s): Egg Plant Productions
Platform: Microsoft Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, Sony PlayStation 2
Cel Damage is a cel shaded (hence the name) car combat game that, well, nobody really played. The music is pretty good, though. I can't figure out who is responsible for the soundtrack other than "Egg Plant Productions." Not sure who they are, so that's all I can tell you. I can tell you that this is one of the first GameCube games I ever bought that had dropped to $20, so there's the barometer for its quality, if you were curious.
9) Combat Cars - Harbor Track
Composer(s): John Carehag
Platform: Sega Genesis
The soundtrack to Combat Cars was created by a man who sold his soul to the devil to make the most perfect video game soundtrack ever made. The devil granted his request, but the music was put in a game no one ever played or heard of before. The devil is a master of deceit and lies. None of that is true, but it could be!
10) Combat Cars - Suburbia Track
Composer(s): John Carehag
Platform: Sega Genesis
This soundtrack is so good I couldn't only have one song from it listed here. Combat Cars is actually the game that inspired this article.
11) Conquest of the Crystal Palace - Stage 1
Composer(s): Masaharu Iwata
Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System
Conquest of the Crystal Palace is a game that I used to rent when I was a kid, but I was never able to get very far into it. My only real memories of it were the soundtrack being really good, especially the intro and the first stage. It's certainly worth playing.
12) Cybernator - We've Gotta Do It
Composer(s): Masanao Akahori
Platform: Super Nintendo Entertainment System
We've Gotta Do It! I'm assuming that's the official title to the song, but if it's not, this music appears in the first area of the game. Cybernator is a pretty decent mech game but it is exceptionally difficult. I honestly don't know if I've ever made it past the first area.
I have talked about Dark Wizard before, and I'll talk about it again. This game has a masterpiece of a soundtrack. There's not a dud in the lot. The title screen music really sets the mood for what's to come. Every character that appears in the game, be it hero or villain character, has their own theme music. All the music is on the disc as well, so if you own a copy of the game you can just use it as an audio CD.
14) Darkman - Stage 1 Area 2
Composer(s): Jon Dunn
Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System
It's a good thing Darkman can feel no pain, because this track hits hard! The title screen is also really jammin' if you want to dive into a little more Darkman music. The game for some reason gives you the ability to turn the music completely off before you begin playing. Usually that behavior is reserved for games with poor soundtracks and not games that will stop your heart with killer beats.
15) Doom Troopers - Boss Battle
Composer(s): Fletcher Beasley
Platform: Super Nintendo Entertainment System
You can feel this bassy track in your chest when you listen to it at a high volume. I've barely played this game at all, and I've never made it to a boss to hear this music in-game, but I've watched videos of it and it's there! Doom Troopers is average at best, maybe even a little below average. Soundtrack is good, though.
16) Fantasy Zone - Boss Theme
Composer(s): Naohisa Morota
Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System
The super tough bosses in Fantasy Zone don't let up long enough for you to appreciate this incredible jam. Fortunately I have it presented here for your enjoyment. Most of the music in Fantasy Zone is good, actually. This one just really rocks, though.
17) Fester's Quest - Underworld
Composer(s): Naoki Kodaka
Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System
This track is huge!
18) G.I. Joe - Mission 4-1
Composer(s): Nobuyuki Shioda, Yusuke Takahama
Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System
Most of the music in G.I. Joe is really good and sounds like this. This is my favorite piece from the game. The sequel, The Atlantis Factor, also has a lot of really good tunes in it. This is just a really good game all around. If you grew up playing with G.I. Joe action figures, there's a lot of enjoyment to be found here recognizing characters and vehicles. Plus, you can play as Snake Eyes, so... 10/10.
19) Galahad - World 3
Composer(s): Matt Furniss
Platform: Sega Genesis
Someone must have cranked up the Furniss, because this track is hot! What can I say about Galahad? It's a pretty forgettable game with a pretty memorable soundtrack. I'm sure not many people played it. However, it is the first game developed by Traveller's Tales, so there you go. You love your Traveller's Tales. You love those Lego games.
20) Heavy Barrel - Area 1
Composer(s): Shogo Sakai
Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System
Heavy Barrel is an overhead run and gun game that is actually pretty good. It's not a game that's going to appear on any top 10 lists or anything, but it's good enough. I would say it's better than the arcade version, so it has that going for it. You know what? No, Heavy Barrel should be on a top 10 list. We should make that happen.
21) The Incredible Crash Dummies - Stage 2
Composer(s): Geoff Follin
Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System
High energy and all over the place. This track escapes description. This is the music you'll typically hear when you're controlling the purple crash test dummy named... Spin? Anyway, Incredible Crash Dummies has like four music tracks throughout the entire game, so it's a good thing the soundtrack is pretty good!
22) James Bond 007: The Duel - Wave Trouble Composer(s): Matt Furniss
Platform: Sega Genesis
This soundtrack is amazing. If you want some great James Bond tunes, look no further than The Duel. It's a Matt Furniss joint, so you know it's going to burn so bright it'll leave your shadow printed on the wall behind you.
23) Journey to Silius - Stage 1
Composer(s): Naoki Kodaka
Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System
I almost didn't include this one because my initial thought was that a lot of people have played Journey to Silius. It's a pretty well known NES game at this point, but it's not one that was well known back in the day. That doesn't really mean much for this article, but I included it anyway because it's so good. A must!
24) Jurassic Park - Area 1
Composer(s): Jon Dunn
Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System
Everyone played the Super Nintendo Jurassic Park, but the NES Jurassic Park was one largely ignored by everyone. This game basically plays the same as the Super Nintendo counterpart, but the soundtracks are completely different. Made by the same guy that did the Darkman music!
25) Jurassic Park 2: The Chaos Continues - Blockade
Composer(s): Dean Evans
Platform: Super Nintendo Entertainment System
While people played the first Jurassic Park game on the Super Nintendo, it seems as though not nearly as many people played its sequel. No one I knew back when this game was released had this game except me. This track is a bit long, but it's a moody masterpiece that really has a lot of power in it. I highly suggest playing this game if you haven't already.
26) MC Kids - Stage 1 Area 3
Composer(s): Charles Deenen
Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System
M.C. Kids is like a K-Mart Super Mario Bros. 3. Is that an insult? It's not meant to be. It just means it's... different. It has a really great soundtrack, though, and you'll enjoy every song that appears in the game. Guaranteed!
27) Metal Warriors - Vital Mission
Composer(s): Dave Warhol, Eric Swanson
Platform: Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Probably the definition of "hidden gem." I've never actually played this game before, but I am well aware of this music because it's amazing. Metal Warriors is a super expensive game that I have yet to encounter in the wild, and rest assured I will not be paying its premium price to own it. It looks a lot like Cybernator.
28) Mission: Impossible - Area 1
Composer(s): Jun Funahashi, Yoshiyuki Hagiwara
Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System
Remember Mission: Impossible? No, not the Tom Cruise movies. The TV show. Remember that? No, not the one from the late 60s and early 70s, I'm talking about the one from the late 80s. You don't? Well, this game is based off of that. Konami Ultra Games turned it into a pretty decent overhead game where your foes explode into people-shaped explosions after being punched! Maybe they're robots, I don't know. The mission is too impossible for me.
29) Monster in My Pocket - Stage 1
Composer(s): Hiroshi Takeyasu, Kozo Nakamura
Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System
I love Monster in My Pocket toys, and I love the Monster in My Pocket game! I wrote a whole article about the toys and game way back in 2013. Anyway, this game has a wonderful soundtrack that has a real Konami feel to it, so if you're a fan of other Konami offerings, there's a good chance you'll dig this soundtrack, too.
30) P.N. 03 - Mission 7
Composer(s): Shusaku Uchiyama, Makoto Tomozawa
Platform: Nintendo GameCube
Here's a game I would love to see get a remaster on PlayStation 4. P.N. 03 is so good, and people used to poo poo all over it back when it was released for the dumbest reasons. Its gray and white aesthetics inspired the look of my website back around the time of its release, so this game has always had a special place in my heart. I was a huge fan of this game. I downloaded the entire soundtrack to it on dial-up, so there's my devotion to it right there! The whole soundtrack is really, really good, and the main character Vanessa's idle animation looks like she's reacting to the level music that's being played.
31) Panorama Cotton - The Land of Cotton
Composer(s): Kenichi Hirata
Platform: Sega Genesis
No clue why this game wasn't released outside of Japan, but it wasn't, and that's definitely a loss for everyone. Wish I could say I have memories of playing this as a kid, but... nope! Instead, this wonderful game was found through emulation. It kind of reminds me of Burning Force, which is another great game.
32) Pictionary - Title Screen
Composer(s): Tim Follin
Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System
This game has no business having title screen music like this. Tim Follin did not phone this track in. Just listen to this. This is what's coming out of the title screen to Pictionary? Insanity, Mr. Follin. Insanity.
Popful Mail is best known (if Popful Mail can even be classified as being "best known," I guess) as a Sega CD game, but it appeared on other systems outside of America as well. I feel the Sega CD version looks the best, but that's the only version I've ever played so I might be biased. The Ice Berg music appears pretty late in the game, so even if you've played Popful Mail before, you might have not made it far enough to hear this track.
34) The Rocketeer - Stage 2
Composer(s): George Sanger, Dave Hayes
Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System
The Rocketeer is one of those games where the same few themes play through the entire game, so calling this Stage 2 might not be entirely accurate. Anyway, this game... isn't very good. It's definitely playable, but it's not one that's going to change the face of gaming. The music is pretty good, though! It at least has that going for it.
35) Second Samurai - Prehistoric Stage Theme 2
Composer(s): Matt Furniss
Platform: Sega Genesis
I found this when I was diving deep into the Matt Furniss catalog of music. Second Samurai has a pretty good soundtrack, but this is the song that really stands out to me.
36) Sega CD - Model 1 American BIOS
Composer(s): David Javelosa
Platform: Sega CD
So the Sega CD was a system that wasn't very popular. My friends and I all had one, but that seems to be an anomaly. So you take a system that no one played, and you add on to that the fact that this music was only found in the original model and not the more common model 2, and you've definitely got some great game music you've (maybe) never heard before!
37) Silver Surfer - Theme 1
Composer(s): Tim Follin, Geoff Follin
Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System
This game is way too hard for its own good. I don't think I have ever been able to clear a single stage without cheating. Difficulty aside, the soundtrack in this game is an absolute masterpiece of audio. You'll maybe never find a greater hidden soundtrack on the NES than Silver Surfer.
38) Silver Surfer - Theme 2
Composer(s): Tim Follin, Geoff Follin
Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System
The soundtrack is so good I had to include two tracks from it! Do not miss listening to the soundtrack to this game, friends.
39) Skuljagger: Revolt of the Westicans - Secret Area
Composer(s): Dave Hayes, Rod Barr
Platform: Super Nintendo Entertainment System
While this game was heavily advertised in magazines back in the day ("Greetings, Pig-slime!") I only knew of one friend who actually owned or played it. His house is the only place I ever saw it, and I don't even know why he had it unless he got it super cheap somewhere. Skuljagger has an incredibly strange premise: You're a pirate who not only swings a sword, but attacks his foes and navigates stages by chewing bubble gum. Some of the music tracks in this game are really long, with several playing longer than three minutes before hitting their loop.
40) Solstice - Title Screen
Composer(s): Tim Follin
Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System
Solstice is an isometric puzzle game where you play as Shadax, a wizard who looks nothing like he does on the cover. Solstice is an exceedingly challenging game, and I've barely ever made any progress in it. The music will blow your hair back, as it's composed by the master Tim Follin.
41) Spider-Man: Return of the Sinister Six - Theme 1
Composer(s): David Whittaker
Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System
Two Spider-Man games? Well, three if you count the next one. But did you ever play this game? Unlikely, as it's pretty obscure. This game came out in 1992, and by that point we had already experienced the incredible Spider-Man game on the Sega Genesis. Even as a huge Spider-Man fan during this time, I didn't play it until I was an adult. This is one of two level themes you hear throughout the game, so it's a good thing it's high quality.
42) Spider-Man and the X-Men: Arcade's Revenge - Spider-Man's Theme
Composer(s): Geoff Follin
Platform: Super Nintendo Entertainment System
This game is published by LJN, who deservedly have a reputation for releasing bad games. While this game isn't great, it's better than the usual stuff they publish. I feel like a lot of people might be like, "Ew, LJN? Pass." with this game, so the soundtrack could potentially go unheard. Here's Spider-Man's theme music, which is, in a word, amazing. Spectacular, even.
Smart Ball is a game that flies under the radar. As a kid looking at the box, I thought it was a sports game. Turned out it was a really good platformer starring a little blue blob named Jerry. Also turned out that the soundtrack was amazing from start to finish, as you'll discover with the Desert music here.
44) Super Adventure Island II: Boa-Boa Island
Composer(s): Akihiro Akamatsu, Sachiko Oita, Sadamasa Ono
Platform: Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Adventure Island II has more RPG elements than its predecessors, which is weird considering its connection to the Wonder Boy series. It's almost like Adventure Island was dipping its toe into Wonder Boy's waters with this one. It has a great soundtrack, but I think Super Adventure Island beats it out overall. Maybe because that one is done by none other than Yuzo Koshiro of Streets of Rage fame.
45) Super Smash TV - Third Circuit
Composer(s): Matt Furniss
Platform: Sega Genesis
From my experience, more people played the Super Nintendo version of Super Smash TV than the Genesis one. This track is unique to the Genesis version, and I think it's pretty good. Check it out!
46) Super Turrican - Stage 1-3
Composer(s): Chris Hülsbeck
Platform: Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Look, I know people know about the Turrican series, but do people who just stick to the mainstream games know about it? Maybe not. If not, here's a killer track from stage 1-3 with musical stylings par for the course with Super Turrican. Turn your headphones up! Turn 'em up!
47) Treasure Master - World 1 Theme
Composer(s): Treasure Master
Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System
Treasure Master is most known as a game with a contest attached to it, which from what I've read, no one actually won. According to Wikipedia, two first prize winners of the contest could win their choice of a "fantasy rock concert," a "fantasy sports event," a "fantasy audio/video room," or the always popular choice of $10,000. 250 second place winners would receive a brand new Super Nintendo console, while 36,000(!) third place winners would receive a winner's certificate. These prizes would be given out to winners, of course providing that 36,252 people actually bought Treasure Master, which I'd bet they did not.
48) Turbo Turtle Adventure - Space Station 2
Composer(s): Carl Larsson
Platform: Game Boy Advance
Here's a game I bet no one has heard of before. Turbo Turtle Adventure is an obscure Game Boy Advance game from 2002 that I picked up at Toys "R" Us. You roll a little turtle around a maze and pick up keys that unlock doors leading to the exit. It's kind of like Super Monkey Ball... but better.
49) Warriors of the Eternal Sun - Azcan Wander
Composer(s): Paul Mudra, Frank Klepacki, Dwight Okahara
Platform: Sega Genesis
My friend Matt has always gone on about this game, but never once over the years has he mentioned the soundtrack. A few years ago I visited him and a few other friends in California and we were trying to beat as many games as we could over the week I was there. Matt started playing this game, and when the music kicked in I actually got mad that I was just then finding out about how great the soundtrack is. The Azcan Wander is my favorite track, but the rest of the music is just as good.
50) Wolfchild - Stage 2
Composer(s): Matt Furniss
Platform: Sega Genesis
Wolfchild has a completely different soundtrack on the Genesis than the versions found on the Super Nintendo and Sega CD. The Sega CD one is basically a CD quality version of the SNES one. It was actually kind of difficult to pick just one song from Wolfchild because there are so many great tracks.
And that's the end! What did you think about some of these choice tracks? I could easily do a second article like this with 50 more obscure songs if this does well enough, so we'll see what happens. Until next time!
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