PixlBit

Magical tunes

This overlooked gem was released in 2010 for the DS. It hearkens back to the 8-bit and 16-bit FF games. Four young heroes embark on a dangerous adventure and discover that they are the legendary four heroes of light. Any fan of the older FF games will instantly love 4 Heroes as I did. It's also the predecessor to the beloved Bravely Default. 

Possibly the best part of the game is the awesome soundtrack, composed by Naoshi Mizuta. The ost beautifully blends chip-tune sounds with more modern sounds, and many of the songs are constructed in a classic FF kind of way. Each town and region has its own theme, and there are several battle and boss themes as well. It's a masterful ost, so you're in for a treat! Below are some of my favorite themes from the game. 

The Four Warriors of Light (Main Theme)

The main theme for the game is so adventurous and fun. It starts with a rousing intro, movies into the melody, and continues into a contemplative section, all the while maintaining the same adventurous spirit. It's perfect. This theme is also used for the overworld as you explore, and it's always enjoyable to listen to. 

Horn, the Home of the Wind

Horn is the very first town in the game (actually, it's the one you start in). This theme is relaxing and beautiful. Listen closely and you'll see that it resembles the best FF town themes (soothing and fun). Listening to this one should brighten your day. 

Strong Enemy

This theme is the first boss theme. The theme itself is intense, dark, dreadful, and pounding, which is simply perfect for tense boss fights. One neat thing the composer did was make the music change when you got close to the end of the boss; the music would become even more frantic, and this made fights very suspenseful right to the end. 

Trading City Vulpes

This is my favorite town theme from this game. The city Vulpes was known as a big trading city, and you could even open your own shop and learn to buy and sell items to citizens. The theme itself is very thoughtful; once it gets going, it becomes more confident, then dials back to the contemplative again. It's an enjoyable tune to listen to, but also a good one for thinking. 

Riding on the Dragon

This is the "airship" theme (which is a dragon, such as in FF5). This one is just beautiful, starting out slow, then building a little, and then changing altogether. It really makes you feel like you're on a magical journey, and of course you are (you're riding a dragon!). The song is over two minutes long before it finally loops, making you want to keep listening before landing. Truly magical. 

The Final Battle

The final battle in this game is tough, and the epic, pulsating theme will make it even more of a nightmare. The song starts out with a driving beat, then transitions to a melody of dread (like "oh no, something bad's gonna happen"). It's dark and creepy and will make you sweat before it ends. Simply perfect for that last grueling fight.