Your favorite OST for a game and recommendations

[Razentsu]

Oh man, I especially liked that one. I have yet to give SHMUPs an honest try, but damn, music like that certainly has me interested.

My favourite tracks are usually from fighting games. Here are a few of my favourites:

Spoiler

Daisuke Ishiwatari, the mastermind behind the Guilty Gear soundtracks. The best soundtrack out there.

Ishiwatari is damned godlike. Guilty Gear and BlazBlue sound amazing.

 

[J Tyran]

OSTs from games are a fetish of mine, I never have an overall favorite because it changes from time to time. My current favorite is,

Spoiler: Halo 4: Never Forget remix

The soundtrack for Halo 4 was a bit of a disappointment, it was good don't get me wrong but it wasn't the same and not as memorable. The Never Forget remix was the tune at the end over the credits, after the end it was fitting and the new artist did a good of remixing it and didn't mangle the original.

Another recent favourite is,

Spoiler: Space Marine: A Heroes Legacy

 

[matthewemz]

Halo CE

 

[Cody Hargreaves]

The DAO one is good so is all of the God of War OSTs

 

[TrevHead]

Oh man, I especially liked that one. I have yet to give SHMUPs an honest try, but damn, music like that certainly has me interested.

I would suggest that when you do come to entering the genre, you read up a little bit (ask the helpful lot at shmups forum) about them first rather then diving straight in the deep end. As the genre is very similar to Darksouls in many respects. IE a healthy minset along with reading up on the fundamental mechanics of the genre is the key to playing with any degree of skill or fun. Then when you play it's just a case of using that knowledge with observation to find opportunities and exploit them as much as you can. Once it clicks in your head and you "get it" they are as addictive as digital crack.

Then like fighters it's just a case of technical skill, choosing the right shmups / game mode for your skill level and preferences will help you enjoy them and not burning out on something too advanced. Exceed Collection, Jamesown, Refrain Prism Memories, Touhou on PC and CAVE's Deathsmiles, Dodonpachi Resurrection and Akia Katana on 360 are good noob shmups especially those Doujin PC examples.The fundementals aren't that hard to grasp its just that no one has written a decent guide compared to FTGs.

Heres some more shmup music that you might like.

Hellsinker a PC Doujin Shmup

Dodonpachi Resurrecton Black Label (360/iphone) PAL 360 version works on NA 360s

Dodonpachi Saidaioujou stage 3 (Arc / 360)

Touhou 12 (Touhou and the doujinshi surrounding the core games are full of these melodies)

Even those Manabu Namiki is mostly a shmup music producer, he works in different genres, the guy just oozes talent imo.

Love that Melty Blood Tune, for me with fighters i'm in love with Skullgirls ATM. Michiru Yamane's (she's behind Castlevania) Jazz tunes complement Skullgirls 1930s artstyle perfectly. For a budget downloadable game it puts many $60 efforts to shame imo.

Spoiler: SKULLGIRLS

 

[dancinginfernal]

Asura's Wrath's soundtrack is amazing and I never get tired of hearing it.

Spoiler: Wind Fang, Yasha's Theme

 

[jbassic]

I really enjoy the soundtrack from all the Assassin's Creed games. I'm going to cheat too because I just saw Cloud Atlas and the Soundtrack for that was pretty swanky.

 

[Dragoon]

Persona 3 and 4 have amazing OSTs but they've been covered so I'll go with Final Fantasy 13 and 13-2's OSTs. The games themselves werent amazing but there soundtracks are.

Spoiler: Some of my favourites

 

[Chromatic Aberration]

Well, going with a few that haven't been mentioned yet.

Spoiler: Sim City 3000 (Hovers between lively jazz and ambient)

Spoiler: Xenogears (Yasunori Mitsuda is at it again)

Spoiler: Final Fantasy Mystic Quest (SNES goodiness of the epic metal kind!)

Spoiler: Nier (Neoclassical awesomeness)

Spoiler: Sam & Max (Jazzy and loungy)

Another game I'd like to bring forward is HoMM 4. The game might not have been the best in the series, but the music probably was

Wow, really digging those HoMM themes. That's some really great stuff. [...]

You might also want to try HoMM 2. Has a low production quality due to limitations at the time - but it has opera singers instead

Spoiler: HoMM2 - Castle Town

Spoiler: HoMM2 - Barbarian Town

Also, there's this handy playlist [http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB1DA969E8C03AD7B&feature=plcp] of all the all the HoMM town-themes on youtube. I've got that one bookmarked

Since I'am at it, my personal favourite from HoMM4:

 

[Austin Howe]

To me, Final Fantasy VII has like, obviously the best soundtrack ever.
But a good obscure recommendation is the overlooked SNES classic Terranigma.

 

[Hexenwolf]

I'm gonna have to throw in another vote for Bastion. By god that game's music is amazing.

Before that though, my favorite was Halo: ODST. It had easily the most unique music of any in the series, which is known for having quite good music. A sort of fusion of jazz and orchestral, very moody.

 

[Steeveeo]

In my opinion, the Shatter OST has some really good tracks on it.

My favorite from the sound track:

EDIT:

However, there will always be a special place in my heart for Secret of Mana's "Flight into the Unknown." Below is the original song and an awesome metal cover.

 

[LittleBlondeGoth]

If game music is your thing and you haven't already, check out OC Remix. There's a massive range of tracks on there from arious games nd composers, well worth checking out.

And favourite OSTs for me would be most of the Final Fantasy series, Wild Arms and Dragon Age. Origins over 2, I think, but Inon Zur has a knack for epic.

 

[Nghtgnt]

While not original, the most powerful use of music I've seen in a game was in Homeworld. You just finish taking the mothership out for a test run, and return to your planet only to find it destroyed and burning to the tune of a choral version of Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings" (made popular by the movie Platoon). It sends chills down my spine.

Spoiler: Adagio for Strings

 

[Berithil]

I really like Fallout and The Elder Scrolls music. No particular game. Just all of them (I know, I know. I so mainstream )

I also really like Bastions soundtrack too, though, for anyone who's played that game, who doesn't.

 

[kilroy156]

The Bulletstorm soundtrack is actually really good. And Free!

http://epicgames.com/community/2011/04/fan-freebies-get-the-bulletstorm-soundtrack/

 

[putowtin]

I love loads of soundtracks (in fact soundtracks, Classical, Blues and miracle of sound are the only things I listen to any more!) but here's three off my favourites

I love the soundtracks for InFamous 2, but this track is wonderful

Spoiler: Abduction

Mass Effect 3 is an amazing soundtrack that Sam Hulick should be justly proud of

Spoiler: I Was Lost Without You

I love all of the AC soundtracks but this piece from the end of Ezio's story makes me tear up

Spoiler: Enough For One Life

 

[Snatcher]

I like the OST of Deus Ex: Human Revolution. I sounds so atmospheric and the electronic sound makes it plain awesome!