Themes you still hum decades later: music is an integral part of video games. This Top 100 gathers the retro games with the most memorable soundtracks, from 8-bit sound chips to CD orchestrations, based on RomWize's reassessed scores. For each title: its current score, its versions, their rarity and their collector value.
"Signed by Mike Morasky, the music unfurls a generative, playful ambient electro, where synthetic textures and robotic beeps embrace the mischievous spirit of the puzzles. The final song "Want You Gone" crowns the adventure with an irresistible touch of humour. This inventive, offbeat sonic identity makes all the singular charm of the game."
"Blending an adventurous orchestra and ethnic accents, the music raises Nathan Drake's journeys to the scale of a great action film. The unforgettable "Nate's Theme" and epic flights accompany every stunt with flair. This cinematic breadth, generous and exhilarating, is the whole sweep of the saga."
"Signed by Garry Schyman, the music blends dissonant, anxiety-inducing strings with the nostalgic hits of the 1940s and 50s echoing through Rapture. This chilling contrast between retro sweetness and muffled terror elevates the decadent atmosphere of the underwater city. This unique sonic identity remains a peak of sound design."
"Tense and cinematic, the music blends orchestra, electro and spy themes to embrace the intensity of the infiltration. The famous Metal Gear theme, heroic and melancholy, hovers over the whole adventure. This sonic breadth, worthy of a Hollywood thriller, elevates every moment of tension in the game."
"Signed by Bill Elm and Woody Jackson, the music revives the Wild West with distant guitars, harmonica and dusty strings in a vibrant homage to the western. The overwhelming "Far Away" accompanies the ride with a twilit melancholy. This sonic identity, visceral and authentic, remains a peak of the genre."
"Toby Fox wrote everything solo, in leitmotif-driven chiptune: a single motif disguises itself, mutates, returns transformed depending on whom you meet. "Megalovania" became a phenomenon in its own right. That cunning writing rewards attention and forges an unexpected bond with every encounter, proof that a handful of bleeps can move you as much as an orchestra."
"Signed by Jeremy Soule, the music culminates in the thunderous, Nordic-choir "Dragonborn", an anthem that became instantly legendary. From the snowy plains to the dragon battles, the orchestra embraces the epic grandeur of Skyrim. This symphonic breadth, sumptuous and iconic, remains one of the most beloved in video games."
"Signed by Bill Elm and Woody Jackson, the music revives the Wild West with distant guitars, harmonica and dusty strings in a vibrant homage to the western. The overwhelming "Far Away" accompanies the ride with a twilit melancholy. This sonic identity, visceral and authentic, remains a peak of the genre."
"Signed by Gustavo Santaolalla, the music reduces the orchestra to the essential: a bare guitar, scattered strings, heavy silences. This overwhelming restraint embraces the solitude and the fragile tenderness of Joel and Ellie. This sonic identity, minimal and heart-rending, remains one of the most beautiful achievements of the medium."
"The switch to live recording transfigured the series: funk guitars on Mute City, a driving big band, drums that push the throttle down. Every track has its instrumental colour, tuned to speed and drifting. That organic energy galvanises both solo races and nights with friends, turning every restart into a sonic party you never tire of chaining."
"Signed by Jeremy Soule, the music culminates in the thunderous, Nordic-choir "Dragonborn", an anthem that became instantly legendary. From the snowy plains to the dragon battles, the orchestra embraces the epic grandeur of Skyrim. This symphonic breadth, sumptuous and iconic, remains one of the most beloved in video games."
"Still signed by Garry Schyman, the music surprises with its anachronistic covers of modern hits arranged in 1912 style, from gospel to barbershop. This temporal vertigo, disturbing and brilliant, bathes Columbia in a fascinating strangeness. This sonic daring, unique of its kind, remains one of the most memorable of the medium."
"A return to medieval roots, Nobuo Uematsu's score wraps Zidane's adventure in a warm nostalgia, from the tender "Melodies of Life" to the most intimate themes. Each village breathes a rare gentleness and melancholy. This melodic elegance, often cited as the composer's own favourite, still moves the heart."
"Eclectic and warm, the soundtrack blends jazz, world, electro and licensed tracks in a joyful patchwork of irresistible whimsy. Each world has its own sonic colour, underlining the handmade, good-natured spirit of the game. This musical generosity, creative and sunny, instantly lifts the mood."
"A few notes of the ocarina are enough to summon a whole world: Zelda's Lullaby or the Song of Time are etched into collective memory. Koji Kondo's compositions, woven into the gameplay, turn music into a genuine tool of adventure. This melodic magic, intact on 3DS, remains an absolute benchmark."
"Ever more colossal, the music combines unleashed choirs and a titanic orchestra to magnify Kratos's revenge. Each titan confrontation rises into a sonic deluge of unheard-of power. This epic breadth, overwhelming and grandiose, remains one of the peaks of action music on the machine."
"Blending an adventurous orchestra and ethnic accents, the music raises Nathan Drake's journeys to the scale of a great action film. The unforgettable "Nate's Theme" and epic flights accompany every stunt with flair. This cinematic breadth, generous and exhilarating, is the whole sweep of the saga."
"Broadcast across a multitude of radio stations, the music weaves the cosmopolitan soul of Liberty City, from rock to Eastern European through rap. Michael Hunter's main theme, dark and Slavic, signs the game's identity. This musical generosity, polished and immersive, turns the slightest drive into a tailor-made soundtrack."
"Lena Raine renders Madeline's ascent in shimmering synths and fragile piano that tighten as the mountain resists. The music breathes with the effort, collapses with each fall, restarts with every retry. That intimate bond between sound and the anxiety of climbing gives the platformer its emotional core and makes the score a landmark of indie gaming."
"Jack Wall's soundtrack matches the game's near-future setting with cold electronic and industrial textures. The coup: Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) wrote the main theme, lending it a taut darkness and a sound unlike anything else in the series. That collaboration sets the score apart, balancing martial rigor with a modern, throbbing pulse."
