Listen Up! 5 Video Game Soundtracks on Vinyl Just to Flex on ‘Em
Having a video game soundtrack on vinyl is about clout, just proving you’re the bigger fan. And isn’t that what gaming is REALLY about?
We all have Spotify, YouTube, or heaven forbid, Pandora. That’s not the point. While vinyl records are absolutely making a comeback, I don’t think anyone of making the argument they are easier or more convenient. I have a record player which I do use often enough. For me, putting on a record is more about enjoying the journey the music will take you on. Listening to a record is the only way to truly experience the music as it was meant to be told.
Plus, you get to act super pretentious and annoying about the whole thing and talk about the journey and experience of the music, when it’s actually not about that at all. Vinyl is all about proving you’re the bigger fan and that everyone else can suck it.
Hero of Time: The Music of Ocarina of Time
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has some truly memorable songs. This rendition of the soundtrack was performed by the Slovak National Symphony Orchestra and they do an amazing job. No offense to the N64, but its sound card doesn’t quite match up. As a full orchestral rendition, they blend a lot of the songs together but my personal favorites are absolutely Hero of Time and Spirit of the Valley.
Final Fantasy VII Soundtrack
Nobuo Uematsu pulled out all the stops with the Final Fantasy VII Soundtrack. This was the only soundtrack I bought as a kid, on 4 CDs. Which was strange, considering the game itself is only 3. But I wasn’t arguing.
Coming from Final Fantasy III/VI (you know what I mean), getting to hear the iconic Final Fantasy Prelude in high-quality Playstation sound was mindblowing. And everyone remembers the first time they heard Fight On! and it goes without saying One Winged Angel will stay in the video game music hall of fame for all time.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Exclusive Cloudy Clear
When it was released, the world shuttered under the pure strength and power of Dragonborn. I mean the song, not the person. This track set the tone and scale of the Skyrim game in 30 seconds better than some game’s entire trailers do. The tone and setting of Skyrim make this the perfect video game soundtrack on vinyl for your D&D session.
Doom – Original Game Soundtrack
You don’t have to be into metal music to get so f*%kin hyped when Rip & Tear starts to play. But it helps. DOOM was one of the first video games where I remember really noticing the music. Sure, Sonic the Hedgehog has some great music too. But, for young and impressionable me, DOOM was an entirely different beast.
Undertale
The Undertale fandom can be insufferable. We can all agree on that. Another thing we can agree on is that the music is absolutely amazing. Death By Glamour, Spider Dance, CORE, and of course, Megalovania are all knock-’em-out-of-the-park stunners. This soundtrack fills me with determination.
Toby Fox deserves a Grammy.
