Disc 2 has been read successfully, let us continue on with the trip down memory lane if you just so happened to take a turn down those mean Nintendo backstreets where shady merchants try to convince you of the worth of a GBA to GC link cable, well actually Fours Swords Adventures is pretty great, sidetracked, back to the list.
6. Donkey Kong Country 3 GBA
The GBA was no stranger to ports of various 16 bit titles, unfortunately the gain of portability came at the expense of sound quality with some ports suffering more than others, fortunately DKC3 sidestepped the butchery of its predecessors by whipping up a whole new soundtrack instead. This leads to an interesting contrast to the SNES original headed up by Eveline Fisher that prioritized stronger atmosphere while David Wise’s GBA take on things is altogether a bit more bouncier and lighter for both better and for worse but ultimately more fitting for the GBA’s sound output.
I bring up
Cascade Capers on the regular here on GAF so of course here it comes again, It’s pure Wise, that powerful piano, that choir, my GBA never sounded so great.
Rockface Rumble takes a fun turn compared to the original, I almost liken it to “what if DKC tackled Sonic 2 Hill Top Zone” and then somewhere out there Dark Schala feels a disturbance and vomits I presume. Anyway we’re busting out some harmonicas and accordions for this one among other things, it would’ve fit well in Tropical Freeze’s Autumn Heights and in general fits in quite well with that soundtracks jollier stylings. This track features a recurring element of this soundtrack which is to have periods of environmental sound alone to create ambience, I tend to think this is more because it’s the GBA and we got to get that country ambiance in there somehow.
Nuts & Bolts is a funkier factory theme as well as an unusual outing for another Rare title but that’s another matter entirely. I still say
Bonus Time here is the series best bonus room theme, so fun you’ll almost forgive the annoyance of grab 15 green banana challenges.
In a world where Star Fox Adventures samples aren’t so lacking it could’ve been the Wise OST of choice for this gen, somehow the GBA won out though, you could say it used the limitations to its advantage and sounds damn good for GBA while SFA sounded unfortunately lacking for the Gamecube.
But GBA Frosty Frolics is still a thing so this game ain't entirely in the clear either, GBA yodelling ain't great friends.
7. Timesplitters 2
One of the great positions TS2 finds itself in is the one where it can tackle all sorts of themes due to the variety of locales time travel can encompass be it single player campaign or multiplayer maps.
Much like how through its gameplay the spirit of N64 FPS titles Goldeneye and Perfect Dark lives on as to does it within the music whipped up by Graeme Norgate, or so you may think but the style jumps around so much that the OST ends up going far beyond that spirit. Sure Siberia has a very Goldeneye esque stage theme but then you’re having a multiplayer Big Top shootout accompanied by crazed and mischievous circus music so TS2 is very much its own musical beast when it comes down to it.
My stand out for this game will always be
Notre Dame, gloomy Gregorian chanting with blatant nods to classical pieces like those of Mozart pulled off in such a way that younger me had fear residing in my heart heading up from the sewer and catacombs into the zombie infested Gothic Cathedral. Sinister and soulful in equal measure, ringing bells and church organs, the atmosphere is well and truly delivered.
Chicago brings the seedy noir feeling you’d expect from the prohibition period while
Wild West provides an empowering YEEEHAW of a piece complete with all the Western clichés you can think of, really the whole cliché thing is just so much fun and embodies the goofy playfulness that rests at the games core.
Of course why stick to the past? 2019 draws ever closer and maybe
NeoTokyo is a sign of things to come, traditional eastern instruments working with cyberpunk stylings and vocal effects. And for something just more to the point and electronically funky
Return to Planet X is that one track everyone I played Multiplayer with got a kick out of making it a frequent choice.
Retro inspired goodness makes its unexpected arrival through
Anaconda which is an easter egg retro minigame within the single player campaign, but better yet you can then use this catchy little number for multiplayer, this is the most hilarious theme you can possibly play virus to, jaunty fun times while the Snowman wails “I’m meeeelting” in the background wreathed in green flames.
8. Tales of Symphonia
My GC heavy past is evident throughout this list but especially so when I’m going for a GC RPG soundtrack over the arguably stronger options presented on the PS2 but see the thing is despite having a PS2 I really wasn’t one for RPG games. And this here is where Motoi Sakuraba gets to swoop in and take this vote with either Golden Sun or Tales of Symphonia which were effectively my entry level games in the genre in a more traditional style.
Golden Sun might actually be the stronger body of work but Symphonia had an uncanny grip on me back in the day, not enough to make the cut for my top 10 games of the generation these days but I’ll give it its due with the soundtrack which coming to think of it was one that really pushed me explore VGM that much more as well as JRPG games so there we go.
Standard JRPG fare in the Sakuraba style here, he never matched his output here within the series again, better sound samples be damned Symphonia still trumps his later Tales of work and while there appear to be other reasons afoot for this (the guy can still go after all) I can still fondly recall a host of themes that graced this game.
I remember not liking
Dry Trail much at all at first but I guess you get time to love it in that blasted Gorge area, really relaxing and a touch ethereal, it graduated to being my favourite track in the game which is quite the jump from my original thoughts, good to know SupraDarky has my back.
Asgard is home to
Town of Wind and Ruins, it’s rather bit melancholy and if I recall comes with some wind effects in game depending on proximity to the surrounding canyon. The town itself is one I really liked thematically as well.
The music box and later woodwind/flute/(I'm no good with instruments) of
A Wood Carving Star hits a happy place for me, a pleasing event theme that could easily fall off the radar yet I always remember it.
End of a Thought is a pretty slick one off battle theme, I like how it’s all like BATTLE SHREDDING GUITARS and then sneaks in Krato’s character theme before slowing down entirely to make the complete transition to said theme now minus the initial ferocity, serious battle business is afoot.
Shame that playing the game tends to be a bit of a struggle for me these days but hey I got a good 5 or 6 runs out of it and some in multiplayer, the game lives on to me in my memory and its music.
9. Okami
Okami’s soundtrack is an interesting one for me, I always felt that much like the game itself I should like it more than I actually do, still when it shines it shines as bright as you’d expect from the sun goddess Amaterasu. Traditional Japanese instruments galore along with odd grunts because that’s a thing seemingly. It’s a truly vast soundtrack, I do find this creates a number of themes that fall short of the games stronger songs but it all fits the theme, you couldn’t ask for a more fitting soundtrack to accompany the brushstroked land of Nippon.
Ryoshima Coast is one of my absolute favourites tracks of the generation and in game music in general, it’s full of so much adventure, it just makes me want to roam the lands by the sea exploring all I can, absolutely fantastic track that encapsulates Okami for me. And as per field music here the second loop adds extra elements shifting it to a higher energy.
Waka’s theme is so serene for someone who spends a lot of the game acting like a condensing git to the player, it creates an interesting contrast none the less with his dialogue ma Cherie.
Nothern Country Kamui tackles the snowy area theme in that bleaker and more oppressive way as well as bringing a climactic endgame area feeling to the table, as do top hat donning twin robo owls.
10. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
Usually I’d steer clear of tackling the same series twice in a list like this let alone a similar sounding sequel but exceptions are being made.
Metroid Prime 2 doubles down on that extraterrestrial atmosphere building, as a result it’s not quite as immediately memorable which then in turn makes the more melodic stuff that much more notable.
The final phase of the Emperor Ing fight is one of my favourite final boss themes, kicking off with the snippet of the Prime series motif it then goes all in giving off that “this is it” feeling, no more forms to come and now it’s the true fight. The return of warbling distorted electronics at 1:20 really elevate this for me, this was touched upon in the first games Artifact temple track but here it really fits the situation that much more
Dark Samus’ battle theme has this almost alarm or siren like approach going throughout especially after half a minute or so, actually this element seems to be quite recurrent in Prime 2’s battle theme (mini boss theme as well for instance), it fits well due to the more dangerous and challenging battles this game presents among the trilogy.
The main multiplayer theme (yeah, there’s a really slapdash MP component in here, hooray for death balls and hacker visors) may sound familiar to series veterans, it is in fact a supercharged remix of Green Brinstar/Overgrown Brinstar from Super Metroid, now that much more high octane to more suitably fit awkwardly shooting each other in the face, really this track is probably more known from Smashing to in Brawl and SSB4. In any case it provides an interesting shift from its more brooding origins.
Really now I think about it Prime 2 tend to excel in its oppressive themes be it gloomy dark world ambience or boss themes, I tend to think
Quadraxis has both points covered.
Honourable Mentions
Animal Crossing
No soundtrack from this generation quite hits the nostalgia point like the pleasingly pleasant themes that populated Animal Crossing. Those carefree days of roaming through my original town back when the whole concept was fresh, hearing the hourly themes has me recollect my town’s map almost startlingly well, it really was like a second home and short of setting up my Gamecube and stepping back into its now weed ridden depths I can just listen to the music to get my homecoming fix.
7AM, aka that time I just can’t deal with, safe to say I wouldn’t be stumbling across this theme much in game these days but back in the day this was sneaking in a morning town visit before School.
2 PM, the simplistic theme that will worm its way into ones head if you even spend 5 minutes roaming around town trying to find that damn penguin to give a package to, WHY AREN’T YOU AT HOME HOPPER?!
8PM, the theme that signifies the Saturday station sprint to see K.K Slider, the fact that I can relate these themes to events like this makes me a bit sad that the series doesn’t do nearly as much for me these days.
Castlevania: Curse of Darkness
My entire knowledge of this soundtrack comes heavily from what I’ve been linked to on GAF, it’s bloomin’ brilliant as I’d expect from a Yamane CV soundtrack, like list topping good. Alas (or perhaps mercifully) I haven’t played the game and I’m leaving this list to the stuff I have played.
Check Morrigan Stark or Kurtofan's lists for the goods or even quicker still Earthpainting just above me.
Bonus Round
Taking a leaf out of Frosteey’s book,
Random Songs is a great way to throw in some of my favourites from soundtracks that couldn’t quite bring it all together for me and make the top 10. So here's yet MORE Gamcube, boy I hope Yuterald wasn't planning a trip down this street after his XBox coverage.
Star Fox Adventures: Shackled Snowhorn (Night)
The Wise-isms are strong with this one, I only wish SFA could keep up this level of goodness throughout.
Star Fox Assault: Space Battleground
More StarFox? you better believe it, if Assault wasn't so remix heavy it could squeeze into the main list (then why you got Melee in there I hear you cry? errr shush!). This track is legit, like my favourite track in the entire series, Assault's orchestration was rather brilliant.
Sonic Adventure: Azure Blue World
One of the best opening stage themes to a Sonic game and a favourite for me within the series in general , you can keep your city escape, I'll take this one any day.
Pikmin :View
The theme that has me linger on the map waaay longer than I need to, oh it’s just so nice. Pikmin has a pretty sweet soundtrack, the series still needs to stack up to this original outings music.
Super Mario Sunshine: Sky and Sea/The Book in the Bottle
Just the soothing theme you need for falling off the dang sand bird yet again.
The Legend of Zelda Wind Waker: Outset Island
There’s a dash of Kokiri Forest in this track though not quite as strong as the Kakariko Village/Windfall link so it stands out that much more as its own track, a lazy island life we have. For the record I don't count Twilight Princess here, that was Wii territory for me.
Castlevania Aria of Sorrow: Heart of Fire
This ain’t your father’s NES Heart of Fire, well actually it is eventually which is great but until then its this pumping battle theme. Held back for me by the GBA and the long transition section but Harmony of Despair fixed both those problems for me which was just grand.
Riiight, that's more than enough for anyone to bother listening to, my work here is done until I remember something that makes me think "bugger how did I forget that?!"