From the early days of simplistic chiptunes to the orchestral masterpieces of modern titles, video game music has evolved into a powerful art form that heightens emotions, sets the tone, and helps guide the narrative. If at first, music was just part of the background noise of a game, consisting mostly of beeps and poorly emulated explosion sounds, today, it has become part of the story, something that can make or break your gaming experience. Video games have been around for more than half a century, and over the years, they have come with many iconic tunes in them. These might be some of the most iconic of them to date.
Super Mario theme
Nintendo’s two Italian plumbers, Mario Mario, and Luigi Mario, may just be the most unlikely heroes the world has ever seen. Their quest across the Mushroom Kingdom to free Princess Peach from the evil Bowser has kept generations of players glued to their screens.
Every gamer, and many of those who haven’t touched a console or PC in their lives, have heard the Super Mario theme, composed by Koji Kondo. It was also the first video game theme to be induced in the US Library of Congress this year.
Tetris theme
Tetris is one of the most successful video games in history. Its backstory, telling how the game has become a worldwide sensation thanks to the efforts of video game designer Henk Rogers, was adapted to the screen in the form of a biographical thriller. Tetris is currently the second-best-selling video game in history – after Mario.
The Tetris theme – originally a Russian folk song – certainly sounds familiar to anyone. It is often used in the media in reference to Russia
DJ WILD theme
There are many slot machines with alluring background music, and there are many slot machines built around music, musicians, and their iconic tunes. But not many slot machines are built around a tune that’s created exclusively for them, then released on Spotify separately.
ELK Studios went the extra mile with DJ WILD, an amazing slot game with a DJ theme. The song Fantasize was written and mixed by one of the best-known Stockholm-based DJs, and later released on Spotify and Apple Music.
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Quake theme
Quake was one of the iconic games of the 1990s – the first to use real-time 3D rendering. Otherwise, it was a mess: it started out as a “slow, action-light RPG” and turned into “constant, hectic action”.
Quake’s music and sounds were composed by Trent Reznor and recorded by the Nine Inch Nails. Reznor himself voiced the protagonist, Ranger. He spoke of Quake’s soundtrack as not music, but “textures and ambiances”. Quake’s soundtrack can stand its ground as a NIN album, adding layer upon layer of atmosphere to the already pressing atmosphere of the game.
God of War (2018) theme
Kratos, the god-killer, returned to the PlayStation (and much later, to PC) in 2018. After having finished off all the Olympians, the bald warrior heads North and gets mixed up in a clash of the Norse gods, ultimately bringing along Ragnarök.
The game’s soundtrack is composed and conducted by none other than Bear McCreary, the composer who has scored iconic TV shows from Battlestar Galactica (2004) to The Witcher: Blood Origin and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. For his work on God of War, and its sequel, God of War: Ragnarök, won the British Academy Games Award for Music, and The Game Award for Best Score and Music. You can find his complete discography, as well as his most beloved recordings, at https://bearmccreary.com/.
Final words
Video game music has grown from simple chiptunes into grandiose and epic modern classical masterpieces, no matter if we speak of something as simple as a slot machine or as complex as the Kratos saga. These iconic video game themes serve as a testament to the artistic and emotional impact of music in gaming, leaving an indelible mark on players and contributing to the overall success and enjoyment of these beloved titles.