Gerudo Valley (Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Koji Kondo)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8GRDNU50b8
It may not be the most complicated or grandiose song among this lineup, but Gerudo Valley is still weirdly catchy. Head bop catchy, and it brings back beloved memories spent playing on that N64, which isn’t a bad thing at all.
Still Alive (Portal, Johnathan Coulton)
You can’t talk about video game music without talking about Portal. The jaunty little tune that plays during the end credits of the game is sickeningly adorable…until you listen to the lyrics and realize that you’re being shamed for saving your own life and mocked at being all alone. And worst of all, there’s still no cake!
Nate’s Theme (Uncharted 2, Greg Edmonson)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkPF5UiDi4g
Uncharted as a series may just be viewed as Indiana Jones: The Game, but it’s certainly got the musical theme to go along with it. Nate’s song may just be an updated version from the original, but that doesn’t make it any less great or iconic as you hum it in the main menu.
M4, Part 2 (Mass Effect, Faunts)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUKiOcV1SSc
The Mass Effect series is home to some great music, be it calming synth or rousing space adventure romps that leave you humming them as they play in the background of battle. For the credits of the first game, Bioware decided to cap off our first venture in this new world with the now classic song by the Faunts, which still holds up perfectly to this day.
Bow to No One (Destiny: The Taken King, Various Artists)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPTHTFezIrE
Destiny’s original soundtrack was already pretty great, and Taken King’s follows in that suit. With “Bow to No One”, Michael Salvatori, along with C. Paul Johnson and Skye Lewin, get Guardians in a mood as they travel the galaxy in search of new powers to fight Oryx. As the Vanguards explain what it means to be a Titan (or a Hunter, or a Warlock), there’s anticipation in unlocking your new subclass that the song capitalizes on.
