Best NES Soundtracks

[orandze]

Hey all, I've just created a list of the top 10 NES soundtracks of all time!

Just to be clear, by "soundtrack," I mean full soundtrack, not just a single song. Here's the list:

10. Ninja Gaiden
9. Metroid
8. Journey to Silius
7. Contra
6. Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
5. Shatterhand
4. Castlevania II
3. Mega Man 2
2. Mega Man 3
1. Castlevania III

Let me know what you think of the list! Agree? Disagree? Why?

I compiled it based of the most common entries in the list of the 100 best nes tracks on The Shizz.

(Click the link in my sig to see the full page and listen to all the full soundtracks.)

[Bregalad]

I parially agree.
Castlevania, Mega Man and NInja Gaiden, I agree, but CV2 have only 5 tracks or so which is not enough to be featured rank #3 of the whole system.
Shatterhand I don't know this game so I don't know.
Zelda II and Metroid has overall poor music with few tracks in my opinion so I disagree with that.

Honnorable mentions (including obscure NES/FC games nobody knowns about but that features great music) (in no particular order) :
- Just Breed
- Final Fantasy III
- Ferrari Grand Prix Challenge
- Famicom Wars
- Fire Emblem
- Earthbound / Mother
- Conquest of the Crystal Palace
- Dragon Warrior III and IV
- Tetris II + Bombliss (sounds Dragon Warrior Like)
- Shadowgate
- Deja Vu
- Battletoads
- Battletoads + Double Dragon
- Double Dragon series

[Powerlord]

I find the lack of Crystalis on either person's list to be a shame.

I would probably put Castlevania 1 in instead of Castlevania 2. 2 tended to reuse the same themes. Granted, it did introduce the song Bloody Tears to the franchise, which has appeared repeatedly throughout the franchise.

Also, no Super Mario Bros. 3?

I would suggest Metal Gear, but it really didn't have that many themes. The building theme was pretty catchy, though. I kinda wish they'd have replaced the original MG building theme in the PS2 and PS3 re-releases of the MSX version.

Speaking of the MSX version, you haven't really played Metal Gear until you jump off the roof of building 1 parachuting into the courtyard. Which was cut from the NES version.

[reversalmushroom]

I'm guessing no one's played Gradius 2? I mean, come on! The soundtrack is fantastic and it's such a shame that most people haven't had the opportunity to hear it; it's absolutely top 10 material. And I agree with Bregalad in regards to Metriod and Zelda 2; I would superimpose Gradius 2 over Zelda 2, have Duck Tales and Super Mario Bros 3 fight it out for Contra's place, and Tale Spin would be Metroid. I also feel that I should mention Zoda's Revenge: Star Tropics 2. I'm not sure if there's room for it in a top 10 but it definitely deserves to be in the top 20.

Dare to compare:

http://www.zophar.net/download_file/13071
http://www.zophar.net/download_file/14662
http://www.zophar.net/download_file/14727
http://www.zophar.net/download_file/13612
http://www.zophar.net/download_file/14692
http://www.zophar.net/download_file/13880

[DrZaius]

No Blaster Master? C'mooooon.

[Zeogate]

Speaking of the MSX version, you haven't really played Metal Gear until you jump off the roof of building 1 parachuting into the courtyard. Which was cut from the NES version.

Wasn't that in the second game? If my memory serves, you had to traipse up a few flights of stairs, whilst being chased by a horde of sentries, to get there.

Speaking of which, the second NES game had quite the foot-tapping Alert theme, although the only other track I ever heard in that game was the initial Jungle theme... and I'd wager I heard the former more.

[Powerlord]

Speaking of the MSX version, you haven't really played Metal Gear until you jump off the roof of building 1 parachuting into the courtyard. Which was cut from the NES version.

Wasn't that in the second game? If my memory serves, you had to traipse up a few flights of stairs, whilst being chased by a horde of sentries, to get there.

No, it's definitely the MSX2 version of the first game.

Incidentally, that's not the only difference between the versions. Here's the list from memory:

• You start directly at building 1's entrance, coming in through a body of water. This was reused in Metal Gear Solid.
• The NES version has much better building music. MSX2 version. NES version.
• Trucks were entered from the bottom instead of the side. This was because...
• Enemies enter and exit trucks.
• There were no buildings 4 and 5 (and no mazes to reach said buildings). The prison was located in the basement of building 1.
• Machinegun Kid on Building 1 floor 2 guarded the Parachute. This was replaced with the Iron Glove in the NES version.
• The boss on the roof of building 1 was a stationary Hind D helicopter rather than Twin Shot.
• Building 1 has a courtyard with trucks in it with a fence separating the halves. The northern half had mines in it. The northern half was only accessible by parachuting from the area behind the Hind D.
• Key cards 1 and 4 were both in the previously mentioned courtyard, but on opposite sides.
• There was no super computer, instead you had to blow up the original (not yet operable) TX-55 Metal Gear while avoiding two laser cameras.
• Saving Ellen and fighting Metal Gear wasn't optional. As I recall, there was a bug related to this in the NES version.

There are other differences, but mostly minor.

Speaking of which, the second NES game had quite the foot-tapping Alert theme, although the only other track I ever heard in that game was the initial Jungle theme... and I'd wager I heard the former more.

btw, that game isn't actually Metal Gear 2. Yes, it was the second game starring Solid Snake, but it's completely non-canon. Snake's Revenge inspired Hideo Kojima to make Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake for the MSX2 computer. It didn't see an English release until Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence for the PS2 came out... it's one of the Extras included with the game. I've heard that it's also in the Extras for MGS3 on the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, so it's also available for the PS3 and Xbox 360, along with the original version of Metal Gear 1 described above.

Fun fact: Several puzzles from Metal Gear 2 reappeared in Metal Gear Solid.

[Shock]

Since making NES music is kind of my specialty now, and it's pretty much all I listen to, I suppose I'll raise from the dead and lay down my 2 cents!

Here are my own personal favourites, in no particular order:

-Shatterhand
-Akumajou Densetsu
-Lagrange Point
-Asterix
-Battletoads
-Erik The Viking (unreleased game, but awesome soundtrack! Download it here.)
-Gimmick! (the original Famicom version, not the Scandinavian mockery)
-Contra
-Madara
-Silver Surfer
-Street Fighter 2010: The Final Fight (has nothing to do with the well-known 2D fighting franchise!
-Ferrari Grand Prix Challenge
-Exciting Soccer (FDS)
-Exciting Billiard (FDS)
-Exciting Basket (FDS)
-Adventure Island 1/2/3

There are many many more that I probably forget about, and again, those are purely from my own personal favourites. They probably don't qualify as "best soundtracks", but then again, which ones do? It's such a subjective question to answer. What set criteria do you use, how do you avoid bias, etc.

Hopefully there's some of these you didn't know about that you'll discover after reading my post!

By the way, if you're going to listen to those in NSF format, I highly recommend NSFPlay! </shameless plug>

EDIT: I just saw that this thread was like 3 months old. Sorry about that, I hope my contribution is still considered a useful enough one to warrant bumping. If not feel free to just delete my post and/or lock this thread.

[Swampking]

- Little Nemo: The Dream Master

Perhaps only because it tickles my musical sensibilities, but I consider this soundtrack to be an absolute gem. After decades this is one NES game I still find myself singing in my head.