7 Bit Arcade

The title is pretty self explanatory. Iconic music from iconic games. We all know em, and we all love (or hate) em. There have been so many amazing games with fantastic music over the years that this list was pretty hard to come up with. There are, of course, some no-brainers; but there are also more than a couple of spots that many of you might disagree with. There will be some inclusions and omissions that will no doubt spark debate and many calls of “hey jackass, you don’t know a damn thing about iconic video game music” from you lovely lovely readers.

I can only hope that your love for me is not ruined by any difference of opinions we may have. Especially you sexy console jockeys who may have missed a couple of the classics which never made it to a Nintendo, XBox or Playstation. PEACE!

Enjoy this run down of positions 10 to 6.

10. Civilization 4

Universally loved by critics and fans alike, Civilization 4 is an iconic PC game from an iconic series, and while previously music was not a really core feature of the game the newest incarnation really changed that with possibly one of the most beautiful and stirring main themes for a game in memory. I have sat staring at the title menu more than once, just listening to that belting tune, and I know I am not the only one to have done so. Featured on the Video Games Live tour (which is a huge orchestra playing loads of classic video game tunes), it is truly a modern masterpiece. Have a listen here and see for yourself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nb-jk6Ftx7o

9. World of Warcraft

I reckon this might draw some contention, but I like to think I am pushing the bounds of challenging e-journalism here. Or whatever. Ahem. Whether you believe WoW is a blight on humanity or a fantastic and immersive gaming experience, the fact is that 12.5 million people play WoW, a truly staggering audience for any medium. The theme music for a game so prolific cannot be anything else but iconic. Also featured on the Video Games Live tour, which I can only kick myself for not going to see when I had the chance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-MEuBRMxxI

8. Duke Nukem 3D

I think anyone who hasn’t played Duke Nukem needs to be forcibly reeducated in some kind of concentration camp. He has balls of steel and he came to kick ass and chew bubblegum. Many people forget the original Duke Nukem sidescrolling platform shooter, but I don’t think anyone can forget his far more iconic outing in Duke Nukem 3D. The original video game mysogynistic badass, with an unforgettable headbanging theme which has even been covered by the likes of Megadeth. A true video game legend.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1v5tkJuJ368 – original Midi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUCbflBkIgo – Megadeth version

7. Bionic Commando

Bionic Commando has come in several incarnations, all of which share the same fantastic theme tune. The 1987 8-bit original had some cracking music and was possibly one of the most difficult platform games ever conceived. It was fiendishly challenging even by the standards of those halcyon 8-bit days when games were meant to last a whole summer, and not just a paltry 8-12 hours over a weekend.

When they remade the game as a 2.5D homage in 2008 they kept all the old tracks and gave them a 21st century makeover, keeping that awesome 8-bit vibe (somewhat reminding me of the last Prodigy album to be honest). The last remake, which was a little more comprehensive turning it into a proper 3D action game, also fully revamped the iconic theme tune into a big swinging orchestral piece with strings and t’ings. Listen to all three versions here and if you have missed out on this classic game, I can’t recommend Rearmed (the 2008 remake) enough.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hl5UCCBCXI – 1987

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1r7TrYZwJ0 – 2008

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBzJrrBLrJ0 – 2009

6. Portal

Portal is without a doubt a watershed moment for gaming. Beyond its fantastic mind bending physics and amazingly stark yet nuanced form of narrative delivery, it is almost certainly most remembered for that fantastic tune which accompanied the credits, if you got that far. Of course, even if you didn’t, the song (called Still Alive) was so amazingly prevalent on the internet in the months following the game’s release that you almost certainly have heard it. In fact I have to admit, the way I discovered the game was because the song was everywhere. I heard it, loved it and then wanted to find out about where it came from. I have never looked back. Listen now, if you haven’t already, and then go play this game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6ljFaKRTrI

That about wraps it up for the first (and in many ways more exciting, less predictable) half of the iconic music video game  Top 10. Be sure to let me know what a douchebag I am for omitting your favourite games in our handy comments section.

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