The Greatest Video Game Music From The NES
Posted on | February 8, 2010 |
It still amazes me how many people still play, and love, the original Nintendo Entertainment System. The NES is great because it’s so simple - there are two buttons on the controller and you never have to think too hard. The games are fun and innovative - have you ever tried out the Power Pad?
Another great element to this 8-Bit Icon, the element we are exploring today, is the music. Some of the music and sound effects you hear while playing your favorite Nintendo games is simply mind blowing. Come on an adventure with us friend and grab your favorite beverage. Traveling back in time to your childhood is as easy as turning up your speakers and listening up. Now, TheDailyContributor.com takes a look at what we consider to be the best NES in-game songs:
25) Kirby’s Adventure - Orange Ocean
Wikipedia: After Kirby wakes up from his after-lunch nap without having any dreams, he goes to the Fountain of Dreams to investigate. In doing so, he discovers that King Dedede has stolen the Star Rod, the source of power to the Fountain of Dreams, and broken it into seven pieces, giving six fragments to his allies and keeping one himself. Without the Star Rod, all of the inhabitants of Dream Land are becoming restless and unable to dream. Kirby decides to track down the fragments of the Star Rod and bring them back to the Fountain of Dreams in order to restore everyones’ dreams.
Click To Listen: Kirby’s Adventure - Orange Ocean
24) Maniac Mansion - Michael’s Theme
Wikipedia: It has been twenty years, to the day, since a mysterious purple meteor came hurtling out of the sky and made a large crater in the front lawn of a huge Victorian-era mansion belonging to the Edison family. Dr. Fred, his wife Nurse Edna, and their son Edward “Weird Ed” Edison were reclusive people who left the house very rarely, but the meteor’s arrival brought about a strange change in Dr. Fred and the family were seen even less, and even their mansion has fallen into disrepair. Lately, patients from the local hospital have begun to disappear without trace.
Click To Listen:Maniac Mansion - Michael’s Theme
23) Skate or Die - Title
Wikipedia: The game featured two ramp events - the freestyle ramp and the high jump, two downhill events - the downhill race (in a park setting) and the downhill jam (in a street setting), and the pool joust. The pool joust, downhill jam, and the downhill race (in two player mode only) were all head to head, while the ramp events were single player. Except for the joust, which was a hand-to-hand knockout competition (literally and figuratively), all of the event winners were decided by a point system.
Click To Listen: Skate or Die - Title
22) River City Ransom - Main
Wikipedia: The plot follows high school students Alex and Ryan (Kunio and Riki in the Japanese version) as they cross River City in an attempt to rescue River City High and Ryan’s girlfriend Cyndi from the clutches of a villain called “Slick”. Along the way, they battle with gangs of students (with names such as “The Generic Dudes” or “The Frat Guys”) and several bosses and sub-bosses. Enemies will warrant a yell and drop money signifying their defeat, including the well known phrase “BARF!”
Click To Listen: River City Ransom - Main
21) Tetris - Music B
Wikipedia: Tetris (Russian: Те́трис) is a puzzle video game originally designed and programmed by Alexey Pajitnov. It was created on June 6, 1984, while he was working for the Dorodnicyn Computing Centre of the Academy of Science of the USSR in Moscow. He derived its name from the Greek numerical prefix “tetra- (all of the game’s pieces, known as Tetrominoes, contain four segments) and tennis, Pajitnov’s favorite sport
Click To Listen: Tetris - Music B
20) Tecmo Super Bowl - Kick Off
Wikipedia: Tecmo Super Bowl is an American football video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) that was released in 1991. Developed by Japanese video game company Tecmo, it was one of the first sports video games that had licensing privileges with both the league it sought to emulate (National Football League) and the player’s association (National Football League Players Association), thus allowing the game to use both the names and attributes of real NFL teams and real NFL players. (Prior games used the real teams or the real players, but not both.) Player rosters are based on the 1991 NFL preseason, and attributes are based on those of the 1990 NFL season. Although the game is in some ways considered outdated, it was very successful in the final years of the NES and enjoys an extensive cult following.
Click To Listen: Tecmo Super Bowl - Kick Off
19) Double Dragon - Mission 2
Wikipedia: The player takes control of martial artist Billy Lee, or his twin brother Jimmy (also known as Hammer and Spike in the supplementary materials for the American arcade release), as they fight their way into the turf of the Black Warriors gang in order to rescue their common love interest Marian. The player character has a repertoire of martial art techniques which they can perform by using the joystick and three action buttons (kick, jump, and punch) individually or in combination. Techniques ranges from basic punches and kicks, to more elaborate maneuvers like hair grabbing moves or elbow punches. When playing with another player, one can assist the other by grabbing their partner’s opponent from behind.
Click To Listen: Double Dragon - Mission 2
18) Excitebike - Main Theme
Wikipedia: Whether the player chooses to race solo or against computer-assisted riders, he/she races against a certain time limit. The goal is to qualify for the Excitebike (the championship) race by coming in at third place or above in the challenge race (preliminary race). The times to beat are located on the stadium walls (for first place) and in the lower left corner (for third place). In any race, the best time is 8 seconds ahead of third place. When the player places first, then they get a message: “It’s a new record!” Additional points are earned by beating the previously-set record time.
Click To Listen: Excitebike - Main Theme
17) Final Fantasy 1 - Title Screen
Wikipedia: Final Fantasy is a console role-playing game created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, developed and published in Japan by Square (now Square Enix) in 1987, and published in North America by Nintendo of America in 1990. It is the first game in Square’s Final Fantasy series. Originally released for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Final Fantasy was remade for several video game consoles and is frequently packaged with Final Fantasy II in video game collections. The story follows four youths called the Light Warriors, who each carry one of their world’s four elemental orbs which have been darkened by the four Elemental Fiends. Together, they quest to defeat these evil forces, restore light to the orbs, and save their world.
Click To Listen: Final Fantasy 1 - Title Screen
16) Kung Fu - Level Music
The player takes the role of Keiji Thomas, a man in a Keikogi and slippers. Thomas’s girlfriend, Sylvia, has been kidnapped by “Mr. X”, and Thomas must fight through five side-scrolling floors full of enemies to rescue her. The game was an early beat ‘em up. It is cited as one of the inspirations for subsequent successes like Double Dragon, Final Fight, Captain Commando, Streets of Rage, P.O.W.: Prisoners of War and Bad Dudes Vs. DragonNinja. Thomas can punch with the A button and kick with the B button. Either move can be done from a crouching or jumping position. Punches are worth twice as much as kicks and do twice as much damage, but their range is shorter.
Click To Listen: Kung Fu - Level Music
15) Mega Man II - Metalman’s Stage
Wikipedia: Mega Man 2 takes place after the original Mega Man, which is set in an unspecified year during the 21st century (the year 200X). Dr. Wily, the series’ main antagonist, builds a new fortress and army of robotic henchmen, led by eight new Robot Masters of his design. Mega Man is sent by his creator, Dr. Light, to defeat Dr. Wily and his Robot Masters. Mega Man crushes the eight new Robot Masters and then challenges Wily himself. In the final fight, Mega Man defeats Dr. Wily’s holographic projection device. After the scientist begs for mercy, Mega Man spares Wily and returns home.
Click To Listen: Mega Man II - Metalman’s Stage
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One Response to “The Greatest Video Game Music From The NES”
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February 28th, 2010 @ 11:41 pm
Where the heck is DuckTales Moon, the most popular NES song ever?