2000′s in Review: Top Video Game Music of the Decade Part 2

Last time, we covered some of the best in video game music over the past decade, showcasing some of the more overlooked styles of music the medium has to offer. Openings, endings, scene settings and scene highlights were covered, but now we hit the big boys. These are the songs everyone remembers, and the ones that are among the hardest to choose as the best of the decade. After the break, we bring you the best in Character Themes and Battle Themes.

The Top 5 Character Themes

A particular favourite of mine, a character’s leitmotif allows you to get an idea for the type of character, and can really set the scene whenever they enter it. The good character themes give you a real idea of the type of character they are, and the best ones are able to work in any sort of mood (or at least be easily arranged for different moods).

5. “E.G.G.M.A.N” Sonic Adventure 2 (2001)

The theme of the good Dr. Ivo “Eggman” Robotnix, one of the old school boss that constantly wavers between “utter joke” and “legitimate and rather terrifying threat.” His personal theme, starting with Sonic Adventure 2, (the point before the 3D games became completely and utterly contested) E.G.G.M.A.N perfectly demonstrates just the kind of villain Robotnix really is. The lyrics, while good, definitely point to a more cartoonish and comical villain, while the music itself perfectly carries the message of “Beware the silly ones.” This victorious example of a villain song goes to show that you can laugh for now, but you won’t be laughing after being thrown out the airlock.

4. “The Fragrance of Dark Coffee” Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Trials and Tribulations (2004/2007)

The theme of Prosecutor Godot, the song sounds right at home in a film noir, carrying over perfectly into the detective/court drama of Phoenix Wright. What makes this piece stand out, among the many other character leitmotifs in the series, is its all purpose nature; if Godot enters a comedic scene, Fragrance of Dark Coffee works. If Godot is in your face, calmly and coolly shutting down your investigation or case, Fragrance of Dark Coffee works. When you finally figure out Godot’s real identity and backstory, and see what a broken man he is, Fragrance of Dark Coffee Works. All purpose, all awesome, Fragrance of Dark Coffee earns its spot as a top character theme.

3. “Grandma” The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2003)

The theme of, well, your grandmother, this short and sweet piece plays when speaking with her after your sister is kidnapped, and in several other interactions with the kindly old woman. It’s a sweet and gentle song, that perfectly captures the nostalgia and love of grandparenthood, as well as the underlying sadness that surrounds it. Even during the heroic and triumphant music that plays when you first set out to sea on a daring mission to rescue your sister, strains of good ol’ grandma’s song play as the camera shifts over to show her watching you off from the pier, and you realize just how lonely she’ll be with her two darling grandchildren gone. It’s almost enough to make you put saving the world on hold just to visit.

2. “Right Behind You” Team Fortress 2 (2007)

The song that effectively worked as the Spy’s leitmotif during his “Meet the Spy,” video, it really marked a change in character. Up until that point, the game itself, the spy included, had been dipped in such over the top fun that anything related to it almost instantly became the subject of comedy or action. Even the spy had his share of moments, from his deadpan delivery to his “Spycrab” glitch. And then “Meet the Spy,” where you see exactly why it’s so unnerving and down right frightening to have to fight a master of espionage. When set to the haunting and sinister chords of Right Behind You, the spy becomes paranoia fuel incarnate. Even the name alone is enough to make you nervous that the spy could be in the very same room just right behind you but don’t look because that’ll just make him angrier!

1. “Trombe” Super Robot Wars Alpha 3 (2005)

What could possibly be the most triumphant example of character leitmotifs, Trombe is the theme of Elzam von Branstein, ace mech pilot in the SRW series. Debuting in the Original Generation series as a boss turned ally, Elzam’s anthem Trombe actually gained its glorious nature due to a programming error; when a character enters battle with a standard enemy, their tune swells up and plays (usually gloriously). Boss characters usually override everything else, letting you know who’s in charge. But with Elzam, Trombe overrode everything. Since it was such a triumphant, metal, and all around heroic song, it absolutely fit the character and scene, and was elevated to legitimate status in later appearances. To this day, Trombe stands uninterrupted and constantly interrupting, with so far only two exceptions (one time the loud speakers playing the song had to be on the field to drown out Trombe).

Honourable Mention. “Beat A Nail With Your Hammer” BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger (2009)

Bang bang bang baaaang! Banguu Damashii! Tatakau kokoro kougetsu hodo ni!…

The Top 5 Battle Themes

When people are asked to name the crowning music from a game, their first answer tends to be along the lines of an awesome boss battle song, or a particular standard encounter theme. This top five is to celebrate some of the very best to come out of combat music in the past decade.

5. “UN Owen Was Her?” The Embodiment of Scarlet Devil (2002)

The theme of not the final boss, but the big boss of the after game Extra Stage, UN Owen Was Her is one of the most iconic songs to be released from the Touhou Project series of games. The boss with the honours of this melody is Flandre Scarlet, a young vampire girl with the supernatural power to destroy anything with a thought, effectively making her a physical god. Her character can be interpreted as either an innocent child who doesn’t know her own strength, or a devilish child who does, and her boss theme supports either theory. It’s been remixed countless times by fans, and even by the creator ZUN himself.

4. “Hunter’s Chance” Final Fantasy IX (2000)

This song plays during battles in a tournament arc in Final Fantasy IX, placing it above standard encounter and below boss theme. What sets it apart is that, to match the context of the battle, the song is one of the more competitive songs on the list. While other battle themes may be bombastic and overblown or just over the top, Hunter’s Chance makes you really feel like you’re competing in a tournament scene. It’s all about the context, as it can really elevate any musical or artistic selection above anything done in isolation or generically.

3. “The Opened Way” Shadow of the Colossus (2005)

The battle theme of the first colossus your character has to put down, it sets the tone for the entire rest of the game. Your character has been given the impossible task of locating and taking down monsters bigger than most cities, and the music when facing each sounds increasingly more frantic and hopeless. Considering how big the first colossus is, and how bombastic, and close to a finale The Opened Way stands already, the escalation is a daunting thought, exactly what a beautiful game like Shadow of the Colossus wants.

2. “Smoking Roll” God Hand (2006)

The boss theme for Elvis, hearkened as the best boss fight ever, (usually preceded by a fuck yes!) it’s only fitting that his song is so…different. It’s not the easiest song to describe, and, perhaps, the best way to describe it is the way you’d describe Elvis himself: a big, affable Mexican boss type who enjoys the finer things in life, like big fancy houses, and big fancy cigars. Now think of what his theme music would be…and you’re probably not for off from Smoking Roll. It’s appropriate that one of the best boss fights ever would get one of the best boss themes ever.

1. “Battle for Everyone’s Souls” Shin Megami Tensai: Persona 3 (2007)

The song of the big bad final boss, Battle For Everyone’s Souls captures, in essence, what an RPG final boss theme is all about: big; loud; dramatic; heroic in the midst of despair; just a touch of choir. In fact, the choir call heard in this song, and the music that goes with it, is actually taken from the song of the Velvet Room, the home base, and most iconic setting in the entire Persona series. The music also tends to be rather calming (if initially unsettling). Repeat: for the final battle, they took the song from the calm hub area, remixed it slightly, and made it more than credible as a boss theme. It’s a good thing the song is so nice, because when you fight the final boss, you are in for a lo-o-o-o-o-ong haul. If only for the climax of the fight itself, though, totally worth it.

Honourable Mention: “Eternity” Blue Dragon (2007)

Eternity had everything going for it. It was written, composed, and performed by Hironobu Sakaguchi, Nobou Uematsu, and Deep Purple’s own Ian Gillan. It had the most glorious instrumental line, and, in spite of what I’m about to say, and what you know is coming, Ian Gillan’s voice is able to make almost any song good. So what happened? Eternity happened. With lyrics so ridiculous, vocals so over dramatic, and instrumentals so bombasticly over the top, the song comes out almost like a parody of RPG boss themes. However, in spite of how much you should hate it, it stands out as one of the most metal and awesome tracks from the score, one of the best things in the entire game, and the perfect song to play us out.