4 of the Most Iconic Video Game Tunes

by Adam Krell

How many notes would it take you to “name that tune”? When it comes to the most iconic video games, it’s not very many. Even people with even just a casual interest in games can identify many of these theme tunes quickly. Game developers with dreams of producing the next big thing, be they part of a small start-up or individuals working from their homes, spend time focusing on the game mechanics — as they should. However, without a professional multimedia music composing and mixing service to come up with the video game score, they can forget achieving pop culture status.

“Super Mario Bros.” Theme

The 8-bit “Super Mario Bros.” theme is practically the music of the video game boom from the 1980s. Jaunty and repetitive, the theme blasted out of TVs as players controlled two plumber brothers trying to save a princess in a mushroom kingdom. Players can almost hear the Mario and Luigi “jump” sound effects on top of the melody whenever they hear it.

“The Legend of Zelda” Theme

Few video game themes express the epic scope of the adventure as well as “The Legend of Zelda” theme. With a rousing call-to-arms and a hauntingly beautiful sound, the score works as well in 8-bit as it does with full orchestral treatment. There are international tours of orchestras playing songs from the decades-old Zelda franchise, and the appreciation of the melodies in the games stemmed from gamers’ love of the original theme.

“Final Fantasy” Theme

There are now myriad games in the “Final Fantasy” franchise decades after the first game launched on the Nintendo system, but the original “Final Fantasy” theme is easily the most classic of the tunes from the game. “Final Fantasy” is another series that has inspired orchestras around the globe to play entire shows of its music, largely because of the fantastical beauty of the score. VG24/7 reports Nobuo Uematsu, the original composer of the games, is one of the most prolific modern Japanese composers, despite his work being largely in video games.

“Angry Birds” Theme

Chaotic and cartoony, the “Angry Birds” theme song gives off the perfect vibe for a game of catapulting birds at evil pigs. You can almost hear the fluttering of bird wings and the grunting, roly-poly pigs through the instruments. It’s the type of music you don’t mind hearing for hours as you get hooked on the game, and it’s catchy enough to have you humming even after you stop playing.

Even the most casual of gamers can tell the “Super Mario Bros.” theme from the “Angry Birds” theme because they’re so iconic. If you want your game to stand out from all of the other games and apps out there, you need a score that stands out, too. Game developers in the New York area should work with an NYC video production company like Aurora Coast with a portfolio of original music composition and mixing to find the perfect tunes for their games.