Almost two years ago I
started a thread on here that somewhat detailed a project I just finished. At first it was a top 50 list, then a top 100, but I ended up finishing a top 200 list of my favorite video game soundtracks. Despite the headaches and busyness of the project, I dedicated two years during my free time to research and listen to as many different soundtracks as I could from all sorts of places (I went through hundreds upon hundreds of vgm soundtracks in a short amount of time and probably listened to around 2,000). I learned a lot of the history and saw how a lot of games and companies intertwine. On the Tumblr I posted in the above link, I recently posted the full 200 list, and seeing as though I don't have many followers there, I thought this would be an even better place to share it for anyone here who is interested.
I live in the West, so this may be a strange list, and it's a personal one. There are samples for each game included also (I put links after every 50 games in this post). As expected, it was a pain listening to so much music, constantly changing to find the right order and especially finding what song to choose to represent each game. I hope you all enjoy this. I don't have enough time to research this as freely anymore, so for now on I'll only be looking into new games and new releases.
There is still going to be a lot missing since I can't listen to everything that's ever been made, and there is a lot that people would like to see but isn't on this list because I personally didn't rank it high enough. I tried to be as comprehensible as I could be:
#200: Ecco the Dolphin [Sega CD]
#199: Tetris Attack (Panel de Pon) [Super Famicom]
#198: Super Formation Soccer [Super Famicom]
#197: Kiki Kaikai: Tsukiyozoushi [Super Famicom]
#196: Kirby 64 [Nintendo 64]
#195: Silent Hill 2 [Sony PlayStation 2]
#194: Growlanser [Sony PlayStation]
#193: FEDA: Emblem of Justice [Super Famicom]
#192: Atelier Iris: Grand Fantasm [Sony PlayStation 2]
#191: Cotton 100% [Super Famicom]
#190: Atelier Ayesha: Alchemist of the Ground of Dusk [Sony PlayStation 3]
#189: Kirby Triple Deluxe [Nintendo 3DS]
#188: Final Fight [Arcade]
#187: Pokemon Black [Nintendo DS]
#186: Snowboard Kids 2 [Nintendo 64]
#185: Battle Zeque-Den [Super Famicom]
#184: Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemist of Dusk Sky [Sony PlayStation 3]
#183: Bravely Default [Nintendo 3DS]
#182: Sparkster [Super Famicom]
#181: Mana Khemia 2: Fall of Alchemy [Sony PlayStation 2]
#180: Evergrace [Sony PlayStation 2]
#179: Eternal Flame [PC]
#178: Cotton 2 [Arcade]
#177: Super Double Dragon [Super Famicom]
#176: Espgaluda [Arcade]
#175: Alcahest [Super Famicom]
#174: Brave Fencer Musashi [Sony PlayStation]
#173: Syvalion [Arcade]
#172: Digimon World [Sony PlayStation]
#171: The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask [Nintendo 64]
#170: Turrican [Amiga]
#169: Lunar the Silver Star [Sega CD]
#168: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time [Nintendo 64]
#167: Cybernator [Super Famicom]
#166: Midnight Resistance [Sega Mega Drive]
#165: Ys II: Ancient Ys Vanished The Final Chapter [NEC PC-88]
#164: Bare Knuckle 2 (Streets of Rage) [Sega Mega Drive/NEC PC-88 Sound]
#163: Ys II Special [DOS]
#162: Mr. Nutz [Super Famicom]
#161: Tenshi no Uta [Super Famicom]
#160: Dyna Brothers 2 [Sega Mega Drive]
#159: Shadow Hearts 2 [Sony PlayStation 2]
#158: Cotton Original [Sony PlayStation]
#157: Traverse: Starlight & Prairie [Super Famicom]
#156: Kaite Tukutte Asoberu Dezaemon [Super Famicom]
#155: Kiki Kaikai: Nazo no Kuro Manto [Super Famicom]
#154: Farland Story 2 [Super Famicom]
#153: Twinbee Yahho! [Arcade]
#152: Persona 2: Innocent Sin [Sony PlayStation]
#151: Atelier Viorate: Alchemist of Gramnad [Sony PlayStation 2]
Samples for 200-151 can be listened to
here
#150: Rushing Beat Shura [Super Famicom]
#149: Mother [Nintendo Entertainment System]
#148: Atelier Judie: Alchemist of Gramnad 2 [Sony PlayStation 2]
#147: Shin Momotarou Densetsu [Super Famicom]
#146: Soul & Sword [Super Famicom]
#145: Hercules’ Glory IV: Gift of the Gods [Super Famicom]
#144: Atelier Rorona: Alchemist of Arland [Sony PlayStation 3]
#143: Elemental Master [Sega Mega Drive]
#142: Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana [Sony PlayStation 2]
#141: Shadow Hearts [Sony PlayStation 2]
#140: Area 88 (U.N. Squadron) [Arcade]
#139: Parodius Da! [Arcade]
#138: Ar Tonelico 2: Melody of Metafalica [Sony PlayStation 2]
#137: Langrisser: Hikari no Matsuei [PC-Engine]
#136: Asterix & Obelix [Super Famicom]
#135: Battletoads [Arcade]
#134: Bittersweet Fools [Sony PlayStation 2]
#133: Metal Max 2 [Super Famicom]
#132: Thunder Force III [Sega Mega Drive]
#131: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers [Sega Saturn]
#130: Actraiser [Super Famicom]
#129: Battletoads & Double Dragon [Super Famicom]
#128: Monarch Monarch [PC]
#127: Falcata [Sony PlayStation]
#126: Trigon [Arcade]
#125: Mahou Kishi Reiasu [Super Famicom]
#124: Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals [Super Famicom]
#123: Journey to Silius [Nintendo Entertainment System]
#122: Gimmick! [Nintendo Entertainment System]
#121: Thunder Cross [Arcade]
#120: B.O.B. [Super Famicom]
#119: Gotcha Force [GameCube]
#118: Mother 3 [Nintendo Game Boy Advance]
#117: Pokemon Diamond [Nintendo Game Boy Advance]
#116: Madara [Nintendo Entertainment System]
#115: Emerald Dragon [Super Famicom]
#114: X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse [Super Famicom]
#113: Rockman & Forte [Super Famicom]
#112: Turrican 2 [Amiga]
#111: Ragnarok Online [PC]
#110: Star Fox [Super Famicom]
#109: Zwei!! [PC]
#108: Gunstar Heroes [Sega Mega Drive]
#107: Ganbare Goemon: Yukihime Kyuushutsu Emaki [Super Famicom]
#106: Pokemon Sapphire [Nintendo Game Boy Advance]
#105: Secret of Evermore [Super Famicom]
#104: Ar tonelico: Melody of Elemia [Sony PlayStation 2]
#103: Darius [Arcade]
#102: Contra: Hard Corps [Sega Mega Drive]
#101: Grid Seeker [Arcade]
Samples for 150-101 can be listened to
here.
#100: Ray Force [Arcade]
#99: Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen [Super Famicom]
#98: Super Adventure Island [Super Famicom]
#97: Shin Megami Tensei II [Super Famicom]
#96: Chrono Cross [Sony PlayStation]
#95: Twinbee: Rainbow Bell Adventure [Super Famicom]
#94: Mega Man 7 [Super Famicom]
#93: Seiken Densetsu 2 (Secret of Mana) [Super Famicom]
#92: Chrono Trigger [Super Famicom]
#91: Chaos Seed [Super Famicom]
#90: Ganbare Goemon: Neo Momoyama Bakufu no Odori [Nintendo 64]
#89: Thunder Cross 2 [Arcade]
#88: Atelier Elie: Alchemist of Salburg [Sony PlayStation]
#87: Farland Story [Super Famicom]
#86: Salamander 2 [Super Famicom]
#85: Super E.D.F. [Super Famicom]
#84: Puchi Crat [Arcade]
#83: Front Mission: Gun Hazard [Super Famicom]
#82: The Ninja Warriors [Arcade]
#81: Vay [Sega CD]
#80: The Legend of Heroes V: A Cagesong of the Ocean [PC]
#79: Umihara Kawase [Super Famicom]
#78: Dragon Knight 4 [Super Famicom]
#77: Super Variable Geo [Super Famicom]
#76: Final Fantasy VI [Super Famicom]
#75: Breath of Fire II [Super Famicom]
#74: Mega Man X3 [Super Famicom]
#73: Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars [Super Famicom]
#72: Nights: Journey of Dreams [Nintendo Wii]
#71: Opoona [Nintendo Wii]
#70: Atelier Totori: Alchimist of Arland 2 [Sony PlayStation 3]
#69: Revelations: Persona [Sony PlayStation]
#68: Kaze no Tansakusya ~Grand Slam~ [PC]
#67: Live a Live [Super Famicom]
#66: Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia [Nintendo DS]
#65: Ar nosurge: Ode to an Unborn Star [Sony PlayStation 3]
#64: Vantage Master [PC]
#63: The Scheme [NEC PC-88]
#62: Ciel nosurge ~Ushinawareta Hoshi e Sasagu Uta~ [Sony PlayStation Vita]
#61: Super Castlevania IV [Super Famicom]
#60: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time [Super Famicom]
#59: Tokimeki Memorial [Super Famicom]
#58: Ai Cho Aniki [NEC PC-Engine]
#57: Mega Man X [Super Famicom]
#56: Super Turrican 2 [Super Famicom]
#55: Mega Man X2 [Super Famicom]
#54: Ys III: Wanderers of Ys [NEC PC-88]
#53: Mouryou Senki Madara 2 [Super Famicom]
#52: Snatcher [NEC PC-88]
#51: The Legend of Heroes IV: A Tear of Vermilion [PC]
Samples for 101-51 can be listened to
here.
#50: Brandish 2: The Planet Buster [NEC PC-98]
#49: Soul Blader [Super Famicom]
#48: Vib Ribbon [Sony PlayStation]
#47: Last Bible III [Super Famicom]
#46: Plok! [Super Famicom]
#45: Energy Breaker [Super Famicom]
#44: Deus Ex [PC]
#43: Majin Tensei II: Spiral Nemesis [Super Famicom]
#42: Alien Soldier [Sega Mega Drive]
#41: Super Robot Wars Gaiden: Masou Kishin The Lord of Elemental [SFC]
#40: Kaze no Tansakusya 2 ~Shadow Kingdom~ [PC]
#39: Lagoon [Super Famicom]
#38: Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze [Nintendo Wii U]
#37: The Ninja Warriors Again [Super Famicom]
#36: Rushing Beat Run: Fukusei Toshi (Brawl Brothers) [Super Famicom]
#35: Sonic 3 & Knuckles [Sega Mega Drive]
#34: Flak Attack [Arcade]
#33: Ganbare Goemon ~Deroderodochu Obake Tenkomori [Nintendo 64]
#32: Gradius III [Super Famicom]
#31: The Legend of Heroes III: White Witch [NEC PC-98]
#30: Atelier Shallie: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea [Sony PlayStation 3]
#29: Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest [Super Famicom]
#28: Atelier Iris 2: The Azoth of Destiny [Sony PlayStation 2]
#27: Ys: Ancient Ys Vanished [NEC PC-88] [NEC PC-Engine] [PC]
#26: Contra III: The Alien Wars [Super Famicom]
#25: Seiken Densetsu 3 (Secret of Mana 2) [Super Famicom]
#24: Super Turrican [Super Famicom]
#23: Moon: Remix RPG Adventure [Sony PlayStation]
#22: Nights into Dreams… [Sega Saturn]
#21: Panzer Dragoon Saga (Azel: Panzer Dragoon RPG) [Sega Saturn]
#20: Majin Tensei [Super Famicom]
#19: Sorcerian [NEC PC-88]
#18: Metal Black [Arcade]
#17: Darius Gaiden [Arcade]
#16: Night Striker [Arcade]
#15: G-Darius [Arcade]
#14: Sword World [Super Famicom]
#13: Mother 2 (Earthbound) [Super Famicom]
#12: Rudra no Hihou (Treasure of the Rudras) [Super Famicom]
#11: Ys IV: Dawn of Ys [PC-98]
#10: Ys V: Ushinawareta Suna no Miyako Kefin [Super Famicom]
#9: Popful Mail [Super Famicom] [Sega CD]
#8: Brandish 3: Spirit of Balcan [NEC PC-98]
#7: Axelay [Super Famicom]
#6: Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest [Super Famicom]
#5: Thunder Force IV [Sega Mega Drive]
#4: Terranigma [Super Famicom]
#3: VM Japan [PC]
#2: The Legend of Xanadu [NEC PC-Engine]
#1: The Legend of Xanadu II [NEC PC-Engine]
Samples for 50-1 can be listened to
here.