Modern video games feature some of the most beautiful, layered soundtracks ever.
As an entertainment medium that thrives on complete player immersion, it’s no wonder developers invest heavily in ensuring their titles feature the best soundtracks possible.
Before games had the ability to showcase beautiful, sweeping orchestral scores by the world’s best composers, developers had to rely on a more primitive musical choice – chiptune.
Although more basic in design, it’s undeniable that the era of chiptune games still managed to feature some of the most iconic and memorable music in video game history.
Let’s take a look at the 10 most legendary chiptune soundtracks that we still have stuck in our heads to this day.
10 F-zero
(Un)Mute City
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Systems
Released
August 23, 1991
engine
Game engine
ESRB
R
No other chiptune racing game has as distinctive music as the original F-zero On Super Nintendo.
The theme songs of both Big Blue and Mute City are legendary, and have been remastered and re-released on recent titles such as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Super Smash Bros.
And while these two tracks feature the most memorable title music, don’t sleep on some of the other tracks either. The lively, almost eerie atmosphere of the Port Town theme is another highlight.
The F-Zero soundtrack does a great job of matching the speed of the game’s racing with the rhythm and urgency of the soundtrack, making its music one for the Chiptune record books.
The theme music of the game’s newly introduced overworld will forever be a part of the deep subconscious of every Mario player on Earth.
The funny irony of this title is that the silent title screen is the complete opposite of the rest of the game’s atmosphere. Once you press the start button, it plays track after track of some of the most iconic music in chiptune history.
It’s a game where it’s really hard to come up with just one level’s soundtrack to highlight. Lots of music inside Sonic 2 Engraved in video game legend.
The “Metroidvania” title made up half of an entire subgenre of gaming, and only a few others have had that kind of impact.
Although it is not usually considered the best overall game in the series (which may belong to… Symphony of the night), the original game still boasts the most iconic music Konami has ever put into a game.
The music of the first stage, although it sounds very happy and somewhat triumphant, as you are charged by the undead, is an absolute banger of a song and stands out as an integral part of one of the most iconic soundtracks of all time.
6 Super Mario World
Mario goes global
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Systems
Released
August 23, 1991
Publisher(s)
Nintendo
engine
Special engine
ESRB
E for everyone
How long to win
5 hours
At the time of its issuance, Super Mario World It was the most expansive game in the series to date. After leaving the Mushroom Kingdom behind, the game follows Mario and Luigi to the land of dinosaurs for their next heroic adventure.
This change in geography has also wonderfully allowed for brand new music and songs to be created throughout the game which blend beautifully with this new, more exotic setting.
The theme of Ghost House is In reality scary. The underground and underwater themes fit their locations perfectly, and each new section of the map discovered unlocks more and more cool chiptune paths for you to jump into. Dino mites!
The short but sweet Game Start and Stage Clear tunes are iconic enough to warrant Mega Man II earning a spot on this list. But stopping there sells out a lot of other great legendary tracks that appear throughout the game.
The Flash Man Stage theme is a clear standout and instantly evokes the emotions of the modern RPG classic Undertale, proving its influence and importance in gaming history beyond recognition.
Considering the state of the global Pokemon phenomenon over this entire time period, it’s pretty impressive that the OG games have sat on top of the throne for so long.
It’s undeniable that the chiptune soundtrack of these early titles shaped the childhoods of millions upon millions of children around the world.
Many of these tracks later appeared in hugely popular anime television series, in films, and in countless spin-offs. Soundtrack for Pokemon red, blueAnd Green really started it all.
This is definitely one of the best, like no one has done before.
3 Legend of Zelda
Soundtrack rules (Hy).
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Systems
Released
February 21, 1986
engine
Havok
ESRB
E for All due to mild fantasy violence
How long to win
8 hours
The game that launched our beloved Link to stardom, Legend of ZeldaThe chiptune soundtrack still holds up incredibly well to this day.
with So Many of the themes and musical cues that carry over the franchise into modern games as well, the OG title from 1986 coming after 40 years of prolific influence.
To better understand the mythical world of The Legend of Zelda, it is necessary to understand Hyrulean lore and the famous timeline.
There are undoubtedly other standout soundtracks in this series that deserve their time to shine as well.
However, much of this game’s music carries over into future Legendary games in the Zelda series He has To be the official representative of the wonderful music of Hyrule.
2 Tetris (1989)
From Russia with Love (Ly Music)
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Systems
privilege
Tetris
Released
July 31, 1989
ESRB
e
How long to win
3 hours
Tetris It is a video game series of eternal importance. The 1989 Game Boy version of the hit Russian game launched the already popular puzzle game into what would eventually become its second sequel The most popular video game franchise of all time.
With the limited memory of the original Game Boy cartridge, the developers were even more limited in terms of the amount of musical content they could squeeze into the game. This worked to Tetris’ advantage.
The upbeat, catchy, Russian-influenced song playing in the background of the Game Boy version of Tetris became an absolute earworm and is still hummed daily by millions of gamers around the world some 36 years later.
1 Super Mario Bros.
Mozart to video game music
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Systems
Released
November 17, 1985
Developer(s)
Nintendo R&D4
engine
Miyamoto
ESRB
e
How long to win
Two hours
Chiptune music aside, the soundtrack Super Mario Bros. on the NES is the most popular video game soundtrack of all time.
Although this is not the first title to feature Mario, Super Mario Bros. It was he who brought our beloved plumber into seemingly every living room in the world.
To this day, Super Mario is the best-selling video game series of all time, so there is no other reasonable answer for a more unique chiptune. The transition from World 1-1’s upbeat, cheerful, happy-go-lucky theme to World 1-2’s underground, bass-driven music will never be overtaken.
The chiptune soundtrack served as the foundation for Mario music for decades to come, and players of all ages can still relate some of their fondest early gaming memories to its exuberant melodies.
