PixlBit

Another BaD is over, and I enjoyed it. The truth is, there were a bunch of OSTs that I had to cut from my list. So that’s what this post is about. Here are 10 more OSTs that I love, and why I love them. I’ve included links to pages where you can listen to and download these OSTs, so feel free to do that. Also, let me know what some of your favorite OSTs are, I’m sure you have some that I didn’t even mention. Thank you to everyone who read and commented on my posts! 

Shatterhand (NES)

Composers: Iku Mizutani, Hiroyuki Iwatsuki

Developed by Natsume, this classic action game has some really awesome chiptune music. The songs are very catchy and show that the composers know what they’re doing. This was a late NES game, coming out in 1991, so clearly, the composers knew how to use the NES soundboard. They also do a good job with variety amongst the different stage themes, which can be difficult when doing chiptune music. 

Download this OST here 

Earthbound (SNES)

Composers: Keiichi Suzuki, Hirokazu Tanaka, Hiroshi Kanazu, Toshiyuki Ueno

Earthbound is such a weird game, and so is the music. That’s why it’s so endearing! The OST is huge and has a ton of variety. Whether it’s the homey feel of Twoson, the strange vibes of Saturn Valley, or the groovy battle music, this OST is truly unforgettable. What’s fascinating is how these Japanese composers were so heavily inspired by American artists, such as the Beach Boys, Randy Newman, and Harry Nilsson. This make’s Earthbound’s OST quite unique in the pantheon of JRPGs. 

Download this OST here 

Terranigma (SNES)

Composers: Miyoko Takaoka, Masanori Hikichi 

Quintet’s magnum opus RPG had a satisfying and endearing soundtrack to go with it. Many of the songs are very emotional, evoking joy, sorrow, or pain. The Overworld and Underworld themes alone are fantastic, as they convey both the adventurous spirit as well as a sense of mystery and apprehension. The instrumentation is also very strong, reminiscent of other SNES greats like Final Fantasy VI and Chrono Trigger. That’s some good company! 

Download this OST here 

Bomberman 64: The Second Attack! (N64)

Composers: Tomohiko Kira, Yasunori Mitsuda, Hidenobu Otsuki, Hiroyo Yamanaka, Yoshitaka Hirota, Kenji Hiramatsu 

That’s a lot of composers for one game, but notice Yasunori Mitsuda—yes, the same guy that did Chrono Trigger! Mitsuda actually helped with several Hudson OSTs during this time, including Mario Party. Anyways, this OST is excellent as themes are much more fleshed out and interesting than the first game. Some songs are very jazzy and fun, while others are a lot more methodical and nuanced. Just about every planet has a great theme, and the villain’s theme is so perfect (it sounds like Mitsuda’s style). 

Download this OST here 

Star Fox Assault (GCN)

Composers: Yoshie Arakawa, Yoshinori Kawamoto 

While Star Fox 64 took the series’ music into orchestral territory, Assault outdid it by using a real orchestra! This sounds phenomenal! They even brought back the same themes from 64, such as Corneria and Star Wolf, but redid them with the orchestra, and it’s excellent. This also means that Assault is the most cinematic of all the Star Fox soundtracks. If you love orchestra music, you have to check this one out. 

Download this OST here 

Etrian Odyssey Series (DS, 3DS)

Composer: Yuzo Koshiro

All of these games have fantastic music, composed by the legend himself. The first three games are unique in that Koshiro created the music to simulate FM synthesis, the sound coming from an old PC9801 computer. It’s awesome! For the later games, he did more traditional music, which is still awesome, but it sounds more modern. However, I do believe you can still choose to listen to the newer music with FM synthesis. All of these OSTs are worth checking out, the compositions of lovely town themes and epic battle themes are nearly unrivaled. 

Download Etrian Odyssey OST here

Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii)

Composers: Manami Kiyota, ACE+, Yoko Shimomura, Yasunori Mitsuda 

These legendary composers come together to bring us this epic soundtrack. This OST is filled with vibrant, evocative, and powerful music that speaks to the grand scale of this game. I’m really excited to play this game this summer (the Switch version), and part of that is hearing the music while I explore the world and fight behemoth monsters. The OST for the sequel is also stellar, and I have no doubt that the OST for the upcoming third game will be just as good. You just can’t go wrong with this group of composers. 

Download this OST here 

Kid Icarus Uprising (3DS)

Composers: Motoi Sakuraba, Yuzo Koshiro, Masafumi Yakada, Noriyuki Iwadare, Yasunori Mitsuda, Takahiro Nishi

Do you see this list of composers? The truth is, Masahiro Sakurai kinda cheated by getting his favorite composers together. He knew all of these guys from doing work for him on Smash Bros. What a lineup! And of course, the OST for this game is fantastic. It’s a real orchestra (who ever thought they’d hear a real orchestra playing the Kid Icarus theme?). The different themes here are exciting, fun, and full of personality (much like the game itself). The music seems to be TOO good for a 3DS game, but what Sakurai wants Sakurai gets. 

Download this OST here 

Undertale (Win/PS4/Xbone/Switch)

Composer: Toby Fox

I don’t think I need to explain Undertale since it took the gaming world by storm when it was first released. Toby Fox is already a legend, and the dude composed the entire OST for his own game! There is so much good stuff here, from the chill dungeon theme to the hilarious robot battle music to the epic fight themes. These songs are memorable too—they’ll probably get stuck in your head, as they have mine. Undertale is a game that everyone should play, and the music deserves to be adored as well. 

Download this OST here

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Switch) 

Composers: Everyone! 

Well, this is one OST that I left off on purpose since it’s actually just a huge collection of remixed songs from different games. But that doesn’t mean it’s not great. Actually, with over 1,000 songs, it might be the largest VG OST ever. And with so many different composers and styles of music here, there’s something that everyone can enjoy. Not just that, but the original music is fantastic as well—Lifelight is an excellent vocal track, the menu music is killer, and the Galeem fight music is unbelievably cinematic. It seems like cheating to say that this is my favorite VG OST, but I think that’s the case. The only downside is that certain series (ahem, Dragon Quest and Kingdom Hearts) didn’t get any new remixed songs, but that’s a very minor gripe considering everything else here. 

Download this OST here