I love that you love video game soundtracks. not enough people really talk about them. there is something magical about snes music. glad to have kindred spirits.
Lol what are u talking about. Videogame soundtracks have been extensively talked about since the NES era. Nowadays they are glorified alongside the visuals pretty much 50\50, since they invoke so much nostalgia
@@ianmac214 Relax you triggered simp. Ferv is correct. Everyone talks about "soundtracks" when reviewing snes games. Just because he didn't automatically nod along and kiss ass on the original comment doesn't mean he's an idiot. Lord forbid people point out fallacies....
Humans are more keen on respecting one's taste in music and other things that make us human such as food and travel. But when its beyond our basic needs, that's when the feces get thrown.
I remember my friend had a 2 CD album that had the FF3 score but in full live orchestra. It was friggin AWESOME! The case had nothing but Japanese characters so I'm sure it was an import, but also I could never find a copy anywhere here in the states. Of course this was before the rapid spread of eBay and such so I'm sure I could MAYBE find a USED copy somewhere today. But yeah, I never even played it but I loved a few tracks, especially Kefkas theme.
One of my favorite things about fiddling with the guitar years back was accompanying my skilled bassist nephew through Devil's Lab (the Magitek Factory music)
FF6 has some of my favorite music of all time, not just on the SNES but anywhere. Imagine paying a guy to make a soundtrack for your game and he comes back with an actual masterpiece
Zozo tower of fanatics, the Veldt, the ghost train, the town of Jidoor. There are so many unique, amazing, and creative tracks in this game that are impossible to forget. Its easily #1 for me, with Chrono Trigger and Star Fox as 2 and 3.
@@daryl4841 I was saying somewhere else that one song better in chrono trigger is the BC music. It’s comparable to the Veldt. All CT music is good, but as good as it is, most of the music for FFVI is better. Better than almost any video game to this day.
I really don't know if I like that sentiment. As a musicologist I do mostly nothing else than working music on an academic level and there is so much more to music than "I like" or "I don't like".
@Auran Crash And that makes me sad. Because it is (in my humble opinion) a boring way to think about it. Even the systems on which we build our tastes upon can be analyzed but many people don't seem to care. Art can tell us something about ourselves if we care to listen.
@@MAKgargos agreed, David Wise is amazing regardless. Has anyone seen or heard how he composed all his music to the system? It's jarring how talented he is just to be able to accomplish this
It's amazing. I've always loved the music of Final Fantasy 6, but I never really realized that the main reason why it's so good is because of the way the music is USED, not just the stand-alone quality of the tracks. Each town doesn't have a theme song... it has a mood. Some towns even share background music. But the game mixes around it's moods enough that you almost never notice.
Good list. I just recently found your channel so I’m randomly watching the backlog episodes by interest. I’ve played most of these and couldn’t agree more. Good call on DKC over DKC2 but really either would have worked as you acknowledge. Megaman X is one of my top games of all time. Played and love the hell out of it. And the whole soundtrack just slaps. Personally I would have sampled Spark Mandrill over Storm Eagle. What a song for that stage! That driving percussion and bass line!
Five years later I rewatch this list and I still love it. It is just a good overview of the SNES OST library where you don't need to discuss rankings. No use in arguing and just enjoy the music. What's also amazing is that you could easily fill up another Top 13.
Aquatic Ambience is one of those tracks I return to from time to time, reset myself and take a step back. It's very intimate and though provoking. Solid masterpiece, therapy for the ears. Really the hype for the second and third game should be deserved for 1. It really set that foundation and expectation of Donkey Kong Country as a series.
Before watching, I'm going to hope Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy 3 (6) makes top spots. *27 minutes later* Well then, unsubscribed. Just kidding, but I can't be too upset about Super Metroid taking your 1 spot because A. it's your list and B. it's an awesome soundtrack. Squaresoft pretty much dominates my list of best soundtracks for the SNES.
My sentiments exactly @_@ but his list is pretty great overall. Id put Lufia 2, Bahamut Lagoon and CT in the TOP 5 with Super Metroid and FF6... CT taking the number 1 spot.
Final Fantasy 2 (4) was my favorite of the pre-7 games. Might just be because that game seems to have a special place in my childhood memory, but that battle music was top notch.
I just think Final Fantasy VI is better. The ongoing theme in Metroid is isolation and exploration of the unknown, and save for the intense boss battles, most of it is 16-bit ambient music and becomes monotonous. FF6's rich score covers a complex, long storyline and wide range of emotions that the characters go through. Wthout spoken dialogs, they conveyed what each character was saying or feeling at the time. Nobuo Uematsu's superb work was the best he'd ever done at the time. The score also worked as an emotional anchor that really help the story sink in, and when you spend 60 hours playing again, songs can get stuck in your head but these were never annoying. I don't mind listening to them again and again, almost three decades later. Chrono Trigger comes close, but Final Fantasy 6's score is so vast and succinct, overwhelming and subtle, all at the same time, and just hit all the right notes, all the way to the end.
The one bit of music that sticks out in my mind in Super Metroid was the music when fighting Mother Brain. The tense music combined with Mother Brain's inhuman screeching still gives me chills. The perfect music for fighting a Lovecraftian horror. And who can forget the Opera House scene in Final Fantasy VI? Not only did it have an OPERA playing on a 16-bit system, but at the same time, you're on the edge of your seat, wondering if Locke's hare-brained plan was actually going to work. The best individual piece, IMO, is "To Good Friends" in the canon Chrono Trigger ending, the entire game summed up in a few glorious minutes as you say goodbye to your companions. "Corridors of Time" deserves special mention though. That music gave Zeal the magical, exotic feel that it should definitely have.
In DKC, the factory levels had some great music. Also the mine cart levels. And of course, Gangplank Galleon, one of the most memorable pieces of video game music ever.
Picking songs from 50 is not an overstatement, honestly. The stories people share, what makes them decide their favorite songs, I respect them all. Remembering myself, recieving my SNES from my dad coming home from work, unpacking it, getting SMW and DKC with it. Completing Super Mario World and Donkey Kong Country today, still leaves me emotional like no other game can. That is what decides my rank1, even if so many other games, has so many great songs. Metroid, F-zero, Megaman, Castlevania, DKC2.. I can go on and on and on. It's all about joy people. Great channel, great list.
Thanks for making a music list proper. So often I watch a video on music and they never include a single song. You give the music time to shine. Bravo.
Thanks for this video. You really got me pump up. My SNES Classic is going to rock most of these soundtracks through my Dolby Atmos audio system, and now I can't wait.
I was quite surprised that lufia made it on here, i mean, i always put it amongst my top 5 most favorite overall game music soundtracks, but i didnt know other people thought similar...
What I love about classic Nintendo OSTs is they age so well. Thanks to TH-cam, there are so many channels now, that remix retro video game music. F-Zero and Sonic have my favorite video game OSTs.
Secret of Mana was innitially developed as a Nintendo PlayStation game, but relagated to a catridge after that fell through. You can hear the songs yearning for a CD format.
Fortunately there is the MSU-1 hack that puts some amazing MP3 quality remixed tracks in there to enhance the experience, and they most certainly do that. I'd say the best part of the hack is it's compatibility with the SD2SNES flash cart so getting to hear this out of the Super Nintendo on a TV is mind blowing to say the least.
Yup, it's awesome. Works on SD2SNES cart or Retroarch BSnes core emulator. The Chrono Trigger one is just as awesome. The MSU-1 hacks are quite awesome for the games that are patched.
As far as using an SD2SNES cart for these I believe it's just a matter of putting the MSU patched roms folder on it and loading the patched rom. The way these patched roms work is that the rom and all the other files that go with it go into a folder by them-self, You then just browse the carts folder structure for the rom and load it. I do not own an SD2SNES cart, I have only used these patched roms through emulation using the BSnes core in Retroarch. Not every single game works but all the big games do like Metroid, SoM, Chrono Trigger, Mega Man X series. You would have to do some googling for the info you need. The pre patched roms are not super easy to find but the patches to create them are easily found on romhacking.net. You still need to find the music files for them and doing the patching can be a bit tricky but not overly difficult. The pay off though is amazing. Do a youtube search for MSU-1 SNES and you should find videos showing off various games.
I've been playing through Terranigma, and the OST is really damn good. Better late than never. Also that Big Blue track is the sound of my mornings in the mid 90's. We'd play F-Zero before going to school.
Can't even describe the sheer rush of nostalgia I feel when I hear the DKC soundtrack. Like a warm wave of goodness sweeping over me with a little bitter bite at the end, cuz you know you can never go back to that place in time again. Few other game soundtracks has the same effect, though some come close like Shenmue 2, Mario 64, Rayman and a handful of others.
It's funny that I ever questioned where my love of melodic, orchestral, ambient music came from. The SNES is steeped in it. It's no wonder I love Bjork's Vespertine so much. Also, I have to say it feels like the Black 2/White 2 gen V Pokemon games are tributes to this musical style. I can't get over the music and now I see where that seed was planted.
Yeah it's so hard to choooose between, all those great ST's. Too many reasons why a certain ST is great. Just a few more honourable mentions. Asterix & Obelix, Breath of fire ll (melancholic), Chaos Seed, Energy Breaker (the amount of great songs is astonishing, but also quite melancholic), FF V, Hiouden, Jim Power -TLDi3D, Live a live, rudra ... the list could go on and on.
Turtles in Time has one of my favorite soundtracks on the system by far. Every level in this game has memorable music, from Big Apple 3 AM, to Alleycat Blues, to Sewer Surfin', to the boss theme and beyond. The music that stands out the most by far to me is Sewer Surfin', as the it's the catchiest tune in the game. Other levels like Alleycat Blues or Bury My Shell At Wounded Knee have a really solid beat to them. Others still have very catchy tunes in their own right like the Technodrome, Neon Night Riders, and Star Base. The music in this game is absolutely one of the main reasons why I come back to it and stick with it to this day.
My jaw literally dropped just while you were listing the games NOT included. Super Mario RPG? FFIV? Link to the Past? Oh, man, I'm excited to see what IS on the list!
Spoiler for the vidya here. My reaction upon reaching Number 2. "What? What what what? FFVI is number TWO?! ... This will only be acceptable if Super Metroid is number 1." My reaction upon reaching Number 1. "This is acceptable." Seriously, #4 - #1 are just the best ever. I don't necessarily agree with some of the other entries (but I also don't knock you for them - tastes are subjective!), #4 - #1 are soundtracks I'll just listen to on their own. AMAZING.
A strong list but really sad that you didn't put Plok on there, Song like Beach and Creepy Crag differently hold a spot in best video game music of all time.
To me I love Chrono Trigger, because it's one of the FEW games on teh SNES that sounds like ACTUAL instruments. Rather than just bleeps and bloops so to speak.
Many SNES-games sound like real instrumentes because the SNES is capeable to replicate them near perfect - percussion, guitars, piano, violine, bass, organ - it's all there! The Megadrive isn't able to do this, but there are also some good sounding FM-tunes. Very different solution but I prefer the SNES-sound for sure!
Probably the best console when it comes to music! Here's some other honorable mentions: Live-A-Live Secret of Evermore Final Fantasy V and Mystic Quest Dragon Quest series (DQ 1+2, DQ III, V and VI) Shin Megami Tensei 1 and 2 / Kyuuyaku Soul Blazer Star Ocean Tales of Phantasia Yoshi's Island Clock Tower Star Fox 2
There are so many amazing soundtracks across just about every classic console out there that I can't imagine choosing just 13 favorites, even just from the SNES library. I listen to VGM all the time and one thing I love about it is, it never gets boring no matter how many times you hear a single track. Excellent list by the way.
Was it actually sold in the U.S? The game came with a CD soundtrack. It was pretty dang cool at the time, but I don't think anybody was going and actually buying that CD in it's own.
I really think Front Mission: Gun Hazard has a top 5 SNES/SFC soundtrack. The combo of Uematsu and Mitsuda are amazing, and with the release of the game between FF6 and FF7 you can really hear influences from both games in Uematsu's music. It feels like the lost FF soundtrack that I always wanted and is probably my most listened to SNES OST after FF6.
"How dare he leave off all those classic games off this list! 😡" (F-zero track starts playing) "This list is f**king awesome 😎" Thanks for letting that track run for as long as it did. That was awesome 👍
It's still my favourite console. The core of video gaming (press buttons) has never changed - and I don't need those movie-like graphics the newer consoles are capeable of when the gameplay isn't good or to complicated. I just need my modded SNES mini to be a happy gamer!
Born in 85 so all these games really stick in my mind! Playing final fantasy 6 on snes classic and cant wait so get stuck in. The gameplay in snes era so good so many classics.
I feel like while the original DKC had amazing music (especially Aquatic Ambience), overall, DKC2 had the better soundtrack. But that's just my opinion.
As soon as i saw #4, I immediately knew Chrono Trigger, FFVI, and Super Metroid were the top 3. Its kind of hard to rank them for me, cause they are all amazing soundtracks!
Well. your 7, 3, and 2 picks are videogames I've loved since I first tried them... and the music has a lot to do with that. _Chrono Trigger_ in particular is one I consider to be the pinnacle of 2-D graphics on the SNES, and it's still one of my favorite games. Rarely does a game come along that blends story plot, animation and color, and soundtrack that perfectly...!
The soundtrack at Zeal always makes me feel inspired the first time when I walk into the city.. then when i hear the song again after learning what they've done.. it makes me feel super sad.. the song turns into a tradgedy..
Very good list here, man! And I gotta say, you're videos have been consistently great. Good quality stuff here. I feel your channel deserves a bigger audience.
One thing about SNES music is, no matter where you hear it, you _instantly_ know it's SNES music. Its synth setup was unique among video game soundchips in the way it handled samples and soundfonts. A very few games managed to get away from the usual SNES sound, but it was at its best when it got away from trying to sample real instruments, which were basically impossible to get right given the system's limitations. It lies as kind of a middle ground between waveform-based 8-bit systems, and the full on audio recording made possible by later systems. Its sounds are synthetic, but because it's sample-based its music isn't exactly "chiptunes" either. I don't know if there are homebrew SNES composition tools, but they would be really interesting to work with. It has a sound that's unique and really different from anything else, before or since.
I came fully prepared to shout at you about not including Rudra No Hihou again but god damnit each entry I just found myself agreeing. WHY YOU DO THIS TO ME? (There I yelled!) Great video like always SNES Drunk, love your content.
Terra's Theme is not only one of the most iconic and beautiful pieces of music ever put into a video game, imo it stands on its own among the goat outside the medium. People think that it's nostalgia glasses with retro-gaming, and it can be that to a degree, but the 16 bit era, and the SNES in particular do hold up as a sort of golden era of gaming because the games were actually so good. Super Metroid is STILL considered one of the best games EVER MADE, same with FFVI, Chrono Trigger, SMW, DKC, and dozens more, with most being able to withstand even the toughest scrutiny to someone who might play them for the first time today. I'm glad we're getting a bit of a resurgence of focus on making truly good games.
Even though we all know that you're absolutely right when saying that music is subjective, I couldn't help being seriously provoked by Turtles in Time being one of the games that didn't make the list, because that's my all-time favorite soundtrack to any video game from any console ever. I listen to it regularly in my car. Alleycat Blues, Sewer Surfin' and the Technodrome elevator stage - mmm, yeah!
I love your videos dude! I have watched about half of what you have posted. I'm trying to get them all viewed and I will too. I am a HUGE snes fan. For the first time though, I disagreed with you on one thing. Super Castlevania 4. I have finished this game from start to finish over 100 times. My best completion time is 2:27min (not very good, lol!), but it's a little quick. Aside from symphony of the night and the gba releases (excluding Circle of the moon of course), castlevania 4 is truly an snes gem in my opinion. Every boss, every mood, every backdrop, just a real favorite of mine. You hit the head of the nail on the music. Truly spot on! Keep the greatness coming my friend! You do a really great job with these videos!
I'm definitely with you on a lot of these, especially Final Fantasy 6, Super Castlevania 4, and Killer Instinct. It's worth noting, however, music for Killer Instinct sounded far better in the arcade than it ever did on the Super Nintendo. When I go back and listen to Killer Instinct music, it's the arcade stuff I want to hear. Chief Thunder Stage Music was the coolest of all, plus the intro before you start playing. Also the character selection music and moving up and down the battle plan as you fight the characters was awesome too. In Final Fantasy 6, I would have to say my two favorite themes are Gau and Rachel. Good list here bro.
@@FaithWithin1160 Well, to be fair, as much as I loved FF Mystic Quest... most of - if not all - of these games had strong *soundtracks*, not just one or two songs.
Castlevania 4, Super Metroid, MMX. Can never go wrong with ANY song from any of those 3. Simply incredible soundtracks. BTW, if you don't already know, here's a list of some awesome VG music groups: Arm Cannon (probably one of the all around best as far as composition and talent is concerned) Year20xx (Very good metal renditions of popular game series) The Advantage (most game music fans know of them, for obvious reasons) Neskimos (I'm not as familiar with these guys, but they're solid, in a garage band kind of way) As always, excellent video man! And I hope YOU have a great rest of your day. Game on dude!
I guess maybe this bends the rules a bit, but the SNES port of DOOM would have to be on my list. And I completely agree with what you said about the Secret of Mana soundtrack being unbalanced. At times it can be fun, upbeat, mysterious, or simply beautiful...but jesus christ, that boss battle theme makes me want to tear my ears off. And considering you spend what feels like half of the game in boss fights, it really starts to wear on you.
When i was a child, i got the Donkey Kong Soundrack on a cd for free, being a member of the also free "nintendo club germany". Comparing today where they even sell extra levels, this is a very warm remembrance.
My 13 Super Nintendo Soundtracks : 1) Super Castlevania IV (Yuzo Koshiro is the best SNES composer ever) From the intro to the 1st to the last level to the end credits, Castlevania IV has a flawless music score. Even games nowadays cannot pretend to this flawlessness. 2) Axelay 3) Contra III The Alien Wars 4) Actraiser 2 and Actraiser (better than all SNES RPG soundtracks) 6) Super Turrican 7) Super Metroid 8) Star Fox 9) Donkey Kong Country 10) F-Zero 11) Super Street Fighter 2 12) Megaman X 13) Super Aleste / Space Mega Force Killer Instinct just the awesome intro music.
Surprised FF6 didn't make the number one spot just for Dancing Mad alone. I don't think anyone's dared to make anything on par with it since, as Dancing Mad was this amazing four-act 17 minute 38 second long piece of music used for the final boss battle.
He didn't, it's at the beginning of the video with the dozens of other games that could have just as easily been on his Top 13 list... if only 50+ games could fit on a 13-spot list.
This. ActRaiser's orchestral soundtrack was the only one left out of this final list that I believe is... *'objectively' great* -- especially considering how early it was released in SNES's life cycle. *ActRaiser alone set the bar to the world for what the SNES (and music in video games in general) could do, and thus, inspired many of the greatest soundtracks in the following years.* This has been admitted by many who worked on these soundtracks, such as Nobuo Uematsu himself. *FF4's soundtrack literally had to be restarted after he heard what Actraiser sounded like.*
@@Hausbrauen I mean, that’s a really cool story, but it’s still subjective. I never knew that though. I have tried to play the game a couple times but never really got into it, I’ll agree the music is really good though
@@The_SOB_II Thanks, got that info from a couple different interviews on this subject. I'm curious though -- if you got to experience Actraiser when it was still early-days SNES era. Nostalgia (aka recalling a game back when it was new) *definitely* helps cement how incredible Actraiser is/was as a whole -- much like how many who enjoy JRPG's will play Final Fantasy 7 for the first time now, and find it overrated and/or may not appreciate what it did for RPG's (and gaming entirely) back in its time. Which is perfectly fine by the way, and I'd argue is to often be expected. *The perceived value of many things we experience (especially in gaming) can be extremely time-dependent.* And yes, technically *any* quality assessment of anything in existence is subjective. Nonetheless, the revolutionary techniques used to create its music helped change the landscape for what was possible in VG soundtracks using internal synth around that time. Therefore I'd say that makes its greatness in that regard fairly... *irrefutable,* if you prefer.
My top: 13) Killer Instintc 12) Star Fox 11) Super Castlevania IV 10) Super Mario RPG 09) The Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past 08) Donkey Kong Country 07) Castlevania Dracula X 06) Final Fantasy VI 05) F Zero 04) Super Metroid 03) Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kong's Quest 02) Chrono Trigger 01) Mega Man X
Great list... thanks for another great video! I bought Killer Instinct for the SNES, and it came on a black cartridge and the music CD came with it. I didn't realize they sold the CDs separately - maybe I inadvertently ended up with a collector's edition? Take care!
I love that you picked the Kingdom of Zeal for Chrono Trigger. It's my favorite too. The combination of gamelan and sitar is intoxicating. Every attempt at an "arranged" version just shits the bed because they never use the two damn things that made it so distinctive.
When I saw Super Mario Kart on your list of soundtracks you had to leave out, I knew this would really be the best of the best! Always loved the SMK soundtrack.
![[🔴LIVE] งานประกาศรางวัล MAYA TV AWARDS 2024 : มายามหาชน](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/nwmWYXXVwBY/mqdefault.jpg)
I love that you love video game soundtracks. not enough people really talk about them. there is something magical about snes music. glad to have kindred spirits.
Thanks for watching Casey
Lol what are u talking about. Videogame soundtracks have been extensively talked about since the NES era. Nowadays they are glorified alongside the visuals pretty much 50\50, since they invoke so much nostalgia
Ferv Corsica Frig off, idiot.
Imagine Chrono Trigger, DKC2, FF6 or Link to the Past with a different soundtrack? It really is an important aspect.
@@ianmac214 Relax you triggered simp. Ferv is correct. Everyone talks about "soundtracks" when reviewing snes games. Just because he didn't automatically nod along and kiss ass on the original comment doesn't mean he's an idiot. Lord forbid people point out fallacies....
The sound effects in Super Metroid also fit perfectly with the music- excellent sound design indeed!
I love how chill your comment sections are. Everyone respects each others' opinions. It's nice to see.
Humans are more keen on respecting one's taste in music and other things that make us human such as food and travel. But when its beyond our basic needs, that's when the feces get thrown.
I think it also has something to do with Drunk's personality: He's chill and mostly positive, so he attracts a similar type of follower.
How dare you make a comment like that!? I absolutely disagree and I hate you now!
JINX!
FF6 soundtrack is so good, I spent a lot of time in my teens trying to play those songs on guitar
I remember my friend had a 2 CD album that had the FF3 score but in full live orchestra. It was friggin AWESOME!
The case had nothing but Japanese characters so I'm sure it was an import, but also I could never find a copy anywhere here in the states. Of course this was before the rapid spread of eBay and such so I'm sure I could MAYBE find a USED copy somewhere today.
But yeah, I never even played it but I loved a few tracks, especially Kefkas theme.
One of my favorite things about fiddling with the guitar years back was accompanying my skilled bassist nephew through Devil's Lab (the Magitek Factory music)
You are a cool dude
Also relatable
Please tell me you tried to play the regular battle theme. That actually has distorted electric guitar in it.
I still try to play those songs on my guitar in my 30s lol
FF6 has some of my favorite music of all time, not just on the SNES but anywhere. Imagine paying a guy to make a soundtrack for your game and he comes back with an actual masterpiece
I have an alarm on my phone right now with FF6 music. And I had a different one before that.
Zozo tower of fanatics, the Veldt, the ghost train, the town of Jidoor. There are so many unique, amazing, and creative tracks in this game that are impossible to forget. Its easily #1 for me, with Chrono Trigger and Star Fox as 2 and 3.
@@daryl4841 I was saying somewhere else that one song better in chrono trigger is the BC music. It’s comparable to the Veldt. All CT music is good, but as good as it is, most of the music for FFVI is better. Better than almost any video game to this day.
He made repeated masterpieces
“What’s more subjective than music?” That’s a good quote right there
I really don't know if I like that sentiment. As a musicologist I do mostly nothing else than working music on an academic level and there is so much more to music than "I like" or "I don't like".
@Auran Crash And that makes me sad. Because it is (in my humble opinion) a boring way to think about it. Even the systems on which we build our tastes upon can be analyzed but many people don't seem to care. Art can tell us something about ourselves if we care to listen.
Great list. Kudos for remembering Super Castlevania IV. That soundtrack is underrated.
In my opinion, Super Castlevania 4 has one of the best music of all games!
Stickerbrush Symphony. That is all.
No: Aquatic Ambience (same composer)
And mining melancholy. DKC2 is easily a top soundtrack. Arguably better than 1. Both are top 10 and why not choose both?
@@MAKgargos agreed, David Wise is amazing regardless. Has anyone seen or heard how he composed all his music to the system? It's jarring how talented he is just to be able to accomplish this
Stickerbrush Symphony you heretics!!
*drops mic
Lot of Nobou Uematsu on this list. Good man!
Rare soundtracks never disappointed!
I DON'T KNOW WHAT WERE YELLING ABOUT!
Try not to kill a guy this time, Brick
LOUD NOISES!!!
Snes Drunk made a really solid list
@@mace2gorc872
Shocking...NOT! 😎
It's amazing. I've always loved the music of Final Fantasy 6, but I never really realized that the main reason why it's so good is because of the way the music is USED, not just the stand-alone quality of the tracks. Each town doesn't have a theme song... it has a mood. Some towns even share background music. But the game mixes around it's moods enough that you almost never notice.
The soundtrack to Terranigma still gets me to this day.. the best OST of all time in my opinion..
Good list. I just recently found your channel so I’m randomly watching the backlog episodes by interest. I’ve played most of these and couldn’t agree more. Good call on DKC over DKC2 but really either would have worked as you acknowledge. Megaman X is one of my top games of all time. Played and love the hell out of it. And the whole soundtrack just slaps. Personally I would have sampled Spark Mandrill over Storm Eagle. What a song for that stage! That driving percussion and bass line!
Five years later I rewatch this list and I still love it. It is just a good overview of the SNES OST library where you don't need to discuss rankings. No use in arguing and just enjoy the music. What's also amazing is that you could easily fill up another Top 13.
Aquatic Ambience is one of those tracks I return to from time to time, reset myself and take a step back. It's very intimate and though provoking. Solid masterpiece, therapy for the ears. Really the hype for the second and third game should be deserved for 1. It really set that foundation and expectation of Donkey Kong Country as a series.
Before watching, I'm going to hope Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy 3 (6) makes top spots.
*27 minutes later*
Well then, unsubscribed. Just kidding, but I can't be too upset about Super Metroid taking your 1 spot because A. it's your list and B. it's an awesome soundtrack. Squaresoft pretty much dominates my list of best soundtracks for the SNES.
My sentiments exactly @_@ but his list is pretty great overall. Id put Lufia 2, Bahamut Lagoon and CT in the TOP 5 with Super Metroid and FF6... CT taking the number 1 spot.
Final Fantasy 2 (4) was my favorite of the pre-7 games. Might just be because that game seems to have a special place in my childhood memory, but that battle music was top notch.
* sees that he excluded Final Fantasy IV *
* leaves*
I just think Final Fantasy VI is better. The ongoing theme in Metroid is isolation and exploration of the unknown, and save for the intense boss battles, most of it is 16-bit ambient music and becomes monotonous. FF6's rich score covers a complex, long storyline and wide range of emotions that the characters go through. Wthout spoken dialogs, they conveyed what each character was saying or feeling at the time. Nobuo Uematsu's superb work was the best he'd ever done at the time. The score also worked as an emotional anchor that really help the story sink in, and when you spend 60 hours playing again, songs can get stuck in your head but these were never annoying. I don't mind listening to them again and again, almost three decades later. Chrono Trigger comes close, but Final Fantasy 6's score is so vast and succinct, overwhelming and subtle, all at the same time, and just hit all the right notes, all the way to the end.
The one bit of music that sticks out in my mind in Super Metroid was the music when fighting Mother Brain. The tense music combined with Mother Brain's inhuman screeching still gives me chills. The perfect music for fighting a Lovecraftian horror.
And who can forget the Opera House scene in Final Fantasy VI? Not only did it have an OPERA playing on a 16-bit system, but at the same time, you're on the edge of your seat, wondering if Locke's hare-brained plan was actually going to work.
The best individual piece, IMO, is "To Good Friends" in the canon Chrono Trigger ending, the entire game summed up in a few glorious minutes as you say goodbye to your companions. "Corridors of Time" deserves special mention though. That music gave Zeal the magical, exotic feel that it should definitely have.
I'm going to go ahead and say Shadowrun had a banging soundtrack that really helped make the cyberpunk atmosphere of that game palpable.
In DKC, the factory levels had some great music. Also the mine cart levels. And of course, Gangplank Galleon, one of the most memorable pieces of video game music ever.
don't forkin forget Aquatic Ambience (oops he covered that track my fault)
The SNES is my favourite system growing up and still is. The music in most games are so memorable. Game on my fellow gamers.
Same! Best console ever!
And Killer Instinct 2013 continued the tradition by having the best soundtrack in the last 10 years.
Abso-fucking-lutely
Picking songs from 50 is not an overstatement, honestly.
The stories people share, what makes them decide their favorite songs, I respect them all.
Remembering myself, recieving my SNES from my dad coming home from work, unpacking it, getting SMW and DKC with it.
Completing Super Mario World and Donkey Kong Country today, still leaves me emotional like no other game can.
That is what decides my rank1, even if so many other games, has so many great songs. Metroid, F-zero, Megaman, Castlevania, DKC2.. I can go on and on and on.
It's all about joy people.
Great channel, great list.
I was never into F-Zero (or any racer) so whenever i hear that iconic music, i briefly wonder "which mega man x game is that from?"
Heretic
Me too buddy, me too.
what a casual
Same here, it’s the same style
😂
that super Metroid song still gives me the goosebumps....
Thanks for making a music list proper. So often I watch a video on music and they never include a single song. You give the music time to shine. Bravo.
Awesome picks
Thanks for this video. You really got me pump up. My SNES Classic is going to rock most of these soundtracks through my Dolby Atmos audio system, and now I can't wait.
I was quite surprised that lufia made it on here, i mean, i always put it amongst my top 5 most favorite overall game music soundtracks, but i didnt know other people thought similar...
What I love about classic Nintendo OSTs is they age so well. Thanks to TH-cam, there are so many channels now, that remix retro video game music. F-Zero and Sonic have my favorite video game OSTs.
Finally, a best sound track list that actually plays the music in question for a while! It's disappointing that most don't do this.
Secret of Mana was innitially developed as a Nintendo PlayStation game, but relagated to a catridge after that fell through. You can hear the songs yearning for a CD format.
I had forgotten about this little tid-bit of info. Thanks for helping me remember!
Fortunately there is the MSU-1 hack that puts some amazing MP3 quality remixed tracks in there to enhance the experience, and they most certainly do that. I'd say the best part of the hack is it's compatibility with the SD2SNES flash cart so getting to hear this out of the Super Nintendo on a TV is mind blowing to say the least.
Yup, it's awesome. Works on SD2SNES cart or Retroarch BSnes core emulator. The Chrono Trigger one is just as awesome. The MSU-1 hacks are quite awesome for the games that are patched.
Lord Monkus How does one go about getting these MSU-1 hacks onto flashcart for the SD2SNES?
As far as using an SD2SNES cart for these I believe it's just a matter of putting the MSU patched roms folder on it and loading the patched rom. The way these patched roms work is that the rom and all the other files that go with it go into a folder by them-self, You then just browse the carts folder structure for the rom and load it.
I do not own an SD2SNES cart, I have only used these patched roms through emulation using the BSnes core in Retroarch. Not every single game works but all the big games do like Metroid, SoM, Chrono Trigger, Mega Man X series.
You would have to do some googling for the info you need. The pre patched roms are not super easy to find but the patches to create them are easily found on romhacking.net. You still need to find the music files for them and doing the patching can be a bit tricky but not overly difficult. The pay off though is amazing. Do a youtube search for MSU-1 SNES and you should find videos showing off various games.
I've been playing through Terranigma, and the OST is really damn good. Better late than never.
Also that Big Blue track is the sound of my mornings in the mid 90's. We'd play F-Zero before going to school.
Man, I can't imagine how excruciating it would be to have to pick and choose favorites. Good video!
Donkey kong country el mejor de todos, su soundtrack da tanta nostalgia 😢
Can't even describe the sheer rush of nostalgia I feel when I hear the DKC soundtrack. Like a warm wave of goodness sweeping over me with a little bitter bite at the end, cuz you know you can never go back to that place in time again. Few other game soundtracks has the same effect, though some come close like Shenmue 2, Mario 64, Rayman and a handful of others.
I live in Tokyo and a few years ago I attended a Seiken Densetsu(Mana series) concert with a full orchestra. Japan knows how to appreciate game music.
It's funny that I ever questioned where my love of melodic, orchestral, ambient music came from. The SNES is steeped in it. It's no wonder I love Bjork's Vespertine so much. Also, I have to say it feels like the Black 2/White 2 gen V Pokemon games are tributes to this musical style. I can't get over the music and now I see where that seed was planted.
Fav Bjork album by far for me too
Bjork's Vespertine got me through high school. It's good to see someone talking about it.
Yeah it's so hard to choooose between, all those great ST's. Too many reasons why a certain ST is great.
Just a few more honourable mentions.
Asterix & Obelix, Breath of fire ll (melancholic), Chaos Seed, Energy Breaker (the amount of great songs is astonishing, but also quite melancholic), FF V, Hiouden, Jim Power -TLDi3D, Live a live, rudra ... the list could go on and on.
Final Fantasy VI my favorite jrpg of all times.
Turtles in Time has one of my favorite soundtracks on the system by far. Every level in this game has memorable music, from Big Apple 3 AM, to Alleycat Blues, to Sewer Surfin', to the boss theme and beyond. The music that stands out the most by far to me is Sewer Surfin', as the it's the catchiest tune in the game. Other levels like Alleycat Blues or Bury My Shell At Wounded Knee have a really solid beat to them. Others still have very catchy tunes in their own right like the Technodrome, Neon Night Riders, and Star Base. The music in this game is absolutely one of the main reasons why I come back to it and stick with it to this day.
My jaw literally dropped just while you were listing the games NOT included. Super Mario RPG? FFIV? Link to the Past? Oh, man, I'm excited to see what IS on the list!
Spoiler for the vidya here.
My reaction upon reaching Number 2. "What? What what what? FFVI is number TWO?! ... This will only be acceptable if Super Metroid is number 1."
My reaction upon reaching Number 1. "This is acceptable."
Seriously, #4 - #1 are just the best ever. I don't necessarily agree with some of the other entries (but I also don't knock you for them - tastes are subjective!), #4 - #1 are soundtracks I'll just listen to on their own. AMAZING.
Thanks for watching Kristopher
Damn. Super Mario RPG LOT7S soundtrack is awesome
A strong list but really sad that you didn't put Plok on there, Song like Beach and Creepy Crag differently hold a spot in best video game music of all time.
I've been watching your videos for a while but now I have subscribed due to your knowledge! Kudos Dude!
Thanks for watching
To me I love Chrono Trigger, because it's one of the FEW games on teh SNES that sounds like ACTUAL instruments.
Rather than just bleeps and bloops so to speak.
Many SNES-games sound like real instrumentes because the SNES is capeable to replicate them near perfect - percussion, guitars, piano, violine, bass, organ - it's all there! The Megadrive isn't able to do this, but there are also some good sounding FM-tunes. Very different solution but I prefer the SNES-sound for sure!
Probably the best console when it comes to music! Here's some other honorable mentions:
Live-A-Live
Secret of Evermore
Final Fantasy V and Mystic Quest
Dragon Quest series (DQ 1+2, DQ III, V and VI)
Shin Megami Tensei 1 and 2 / Kyuuyaku
Soul Blazer
Star Ocean
Tales of Phantasia
Yoshi's Island
Clock Tower
Star Fox 2
Mystic Quest has very underrated music. The energy is so good, especially the final boss music.
I was hoping Yoshi's Island would've been on a list somewhere here...
I forgot about Evermore, It should get more credit.
There are so many amazing soundtracks across just about every classic console out there that I can't imagine choosing just 13 favorites, even just from the SNES library. I listen to VGM all the time and one thing I love about it is, it never gets boring no matter how many times you hear a single track. Excellent list by the way.
The fact you mentioned about the Killer Instinct soundtrack on CD is true for the US but in Japan game soundtracks were sold all the time.
Because Japan is awesome.
Was it actually sold in the U.S? The game came with a CD soundtrack. It was pretty dang cool at the time, but I don't think anybody was going and actually buying that CD in it's own.
Gradius Fantasia is my jam.
FF6 came with a catalogue where you could order the OST as well.
I really think Front Mission: Gun Hazard has a top 5 SNES/SFC soundtrack. The combo of Uematsu and Mitsuda are amazing, and with the release of the game between FF6 and FF7 you can really hear influences from both games in Uematsu's music. It feels like the lost FF soundtrack that I always wanted and is probably my most listened to SNES OST after FF6.
"How dare he leave off all those classic games off this list! 😡"
(F-zero track starts playing)
"This list is f**king awesome 😎"
Thanks for letting that track run for as long as it did. That was awesome 👍
Goddamn emotes
The SNES truly was the golden age of video gaming, and RPGs were the pinnacle. What a time to experience gaming.
It's still my favourite console. The core of video gaming (press buttons) has never changed - and I don't need those movie-like graphics the newer consoles are capeable of when the gameplay isn't good or to complicated. I just need my modded SNES mini to be a happy gamer!
Real solid list. And you featured my favorite track from Super Castlevania IV.
Good list as always. I hoped to see PLOK here, my favorite SNES soundtrack after Chrono Trigger
Ploks soundtrack is a masterpiece.
YAS, YOU CHOSE AQUATIC AMBIENCE YASSSSSSS
Solid, solid, solid list! The top 3 are the OG of amazing games and music. All of these I listen to on a regular basis.
I miss the Soundtrack from Rock'n'Roll Racing😊😊😊
Rip is in another time zone!
Let the carnage begin!!!
UN Squadron was one of my favorite games.
Good choices, man. You picked some I had otherwise forgotten about.
Born in 85 so all these games really stick in my mind! Playing final fantasy 6 on snes classic and cant wait so get stuck in. The gameplay in snes era so good so many classics.
I feel like while the original DKC had amazing music (especially Aquatic Ambience), overall, DKC2 had the better soundtrack. But that's just my opinion.
And Stickerbush Symphony...
@@MrJackHagan Forest Interlude is less heralded but just as mesmerizing as Stickerbush
Smooth McGroove's A Capella version of the Kingdom of Zeal theme is just...wow. lol
Fantastic video!!! Loved it. Plans on continuing this? Would love to hear some more!
Thanks for the video!
+themrnails Thank you for watching
As soon as i saw #4, I immediately knew Chrono Trigger, FFVI, and Super Metroid were the top 3. Its kind of hard to rank them for me, cause they are all amazing soundtracks!
I had the Donkey Kong Country 2 soundtrack on cassette. I wore that thing out. I LOVE that game's music to this day.
Good honorable mentions in the beginning. I really like all the soundtracks of the Ogre Battle and Tactics Ogre games.
I would have liked to see Final Fantasy IV on here, but I can't really complain about any entry you listed. Solid list all around.
Well. your 7, 3, and 2 picks are videogames I've loved since I first tried them... and the music has a lot to do with that. _Chrono Trigger_ in particular is one I consider to be the pinnacle of 2-D graphics on the SNES, and it's still one of my favorite games. Rarely does a game come along that blends story plot, animation and color, and soundtrack that perfectly...!
The soundtrack at Zeal always makes me feel inspired the first time when I walk into the city.. then when i hear the song again after learning what they've done.. it makes me feel super sad.. the song turns into a tradgedy..
Contra III, Super Castlevania IV, and Ninja Warriors are my faves for the SNES.
Very good list here, man! And I gotta say, you're videos have been consistently great. Good quality stuff here. I feel your channel deserves a bigger audience.
Thanks for watching Allan
3 years later and the same can be said today. Keep it up SNES drunk!
I feel everyone should just appreciate the music of the snes days. I'll be honest watching this list definitely hit me in the feels.
Great list SNES Drunk. Only edit is: Switch out Super Ghouls and Ghosts for one of the RPGs.
I'm glad you mentioned Actraiser... I think just about every piece of music in there is gold Jerry!
One thing about SNES music is, no matter where you hear it, you _instantly_ know it's SNES music. Its synth setup was unique among video game soundchips in the way it handled samples and soundfonts.
A very few games managed to get away from the usual SNES sound, but it was at its best when it got away from trying to sample real instruments, which were basically impossible to get right given the system's limitations.
It lies as kind of a middle ground between waveform-based 8-bit systems, and the full on audio recording made possible by later systems. Its sounds are synthetic, but because it's sample-based its music isn't exactly "chiptunes" either.
I don't know if there are homebrew SNES composition tools, but they would be really interesting to work with.
It has a sound that's unique and really different from anything else, before or since.
I came fully prepared to shout at you about not including Rudra No Hihou again but god damnit each entry I just found myself agreeing. WHY YOU DO THIS TO ME? (There I yelled!) Great video like always SNES Drunk, love your content.
Terra's Theme is not only one of the most iconic and beautiful pieces of music ever put into a video game, imo it stands on its own among the goat outside the medium. People think that it's nostalgia glasses with retro-gaming, and it can be that to a degree, but the 16 bit era, and the SNES in particular do hold up as a sort of golden era of gaming because the games were actually so good. Super Metroid is STILL considered one of the best games EVER MADE, same with FFVI, Chrono Trigger, SMW, DKC, and dozens more, with most being able to withstand even the toughest scrutiny to someone who might play them for the first time today. I'm glad we're getting a bit of a resurgence of focus on making truly good games.
Even though we all know that you're absolutely right when saying that music is subjective, I couldn't help being seriously provoked by Turtles in Time being one of the games that didn't make the list, because that's my all-time favorite soundtrack to any video game from any console ever. I listen to it regularly in my car. Alleycat Blues, Sewer Surfin' and the Technodrome elevator stage - mmm, yeah!
psst... hey kid... let’s kick shell
@@The_SOB_II Bury my shell at Wounded Knee
#1 should have been DKC 2, by farrrr.
^This!^
I love your videos dude! I have watched about half of what you have posted. I'm trying to get them all viewed and I will too. I am a HUGE snes fan. For the first time though, I disagreed with you on one thing. Super Castlevania 4. I have finished this game from start to finish over 100 times. My best completion time is 2:27min (not very good, lol!), but it's a little quick. Aside from symphony of the night and the gba releases (excluding Circle of the moon of course), castlevania 4 is truly an snes gem in my opinion. Every boss, every mood, every backdrop, just a real favorite of mine. You hit the head of the nail on the music. Truly spot on! Keep the greatness coming my friend! You do a really great job with these videos!
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTHANK YOU FOR INCLUDING EARTHBOUND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm definitely with you on a lot of these, especially Final Fantasy 6, Super Castlevania 4, and Killer Instinct. It's worth noting, however, music for Killer Instinct sounded far better in the arcade than it ever did on the Super Nintendo. When I go back and listen to Killer Instinct music, it's the arcade stuff I want to hear. Chief Thunder Stage Music was the coolest of all, plus the intro before you start playing. Also the character selection music and moving up and down the battle plan as you fight the characters was awesome too. In Final Fantasy 6, I would have to say my two favorite themes are Gau and Rachel. Good list here bro.
Personally I'd say Chrono Trigger is number one. If the ending track too far away times doesn't make you emotional, then you're dead inside.
If you haven't listened to Chronosymphonic you must.
first time i heard Guardia Forest i knew it was going to be a great game
Kingdom of Zeal for e
You ever tried the MSU-1 versions of some of these games? The Mega Man X one ROCKS.
Lufia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! god i loved that game, the music was incredible. dual sword song was amazing
This list has a lot of overlap with my own personal list of favorite SNES soundtracks. Nice!
Final Fantasy Mystic Quest is definitely in my top 3
Same bro idk how the boss theme didnt make this list
@@FaithWithin1160 Well, to be fair, as much as I loved FF Mystic Quest... most of - if not all - of these games had strong *soundtracks*, not just one or two songs.
Castlevania 4, Super Metroid, MMX. Can never go wrong with ANY song from any of those 3. Simply incredible soundtracks.
BTW, if you don't already know, here's a list of some awesome VG music groups:
Arm Cannon (probably one of the all around best as far as composition and talent is concerned)
Year20xx (Very good metal renditions of popular game series)
The Advantage (most game music fans know of them, for obvious reasons)
Neskimos (I'm not as familiar with these guys, but they're solid, in a garage band kind of way)
As always, excellent video man! And I hope YOU have a great rest of your day. Game on dude!
There's a reason why SNES Drunk is the GOAT! We have the same #1 for both the game and soundtrack! AWESOME!!!
I think Plok should get an honourable mention for the track “Beaches” and “Akryllic”
Absolutely, thank you!
Incredible soundtrack, almost ridiculous
great list snesdrunk! For me the dkc music was my childhood. Thx for the vid
I guess maybe this bends the rules a bit, but the SNES port of DOOM would have to be on my list. And I completely agree with what you said about the Secret of Mana soundtrack being unbalanced. At times it can be fun, upbeat, mysterious, or simply beautiful...but jesus christ, that boss battle theme makes me want to tear my ears off. And considering you spend what feels like half of the game in boss fights, it really starts to wear on you.
SeafoamSmiles Doom is awesome. On PC with good soundcard.
When i was a child, i got the Donkey Kong Soundrack on a cd for free, being a member of the also free "nintendo club germany". Comparing today where they even sell extra levels, this is a very warm remembrance.
My 13 Super Nintendo Soundtracks :
1) Super Castlevania IV (Yuzo Koshiro is the best SNES composer ever)
From the intro to the 1st to the last level to the end credits, Castlevania IV has a flawless music score. Even games nowadays cannot pretend to this flawlessness.
2) Axelay
3) Contra III The Alien Wars
4) Actraiser 2 and Actraiser (better than all SNES RPG soundtracks)
6) Super Turrican
7) Super Metroid
8) Star Fox
9) Donkey Kong Country
10) F-Zero
11) Super Street Fighter 2
12) Megaman X
13) Super Aleste / Space Mega Force
Killer Instinct just the awesome intro music.
Surprised FF6 didn't make the number one spot just for Dancing Mad alone. I don't think anyone's dared to make anything on par with it since, as Dancing Mad was this amazing four-act 17 minute 38 second long piece of music used for the final boss battle.
How the hell can you leave out ActRaiser, level one is the best tune EVER!
He didn't, it's at the beginning of the video with the dozens of other games that could have just as easily been on his Top 13 list... if only 50+ games could fit on a 13-spot list.
Totally true.
This. ActRaiser's orchestral soundtrack was the only one left out of this final list that I believe is... *'objectively' great* -- especially considering how early it was released in SNES's life cycle. *ActRaiser alone set the bar to the world for what the SNES (and music in video games in general) could do, and thus, inspired many of the greatest soundtracks in the following years.* This has been admitted by many who worked on these soundtracks, such as Nobuo Uematsu himself. *FF4's soundtrack literally had to be restarted after he heard what Actraiser sounded like.*
@@Hausbrauen I mean, that’s a really cool story, but it’s still subjective. I never knew that though. I have tried to play the game a couple times but never really got into it, I’ll agree the music is really good though
@@The_SOB_II Thanks, got that info from a couple different interviews on this subject. I'm curious though -- if you got to experience Actraiser when it was still early-days SNES era. Nostalgia (aka recalling a game back when it was new) *definitely* helps cement how incredible Actraiser is/was as a whole -- much like how many who enjoy JRPG's will play Final Fantasy 7 for the first time now, and find it overrated and/or may not appreciate what it did for RPG's (and gaming entirely) back in its time. Which is perfectly fine by the way, and I'd argue is to often be expected. *The perceived value of many things we experience (especially in gaming) can be extremely time-dependent.*
And yes, technically *any* quality assessment of anything in existence is subjective. Nonetheless, the revolutionary techniques used to create its music helped change the landscape for what was possible in VG soundtracks using internal synth around that time. Therefore I'd say that makes its greatness in that regard fairly... *irrefutable,* if you prefer.
My top:
13) Killer Instintc
12) Star Fox
11) Super Castlevania IV
10) Super Mario RPG
09) The Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past
08) Donkey Kong Country
07) Castlevania Dracula X
06) Final Fantasy VI
05) F Zero
04) Super Metroid
03) Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kong's Quest
02) Chrono Trigger
01) Mega Man X
Great list... thanks for another great video!
I bought Killer Instinct for the SNES, and it came on a black cartridge and the music CD came with it. I didn't realize they sold the CDs separately - maybe I inadvertently ended up with a collector's edition? Take care!
So happy u let the tracks play out and not cut them right away
I love that you picked the Kingdom of Zeal for Chrono Trigger. It's my favorite too. The combination of gamelan and sitar is intoxicating. Every attempt at an "arranged" version just shits the bed because they never use the two damn things that made it so distinctive.
Your list is perfect ... if the moon theme from Ducktails (NES) could be added to this list, the universe would collapse in on itself.
Terranigma just stands out as an anomaly in Greatness. That music is Godly.
When I saw Super Mario Kart on your list of soundtracks you had to leave out, I knew this would really be the best of the best! Always loved the SMK soundtrack.