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Video game music is the music pieces
from computer and video
games (the Magnavox Odyssey being the only video game
console without sound capability, therefore being a silent console). Until
the appearance in 1990-1992 of the Super
NES, video game music often sounded characteristically "bleepy", although
some home computer sound
chips, like the Commodore 64's SID, partly
ameliorated this. With its SONY SPC700 chip, the Super NES
revolutionized video game music, spawning the modern age of this field of
applied acoustics (or digital sound revolution), exemplified by games such as
Final Fantasy IV, V, and VI, Chrono Trigger, Castlevania IV, and ActRaiser. Some
NES games, which originally had bleepy soundtracks, have later been enhanced-remade
for the Super NES, Sony Playstation, or some other modern game console to
reflect the modern age of applied acoustics. With advanced technology in modern
consoles, video game music has been much more sophisticated than on the Super
NES alone. The Sega Genesis has sound capability similar to that of the classic
Arcade games.
The Final Fantasy
series is considered by many gamers and unofficial video game and music Web
sites to have the best music of any modern video game series, especially the
pieces that are part of the work of Nobuo Uematsu, and
it has been widely recognized for its soundtracks. Japanese game companies
routinely make CD soundtracks, called OSTs, for their games as they do
with anime,
and also make sheet music books for their games. Like anime soundtracks, these
soundtracks and sheet music books are usually marketed exclusively in Japan.
Therefore, interested non-Japanese gamers have to import the soundtracks and/or
sheet music books through on- or offline firms specifically dedicated to video
game soundtrack imports. There are plenty of such firms, mostly online. Those
non-Japanese gamers import mainly Final Fantasy soundtracks. Some of those firms
also offer anime soundtrack imports. Listening to video game music outside
gaming, especially Final Fantasy music, along with anime music, is getting more
and more popular among non-Japanese gamers. There may come a time when video
game soundtracks will begin to be marketed outside Japan, most likely Final
Fantasy music. Video game music is even performed by European orchestras, such
as the London
Symphony Orchestra. Final Fantasy music is enjoyed not only by gamers, but
also by music lovers. The video game soundtrack market is growing and may extend
to overseas markets.
Video game soundtracks are frequently "ripped" electronically through emulation in
formats such as NSF, GBS, SID, HES,
VGM, SPC, PSF, and
PSF2, and can be played through e.g. Winamp in sample rates
above 44.1 kilohertz. This is
called upsampling (as opposed to downsampling). Modern video game music is
traditionally done in classical orchestra or techno music genres. A number of
video game critics are known to prefer digitized recordings of orchestrated
music in games as opposed to synthesized music. An
example of orchestrated classical music in video games can be heard in Super Smash
Bros. Melee, with its score performed by the aptly named Orchestra Melee.
On November 17, 2003, Square Enix
launched the Final Fantasy Radio on America Online. The radio
station has initially featured complete tracks from Final Fantasy XI and Final
Fantasy XI: Rise of Zilart and samplings from Final Fantasy VII thru X.
Inclusion of video game music on America Online Radio network or on radio
stations may contribute to the increase of realization of video games as a form
of media or artwork.
There were also several concerts, playing exclusively video game music. Five
"Orchestral Game Concerts" happened in Tokyo, Japan, from 1991 to 1996, and also
a Final Fantasy Concert, in 2002.
Recently increased sophistication has been shown in the creation of video
game music. Recently games for the PC such as Republic: The
Revolution have utilised sophisticated systems known as incidental music
to string together short phrases based on the action on screen and the player's
most recent choices.
Yoko Shimomura -
Front Mission
series, Live-A-Live, Super Mario RPG (with Nobuo Uematsu and Koji Kondo),
Chocobo Stallion, Parasite Eve, Kingdom Hearts
Koichi Sugiyama
- Dragon Quest
series, E.V.O.: Search for Eden, Hanjyuku Hero series, Itadaki Street 2: Neon
Sign ha Bara Iro ni, Monopoly (Japanese version), Syvalion,
Nobuo Uematsu -
Final Fantasy
series, Apple Town Monogatari, Cruise Chaser Blassity, King's Knight,
DynamiTracer, Front Mission: Gun Hazard (with Yasunori Mitsuda and Junya
Nakano), Ehrgeiz, Makaitoushi
SaGa (Final Fantasy Legend I), SaGa 2 Hihou Densetsu (Final Fantasy Legend
II), Romancing SaGa 1 and 2, Chrono Trigger
(with Yasunori Mitsuda and Noriko Matsueda), Super Mario RPG (with Yoko
Shimomura and Koji Kondo)
David Wise (British) - Donkey Kong
Country series, Jet Force Gemini, Star Fox Adventures
Kenji Yamamoto - Super Metroid
Michiru Yamane -
Twinbee (NES), Castlevania: Bloodlines, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night,
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance (with Soshiro Hokkai), Castlevania: Aria of
Sorrow (with Soshiro Hokkai and Takashi Yoshida), Castlevania: Lament of
Innocence, Gungage (with Sota Fujimori), Genso Suikoden III (with Tadashi
Yoshida and Masahiko Kimura)
