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When considering quintessential examples of video game music, most people think of the themes from the Mario series or the eerily catchy 8-bit Tetris theme. But modern video game designers are constantly evolving the idea of theme music.
The constant expansion of the complexity of video game music is a curious phenomenon to some. After all, the music of classic video games seems exponentially catchier than the newer, more intricate themes. However, this doesn’t seem to hinder the expansion of video game music into unexplored territories with each new release.
While Mario and Tetris had a massive mainstream following, another contemporary series, Double Dragon, attracted more of a cult fan base. Unlike Mario and other scrolling action games, Double Dragon had a different song for each level of play. Granted, there were fewer levels in Double Dragon than in Mario, but the musical variation lent a particular flavor to the Double Dragon series that was unparalleled at the time.
Each piece within Double Dragon, composed in the classic 8-bit format, has stood the test of time. On YouTube, one can find many musicians who have taken the time to transpose the music of Double Dragon for live instrumentation.
Another video game song that has achieved popularity within certain circles is a theme titled “To Zanarkand” from “Final Fantasy X.” The Final Fantasy series has been wildly popular with gamers since the dawn of the franchise in 1987. However, the series is not renowned particularly for great music.
Most Final Fantasy fans are drawn to the exquisite graphics and constantly unraveling storyline. “To Zanarkand” is a song that is hauntingly beautiful and can be found re-emerging at strategically planned intervals throughout the game’s plot. Developers Square Enix decided to include rich and robust music in their games to compliment the existing elements that have made the series a rousing success.
When considering modern video games, it is hard to think of a series that is more popular than Call of Duty. Sales from the games have grossed massive amounts of revenue, and the fan base for COD is innumerable. A game that is so wildly popular can afford to upgrade development and production personnel with every new installment.
On Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, esteemed film music composer Hans Zimmer was commissioned to craft the game’s score. Zimmer has lent his talents to films like “The Lion King,” “Gladiator” and “The Dark Knight.”
He is one of the most famous contemporary film score composers in the world, having won four Grammy Awards and two Golden Globes along with a host of other accolades.
Activision’s recruitment of Zimmer to compose the score for a Call of Duty game begs the question: Is that really necessary?
The video games of our youth featured catchy and alluring themes that were simple but effective. Has the age of over-budgeted video games nullified the original intent of video game theme music? Music no longer seems to set the stage for game-play, but rather it serves as a distraction from the joy of immersing oneself in an imaginary world.
I prefer the simple melody of a Double Dragon theme to accompany me in an imaginary world. It would be much better than some overblown orchestral arrangement that belongs in “Inception” instead of a video game.
Bangor Daily News