The Video Game Critic

Out of all the games you have played, which one has your favorite soundtrack? Mine, personally, is from Nier. I know I've been gushing about this game a lot lately, but if you ever play the game you'll find out why. I also really like the boss themes from Kingdom Hearts 2, like The Encounter and Vim and Vigor . They're good to listen to when I'm getting ready to write.

Streets of Rage!

Well I have to say Rise of the argonauts... it is better than the game.

Great topic, friend! Share some tracks!

I listen to videogame music when I really need to focus. Somehow it's just perfect for that.

It's hard to decide on a single favorite album given that there's so much awesome music out there, but just off of the top of my head I'm going to say Chrono Cross. I prefer Uematsu's work as a whole, but none of his albums is as singularly flawless as Mitsuda's masterpiece. Not a minute on this soundtrack is wasted; not a single track is a throwaway.

The legendary title track:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J46RY4PU8a8

One of the world map themes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMEb6XXXi08

A rousing travel theme:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMntblDX0Bg

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Aside from Chrono Cross, I've been replaying (and re-listening to) Xenogears, which would deserve mention alongside the likes of Final Fantasy VI and Chrono Cross were it not tragically short at only 44 tracks. Spread over an 80 hour game, even the best battle theme is bound to become infuriating. The event and incidental music is still fantastic, however.

Soothing event music:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6bYoYBW4gk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYzMku7Eyck

One of the best town themes ever:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-zgWn_m8TQ

Epic Bulgarian chant that beautifully ornaments the ending cinematic:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxp4SaZ_XIY

Top 5 (off the top of my head, in not particular order):
Megaman 2
Hotline Miami
Streets of Rage 2
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Final Fantasy VII

If you held a gun to my head and forced me to pick one, I'd probably say Streets of Rage 2.

Also, I have to give credit to Akira Yamaoka's work on the Silent Hill series as a whole. Most of what is there is not hummable or melodic in a traditional sense, but it does so much to enhance the suffocating, haunting atmosphere of the games that it deserves it's own mention.

Here's a couple songs from Nier that I really liked.

Song of the Ancients- Fate (A Boss Battle Theme)
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5xZbJDZZo4[/video]

The Incomplete Stone (The first temple theme)
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjruB1hsF9o[/video]

Hills of Radiant Winds (One of the "world map" themes)
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNZmzLzvJo8[/video]

Shadow Lord's Castle- Roar (Combat theme for the final temple)
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZzMyxDgdQ4[/video]

And here's some of the ones I loved from Kingdom Hearts.

Vim and Vigor- Kingdom Hearts 2 (used in the scene where Goofy "dies")
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyT3B6tMQ7Y[/video]

The Encounter- Kingdom Hearts 2 (used in some boss fights)
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZO1yinBXq4[/video]

Rowdy Rumble- Kingdom Hearts 2 (used in fights against Pete)
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzRdu23NSio[/video]

The Fight for my Friends- Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories (used in some boss fights)
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjAdnP7xu-g[/video]

Guardando nel Buio (don't ask me how to pronounce that), Kingdom Hearts 1.  Used in the final battle.
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ43d2uQAhc[/video]

Fate of the Unknown, not really a soundtrack piece, since it was used to reveal Birth by Sleep in the bonus ending of KH2, but... still awesome!
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpknxKrcLDk[/video]

I think my all time favorite music comes from the following few series:

Mega Man
Castlevania
Legend of Zelda
Final Fantasy

Specific games with soundtracks I'd openly listen to while driving:

Chrono Trigger
Mega Man 2 & 3
Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past
Final Fanasty VI
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy Tactics
Castlevania (All of them)
Warcraft 2
Super Mario 2
Batman (NES)

Journey to Silius

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6sjYt6EJVw[/video]

Make it through the first 20 seconds and tell me your not impressed with what the NES could do and I'll eat my hat.  

The complete soundtrack
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNCrpIL2XlY[/video]

ActRaiser
25 min 30 seconds is the best soundtrack to ever have been released.  EVER

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2ZP9ang6zU

I think why I loved it so much was that it occurs when your people are in need and could really use your help.  

Now, everything has full orchestras but at the time this was the first game that made me hear violins and other string instruments out of something that together really exceeded the sum of its parts.  This music clip was just one factor that made ActRaiser my favorite game.


Halo 
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sjvo0SPAOiQ[/video]

Orchastral with monks and rocking guitars.  I mean c'mon what's not to love.  Bad ass

If your a fan of the mega man 2 soundtrack, search for "bit brigade" on YouTube. They are a band that plays the songs while a gamer goes through the game on a projector. Fun!

I like the music from loads of video games, action, ambient and almost anything in-between.

But I suppose one of the iconic action game tracks I like is the music for E1M1 of Doom:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSsfjHCFosw