Best Game Music - been done before??

[Robbeasy]

I've not been around these parts that long - has there been a top ten or list of 'best' music in speccy games ?

I've been playing Marauder recently and it made me wonder , as I consider the in-game tune and title music for that game to be amongst the best 'chiptune' music ever created anywhere, never mind just for the humble old speccy...

If anyone knows a tune that can beat it I would love to know please...

[stupidget]

Ping Pong.

You can close the thread now

[Van_Dammesque]

Beeper: Technically: Mister Beep - Rubber Love or "Yo Yo Beep Beep" Beeper Music (2023)
AY: The catchy Renegade or Robocop.

[Stefan]

I love Dave J Rogers music! His songs all have a recognizable style.

In the top 100 AY tunes list there are three entries from games, of which only two from back in the day, both by Music Maestro Follins:

- 10 Bean Brothers - in-game
- 15 LED Storm - Title
- 92 Bionic Commando - Stage 2

Some of MmcM's songs in the list have later been used in games - for example Pixel Quest.

[Stefan]

And, just seeing the best game by World XXI thread - a definite contender is Carlos Michelis Theme!

[worcestersource]

Ooooh. I loved Speccy AY tunes back in the day. These were my absolute favourites:

- Where Time Stood Still
- Netherworld (Hewson game, although I may not have the right name - dramatic tune but not the best game)
- Robocop theme
- Untouchables
- Chase HQ
- Target Renegade
- Midnight Resistance

As for beeper:
- The Plot
- Future Games (I recorded this one to listen to on my walkman!)

Good times. I’m sure there’s more.

Of course, there were some cool arcade tune, like Rainbow Islands and Bobble Bubble but since they’re derived from arcades, won’t be including them.

[Oloturia]

AY:
- Chubby Gristle
- Brat Attack
- Exolon

Beeper:
- Turbo Esprit
- Earthshaker
- Nether Earth

Special mention for Chronos, which is the best beeper track if your ears can endure the pain.

[Nitrowing]

I still never found out which game had Metallica's Anaesthesia

[Vampyre]

Beeper:
1. Robin of the Wood
2. Fairlight
3. Quazatron

AY:
1. Stormbringer (best chiptune across all formats IMO)
2. Thundercats
3. Glider Rider

As OP mentioned chiptune music outside of the Speccy then I would have to say C64's Monty On The Run is a masterpiece.

[clebin]

I think I like the best beeper tunes better than AY. My +2's sound was always very thin and tinny.

Beeper, then: Fairlight is an absolutely cracker with the multi-channel effect and a great tune. Equinox and Three Weeks In Paradise for the same reasons. Shorter than Fairlight unfortunately but nice tunes, one a little bit sad and the other upbeat and bouncy. The Great Escape is a nice reproduction of Colonel Bogey and tees up one of my favourite games ever.

[PeteProdge]

AY: Typhoon

Beeper: Agent X II

(Although these tunes are in the pre-playing stage, so not really "game music" in the literal sense.)

[stupidget]

For Beeper music then I'd go with these:

1 - PingPong ( it's just fantastic)
2 - Fairlight
3 - Heavy on the Magic

For AY then these are hard to beat:

1 - Any of the tunes in Head Over Heals, take your pick, they're all excellent
2 - Janky Joe in Retro Hell - It's just such a great ear worm.
3 - Bean Brothers

[XoRRoX]

(Although these tunes are in the pre-playing stage, so not really "game music" in the literal sense.)

I think that difference could be expressed as "in-game music" instead of "game music"? The latter, to me, includes all music presented by the game.

[blucey]

Quazatron's beepy tune was always good.

People like Target Renegade's AY music but I found it at odds with the gameplay. Too sweet and sombre.

Anything Tim Follin did though was basically indistinguishable from magic.

[Robbeasy]

Some excellent tunes gents , thanks very much!!

I have to humbly submit though, I've listened to most of them and they don't touch the Marauder title music or game music.

Such a subjective thing, music innit...

[MarkRJones1970]

People like Target Renegade's AY music but I found it at odds with the gameplay. Too sweet and sombre.

AH! I so agree! I thought it was just me being too fussy! Doesn't go with the game does it? Sorry Gari / Jon !

[Turrican]

Beeper: Chronos
AY: Cybernoid II

[XTM]

In the top 100 AY tunes list there are three entries from games, of which only two from back in the day, both by Music Maestro Follins:
- 10 Bean Brothers - in-game
- 15 LED Storm - Title
- 92 Bionic Commando - Stage 2

Sounds like the list is somewhat biased against the tunes of the old games. Reminds me of that "500 best albums ever" list where a ridiculous number (like 495 or so) were albums with English lyrics, so obviously any music that is not sung in English automatically sucks, I guess the melody doesn't count

[Jbizzel]

The light corridor - beeper and ay
Chase hq
Tetris*
Toobin

*Ay is very good at doing this sort of glassy, high register sound, as per this game. I don't know how to describe it another way. A glassy sound. Ay does that really well.

Here's what I mean!!!!

[Jbizzel]

Let.me add this, not a game, but this tune is so, so good.

Not trying to use every possible option... Just trying to connect emotionally. Works so well.

[Einar Saukas]

[Lee Bee]

Some good suggestions! Mine are:

Beeper: Agent X II wins hands-down

AY: Bear A Grudge, Terramex, Pang, Mysterious Dimensions

[XTM]

It's hard to pick a "best" tune as there are too many good ones, but there is one I really liked BITD, yet I rarely see it being mentioned on Speccy sites/forums when music is discussed. Maybe it's not that well known as the game came late in the Speccy's life time (1991):

[+3code]

BITD I liked a lot the intro music of Turrican 2, I remember loading the tape only for it.

[Lee Bee]

BITD I liked a lot the intro music of Turrican 2

It says "music written by Sean Conran". Well, he certainly did a great rendition for the 8-bit versions, but it feels lacking compared with the original tune, composed by Amiga music king Chris Huelsbeck:



I've just attempted to do my own Speccy version here which is more faithful to the original:



Incidentally, if anyone's developing a new Turrican-style game, I recently came up with some brand new music I think would be perfect for it. Call me!