Music from Landstalker, Gunstar Heroes, Phantasy Star 2 & 4, Shining Force 2 and OutRun were some of my favorites. My childhood was blessed by Megadrive games and music.
Ranger X, Camelot series games (Shining Force 1 and 2, Landstalker), Phantasy Star IV, Shadow Dancer aka Shinobi 2, Ecco Series, Contra Hard Corps are just a tiny fraction of my favorite soundtracks of all time. Someone else stated in another comment that Sega Genesis had a sound that could not be replicated and was indistinguishable which is spot on. I can still hear a tune 30 years later and tell you which game and stage it originated from.
@@IDHLEB Nailed it. Sega of America got the shaft when it came to the audio driver. FM isn't the easiest thing to work with in general but when the driver uses bad presets there's not much you can do.
Man, is incredible how you almost always have a personal story related to each game. It's probably my favourite thing about this channel, listening someone who actually lived and enjoyed SEGA's prime at its fullest. Now regarding soundtracks, my personal favourites are Sonic 3 and Streets of Rage 2.
Rob Hubbard is a game soundtrack legend. He's from my home city of Hull and they had an orchestra perform some of his classics as a celebration of his career a few years ago.
I love the “sega sound”! There’s nothing else like it. Especially the bgm and sound on the phantasy star games. Phantasy star ii’s music is so meaningful and bittersweet to me for reasons I can’t really articulate fully. It’s almost like a kind of nostalgia for the civilization in the game world that’s about to collapse. There’s just something very special and moving about it. And Phantasy star iv, when the title screen music comes up over the SEGA logo, you know this is going to be some far out stuff 🙇♂️
@@robanderson19 it’s not a question of better or worse for me, it’s just the genesis had that unique sound that’s unmistakable. On the SNES port of sonic featured on this channel recently. They try to duplicate that kind of... vibrato? the fm synth has and it ends up sounding like a pale imitation.
I'd consider Mortal Kombat to be my favorite example of great Genesis music. I feel that the developers came up with an incredible alternative to the arcade version's music that put the Genesis' audio capabilities to excellent use.
Mortal Kombat II as well. Look Matt Furniss up ! He's the one who composed/rendered the MD/Gen versions of both Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat II, and he also composed quite a few other great sounding sountracks (Alien 3, Puggsy, Mickey Mania, and even the average game James Bond : The Duel).
Alisia Dragoon's opening/intro track is to me the single most memorable track of the Genesis era, I still listen to it regularly and it still gives me chills to this day. Phantasy Star II's into track is also super memorable and iconic.
Great memory! Gainax took some visual cues from Kaze no Tani no Nausicäa, making Alisa Dragoon's intro really stand out. Other notable misses in my opinion are Thunder Force IV, El Viento and Castle of Illusion. Some others like EarthWorm Jim, Mercs and Truxton are fine but not worth a top chart.
@@gc3k It depends, I remember that the critics at the time were disappointed by the difficulty, not by the game per se. I always found it though but playable.
Hearing you talking about your mom reminded me of my parents and how hard they have worked to take care of 3 kids, my dad saved so much to get us a game or another, damn it was so hard back then and still so good, my parents are everything to me and the Genesis my best childhood memories, just got a new Sega Mega Drive from Tectoy here in Brazil. Man how I miss the 80s and the 90s
Dude.... you just gave a shout out to your mother. Man... not of lot of yous around anymore. I do the same though. The memories of our parent (s) and what they've done is quite the rush when we think of the times they took us out, spent time with us, and gave us that love we needed. Dude.... Rock on, man.
Dude...are you my long lost sibling? Contra Hardcore good ending song ( I can't remember the name...I wanna say it's titled " Contra: The Last Brigade") still gives me chills to this day.
Rocket knight adventures.... every second of its soundtrack is amazing! Crusader of Centy (Soleil in my country) had some lovely tracks. I still imagine the Town track while someone (in real life) would go buy a baguette (and there was a track with the same feeling to me in Landstalker).
@@brorianszk Despite the fact that its Crusader of Centy in my country Soleil was actuallu the version I grew up with and Ragnacenty is the version I personally own. Its a weird world!
Thunder Force IV is my favourite game ever made. Masterpiece in every way. Sound efects, music, gameplay, grafics... Its incredible.. glad its in the list.
My personal favorites; 1. Streets of Rage 3 This soundtrack is hardcore and robotic in ways that are really unique even outside of the context of Genesis music. It has industrial techno and gabber vibes, but it still very much has its own personality. Almost every track sounds like a boss battle, it's relentless. This game's cold and abrasive tones perfectly fit the grittier, darker story about robotic duplicates and futuristic terrorism. 2. Bio-Hazard Battle This soundtrack is straight up haunting. You start out with ominous drums and eerie, dissonant chords on the title screen and first level before hearing the intense second level theme. There's repeated motifs here and there across the soundtrack, making the whole thing feel cohesive. The way the mood shifts from creepy to aggressive is like an action-horror movie. 3. Dynamite Headdy One of the most eccentric soundtracks on the system. It shifts from bouncy and goofy, to intense rock, and back to cheerful and calm. I can't not smile at how unserious this game's tone can be. 4. The ToeJam & Earl games These games are just pure funk. This is possibly my favorite usage of the GEMS driver. 5. The Vectorman games Vectorman's music is energetic, but not too aggressive. The futuristic trance vibe is something I can't imagine other consoles doing as well as it's done here.The options music from the first game is especially catchy.
The BEST soundtracks from my youth! Love each tune from those games and I own the Batman and Streets of Rage 2 game soundtracks on my phone to listening every day. Thanks for the memories and the video!
The Mega Drive (I’m from the UK) sound chip when used correctly sounds great and is great for techno and energetic music and is very capable at orchestral music as the Shinning Force games proved.
Valis III has one of my favorite soundtracks...it's definitely underrated...and the fact that you put Midnight Resistance on your list I was blown away ( I was like nobody is going to think about putting this on their favorite soundtrack list) you are the man!
If they don't have it in their top 10 I would think they haven't listened to it lol .. it's seriously that good. Still issue is there are many great tunes on genesis , so making a top 10 is tricky .
All Jesper Kyd stuff is of course amazing (The Adventures of Batman and Robin, Sub-terrania, Red Zone), and i would add Probotector, Zero Wing and Bio Hazard Battle.
Another great one, Sega Lord X. I was listening to this as I worked, and it easily got me in the zone. For my personal history, it was Sonic 1 and Streets of Rage 1. I love those soundtracks, and can pop them in at any time. Thanks for another great video!
SLX, I love your content, and I think my personal favorite parts are your personal anecdotes of life on the periphery of games, like that bit with your mother. You're a great content creator, man.
Haven't played in most of these, but your selection is so awesome!!! The most importantly your passion for this 16bit marvel clearly show here, which is why I Subscribed. Awesome work.
Some amazing tunes I just discovered through this video. I was a Nintendo owner during my childhood so rarely experienced much the Mega Drive had to offer. I do hope you’ll consider doing your Top 10 SNES soundtracks in the future, and hoping UN Squadron gets a mention as it was the game that actually made me perk up for the first time and listen to the music on its own.
Shout outs to Suncoast Motion Pictures. I used to get VHS anime videos there all the time back when everyone was calling it "Japanimation". Side shout outs to Babbage's too.
And VHS's be $24.95 for 2 episodes lol......ah....I'll never forget my first exposure to the "real" anime, my older cousins watching Devil Hunter Yohko.....
When I saw number 1, I instantly thought "man I hope he shows 'Moon Beach', because that track is what comes to mind when I remember this game" Fantastic picks.
Really been enjoying your channel man. I like how you talk a LITTLE bit about your harder times while still focusing on the matter at hand. Your editing skills are getting noticeably better too. Anyways, keep doing what you do, Duder.
Wasn't "China Town" only used on 1 stage in the entire game unlike some of the other tracks. Shame also as it was EPIC!! "China Town" and the track to the "Good Ending" still give me the chills.
My favorite song from The Revenge of Shinobi was Terrible Beat (which is the boss theme, by the way), China Town and Ninja Step. Wow! Yuzo Kushiro really hit it out of the park with this soundtrack!
Such a solid list! That FM chip just has so much damn drive. And I love that you were so candid with your choices. A ton of Genesis game soundtracks influenced what I would go on to do with my own music so it's awesome to hear someone else's list and see what other people in the comments had for their own choices. My top Genesis soundtracks are definitely: Outrun 2019 (a.k.a. Junker's Run), Contra: Hard Corps, Dinosaurs For Hire, Jurassic Park, Streets of Rage 2, X-Men, Sonic 2, Revenge of Shinobi
If I had to absolutely pick a favorite, it's for sure Rocket Knight Adventures. Absolutely fantastic soundtrack with an unbelievable amount of variety. Even had a few songs that could sync up with the stage if you were playing it right. Well RKA in general is an extremely amazing game too. Sparkster also comes up when I talk about favorites, not as good as RKA's soundtrack, but still excellent. I liked your selection and the personal attachments to the games as well. Seeing what you picked at number 1 was no surprise given your last video on it.
As a composer, I have found myself listening to a lot of video game soundtracks over the years: especially 16-bit games and music for the Sega CD. In terms of the Genesis/Mega Drive, Yuzo Koshiro's work with Streets of Rage 2 is one of the best soundtracks because of the polished and balanced stereophonic mix of synthesized instruments. It's been 29 years since its release, and it still holds up. I would put the soundtrack to Rocket Knight Adventures as a close second because it is a game that is near and dear to my heart: especially due to the memorable music (like the first stage and boss levels). If you listen closely, most of the stage music function as variations on the music for the first stage.
Streets of Rage 3 was a pretty amazing soundtrack. It was such a leap forward into experimental music that seemed to be ahead of the curve even compared to normal music being made.
@@rangoononline True. Streets of Rage 3 has also become a polarizing soundtrack because of its experimentation with and reliance on electronic loops and surprisingly dissonant moments. For that last part, I point to the "Bad Ending" music. To my ears, that track sounds like a classical modernist serial or atonal piece. It works, though, because the track is meant to sound "weird": signaling to players that they need to try the "Hard" difficulty or that they messed up.
Thanks for sharing this as many of the games mentioned here weren’t ones that I had ever got to play. Some of my own favorite Genesis soundtracks (besides a few that you had already mentioned) include those from Comix Zone, Wolfchild, and Viewpoint. If you haven’t already, I implore you to give these a listen as I think they still hold up pretty well even today.
Certainly can't go wrong either way for sure but I'd give the slight nod to Streets of Rage2 for sure! Personally to me it's the greatest beatemup series of all time with part two to me, still being the very best of the entire genre. I have to say I also prefer the music in part two, with tracks like *Go Straight* hard to beat by almost any SEGA Genesis music/soundtracks!
Eeeeexcellent video. I remember a previous music related video of yours where I mentioned Gleylancer. Absolutely amazing soundtrack. Lightening Force as well. When used to its full potential the Genesis sound system can be extremely impressive as you have clearly demonstrated. Most of my favourites fall in line with yours but a few others I also enjoy are Rocket Knight Adventures, Ghouls N Ghosts and Strider. Beautiful recollection about your mom, I have quite a few games in my collection directly tied to some touching memories involving my mom as well. It's pretty wild how gaming creates those attachments. Cheers dude!!
When comes to orchestal music, the SNES was the best. But the electronic soundtracks where better suitable for the Sega Genesis. In the right hands, the Genesis was capable of doing some very impressive stuff than no other console of the time can replicate.
Partially agree but the Donkey Kong Country games did some amazing Synth stuff like stickerbush symphony or disco train. Also Top Gear did some cool stuff too.
That's not true at all. The Genesis is pretty much only suitable for sounding like an FM synth. The SNES, not so much, but it's definitely not limited to orchestal music haha.
Your list is solid. I think I'd put SoR 2 as #1. You deserve more subscribes SLX, I share your vids all the time. Keep it up with the content, you're one of the good ones.
Great Video. Including “good ending” on the SOR2 list, and having “ground zero” playing in the background near the end of the video is awesome. Both are incredible tunes that made beating their respective games feel so much more rewarding, and I feel they are never mentioned, discussed or given their due because they aren’t in game music.
glad to see that i'm not alone !!! The Adventures of Batman and Robin : fantastic game (lots of hours co-op with my brother) and equally fantastic soundtrack !!
@@OriginalMasters I agree, the SFX are a bit stifled due to the over driven music (or maybe lack of SFX in the first place), but melodically steril I'd certainly disagree. Nothing but emotion is elicited throughout each level, sub boss and boss of the game, which I equate to being melodic.
ps I totally agree, the Gen/MD sound chip had a broad range of quality. compared to the SNES it could make some really really awful sound tracks as well as much superior clearer sounding ones.
Too many companies were really terrible with their sega genesis soundtracks. In the right hands I feel like the fm synthesis was superior to the sample based sounds of the SNES. To me SNES sounds muffled. If only some devs weren't so lazy.
Yeah so many atmospheric tunes in that game. Especially the intro music, the swamp theme, and one of the battle tracks with the vocal 'HUH' really stick in my head.
Sega Lord, I have to say, even though I still have my Genesis sitting on my shelf waiting for me to turn on, your videos still truly give me a sense of nostalgia like no other and I can totally relate to alot of your past experiences and some of mine were a bit similar in some way. I even feel inspired to make some videos of my own sharing my experiences with the genesis. I love your channel so damn much I'm willing to offer you a donation. Do you have a Patreon or something we can donate to? I don't have much, but the quality and hardwork you put into your video deserves compensation.
A great video mate, a real trip down memory lane, I have to agree the music from the SoR series is just immaculate in all respects. I have finished SoR 4 recently and started again on SoR 2 on the megadrive mini.
Rocket knight adventures is still an UFO to me everytime I listen to it. Really is a one of a kind. The more I discover the Mega drive / Genesis library, the more I'm impressed by its soundtracks.
To be honest, there are not that many games that didn't have a great soundtrack one way or another. Listing them all would be like listing almost all games ever made for the system.
Streets of Rage 1 is also my #1 favorite Genesis soundtrack. Particularly Stage 4 "Keep the Groovin'" The music as whole resonates so well with contemporary house and electronic music of the late 80s and early 90s. The fact that I recognize so many influences to groups I already enjoy (Black Box, Soul II Soul, etc.) makes it that much more awesome.
Some of my personal favorites are Splatterhouse 2, Earthworm Jim, The Ooze, Sonic 3&K, Mega Man - The Wily Wars, and Contra Hard Corps., but I absolutely cannot disagree with any of your picks. In my opinion, when used properly, the Genesis could sing better tunes than a lot of SNES games. Its just unfortunate that many developers were too lazy to learn how to properly compose for the hardware, so it now has a reputation in the retro community for having crappy music
Definitely, feels like Japanese devs had a much better grasp of the FM synth chip. Speaking of which, I've totally been digging the Gleylancer soundtrack. Imo this ost made me believe that this was one of the pinnacles of Genesis/MD music production.
This. Sega CD bonus: Thunderhawk, with guitar parts by Anthony Wheeldon, contributor also to other Core Designs titles like Heimdall and Battlecorps. Oh and Lunar TSS from Working Designs, totether with Sonic CD Western version. What great tunes!
As a kid, I spent more time playing Phantasy Star II than any other game. I beat it again last year and am still totally in love with its soundtrack. Great video, SLX!
One of the most brilliant soundtracks for Genesis is Shining Force II. If you don't know it, check it out. Another really brilliant one is Ristar. Great list, but I was hoping to at least see Shining Force II. Really incredible one.
Best soundtrack Games: Herzog Zwei, Ranger X, Contra HC, Thunder Force IV, Street of Rage 2, Sub-Terrania, GunStars Heroes, Splatterhouse 3, Comix Zone, Castlevania Bloodlines, Phantasy Star 4, Shinning Force 2, Beyond Oasis, Mega Turrican, Alien Soldier, *Paprium (New Game 2020). *** TRUE BEST: Adventure Batman and Robin!
I love MegaDrive music and often listen to it while working. Here are some of my picks : Red Zone, Sub-Terrania, AWS Pro Moves Soccer, Dune II, Gauntlet IV, Verytex, Master of Monsters, Devilish, Comix Zone, Phantasy Star IV (PAL 50Hz), Shining Force II, Xeno Crisis, Savaged Regime's arrangements, Landstalker, Gunstar Heroes, Gleylancer, Mega Turrican, Cosmic Carnage (only uses the MegaDrive), Sonic 3D, Light Crusader, Hybrid Front, Crusader of Centy, Story of Thor, Streets or Rage, Golden Axe 3, Outrun 2019.
![31 Best SNES Tracks [ Super Nintendo Music Tribute ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/sI7tuak5A4g/mqdefault.jpg)
Music from Landstalker, Gunstar Heroes, Phantasy Star 2 & 4, Shining Force 2 and OutRun were some of my favorites. My childhood was blessed by Megadrive games and music.
All fantastic choices!
I agree!
Dude...hahah...I mentioned the Camelot series in another comment section! Rock on!
Great picks dude. All great games with awesome, memorable music.
Definitely Gunstar Heroes and Outrun.
I love that gritty sounding Genesis sound chip. Sword of Vermillion and Decap Attack are among my favorite OSTs for sure.
Sword of vermillion was awesome. The music in the first village was great. The couple of destroyed towns you entered the music was great as well.
Yeah I preferred genesis. The music was gritty and a lot of the spritework was gritty. Perfect for the gritty reboot of youth culture in the 90s.
Great games John!
I was going to post that and this was the first comment! Those are great!
Thank you! Love Decap Attack, and Phelios too.
Ristar is my personal favorite. The music really showed off what the Genesis could sound like at the end of it's lifespan.
I agree. As well I think Dynamite Headdy should honestly be up here along with Ristar. Both are so damn good. But I respect his list.
Good call.
Ranger X, Camelot series games (Shining Force 1 and 2, Landstalker), Phantasy Star IV, Shadow Dancer aka Shinobi 2, Ecco Series, Contra Hard Corps are just a tiny fraction of my favorite soundtracks of all time.
Someone else stated in another comment that Sega Genesis had a sound that could not be replicated and was indistinguishable which is spot on. I can still hear a tune 30 years later and tell you which game and stage it originated from.
@@nukedukem4260 00:55
The Streets of Rage 1 soundtrack defines the 16-bit era generation sound for me.
I often play the game just to enjoy the Original soundtrack.
Stage 3 has the best track.
Sonic the hedgehog for me. I loved marble zone music.
Streets of Rage 1 was the best I ever experienced
SOR 1,2,3 soundtrack was head of its time
Something about the Genesis' grungy sound made me like it best. It brought out the best in developers / composers for the system.
The Genesis synth is really clean, so proper use of it brought amazing results.
I agree. Techno and guitars on the system sound better than they do on SNES IM (a perfect example of guitars being Thunderforce IV).
When they didn’t do it right it sounded like electronic farts.
@@magicjohnson3121 especially with GEMS driver
@@IDHLEB Nailed it. Sega of America got the shaft when it came to the audio driver. FM isn't the easiest thing to work with in general but when the driver uses bad presets there's not much you can do.
Man, is incredible how you almost always have a personal story related to each game. It's probably my favourite thing about this channel, listening someone who actually lived and enjoyed SEGA's prime at its fullest. Now regarding soundtracks, my personal favourites are Sonic 3 and Streets of Rage 2.
Writing a bad check to get a game early is hardcore! Some of my favorites: Streets of Rage 1 and 2, Revenge of Shinobi, Thunderforce 3, and Sonic 1.
I can't believe his penalty/fee was only $20
@@Ashura96 Probably less due to the year it happened!
@@Longlostpuss yes
Sonic 1 is absolutely tops 🔥
The Sega Genesis sound chip, when used correctly, made some of the best video game music of all time.
Rob Hubbard is a game soundtrack legend. He's from my home city of Hull and they had an orchestra perform some of his classics as a celebration of his career a few years ago.
NHL ‘93 soundtrack!!
Monty On The Run.
I love the “sega sound”! There’s nothing else like it. Especially the bgm and sound on the phantasy star games. Phantasy star ii’s music is so meaningful and bittersweet to me for reasons I can’t really articulate fully. It’s almost like a kind of nostalgia for the civilization in the game world that’s about to collapse. There’s just something very special and moving about it. And Phantasy star iv, when the title screen music comes up over the SEGA logo, you know this is going to be some far out stuff 🙇♂️
Exactly..... The Genesis sound is so special
Fully agree with PSII music. It’ll be locked in my brain forever.
@@robanderson19 the genesis music is better than the SNES
@@robanderson19 it’s not a question of better or worse for me, it’s just the genesis had that unique sound that’s unmistakable. On the SNES port of sonic featured on this channel recently. They try to duplicate that kind of... vibrato? the fm synth has and it ends up sounding like a pale imitation.
Comment of the day!
Still playing my Mega Drive II from time to time...
I'd consider Mortal Kombat to be my favorite example of great Genesis music. I feel that the developers came up with an incredible alternative to the arcade version's music that put the Genesis' audio capabilities to excellent use.
Mortal Kombat Genesis music couod easily have been used for the arcade... It was that good.
MK1 title screen is pretty amazing. Sounds really great in the arcade too.
MKII intro music first impression hits me hard as a child, even nowadays i watch it for the music. Such a good game
The Pit theme is so good!
Mortal Kombat II as well. Look Matt Furniss up ! He's the one who composed/rendered the MD/Gen versions of both Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat II, and he also composed quite a few other great sounding sountracks (Alien 3, Puggsy, Mickey Mania, and even the average game James Bond : The Duel).
Alisia Dragoon's opening/intro track is to me the single most memorable track of the Genesis era, I still listen to it regularly and it still gives me chills to this day. Phantasy Star II's into track is also super memorable and iconic.
Great memory! Gainax took some visual cues from Kaze no Tani no Nausicäa, making Alisa Dragoon's intro really stand out. Other notable misses in my opinion are Thunder Force IV, El Viento and Castle of Illusion. Some others like EarthWorm Jim, Mercs and Truxton are fine but not worth a top chart.
Agree! So good
Came to the comments to type Alisia Dragoon being awesome. I've not played it for years and still find myself humming it at times
Alisa Dragoon's music has been underrated forever, nice that it's recognized today
@@gc3k It depends, I remember that the critics at the time were disappointed by the difficulty, not by the game per se. I always found it though but playable.
Lol at the "bad check" story. You've lived a life, my friend.
Hearing you talking about your mom reminded me of my parents and how hard they have worked to take care of 3 kids, my dad saved so much to get us a game or another, damn it was so hard back then and still so good, my parents are everything to me and the Genesis my best childhood memories, just got a new Sega Mega Drive from Tectoy here in Brazil. Man how I miss the 80s and the 90s
Shining Force 1 and 2, Rolling Thunder 2 and 3, Vapor Trail
All amazing music
Dude.... you just gave a shout out to your mother. Man... not of lot of yous around anymore. I do the same though. The memories of our parent (s) and what they've done is quite the rush when we think of the times they took us out, spent time with us, and gave us that love we needed. Dude.... Rock on, man.
Contra Hard corps is one of the best ost I heard from genesis.
Was just about to post a comment about that! One of my favorites!
Konami was one of the best studios the MD has ever had.
true, so hard hitting.
SMH Sega Lord.
Dude...are you my long lost sibling? Contra Hardcore good ending song ( I can't remember the name...I wanna say it's titled " Contra: The Last Brigade") still gives me chills to this day.
Tiny Toon Adventures has one of my faves. Konami pulled off catchy videogame-friendly renditions of the songs that felt perfect to me. Solid game too.
Revenge of Shinobi and Streets of Rage 2 are hands down my favorite genesis soundtracks and favorite soundtracks ever
Revenge is such a good ost. My Lover and Chinatown are standouts to me
they're pretty great, but so are many other genesis games
play on good speakers and listen to that BASS
"Terrible Beat" is one of the best boss battle songs ever.
SOR 1 was better
@Benjamin Owuye Jagun nope the music was better sorry
Some personal favorites of my not listed here are Rocket Knight Adventures, Tiny Toon Adventures, and especially Crusader of Centy!
Rocket knight adventures.... every second of its soundtrack is amazing!
Crusader of Centy (Soleil in my country) had some lovely tracks. I still imagine the Town track while someone (in real life) would go buy a baguette (and there was a track with the same feeling to me in Landstalker).
@@brorianszk Despite the fact that its Crusader of Centy in my country Soleil was actuallu the version I grew up with and Ragnacenty is the version I personally own. Its a weird world!
I agree. Rocket Knight Adventures was awesome. 👌
@@haydenhyde9395 I didn't know it had a third name!
@@brorianszk Yup. Shin Souseiki Ragnacenty in Japan.
Thunder Force IV is my favourite game ever made. Masterpiece in every way. Sound efects, music, gameplay, grafics... Its incredible.. glad its in the list.
My personal favorites;
1. Streets of Rage 3
This soundtrack is hardcore and robotic in ways that are really unique even outside of the context of Genesis music. It has industrial techno and gabber vibes, but it still very much has its own personality. Almost every track sounds like a boss battle, it's relentless. This game's cold and abrasive tones perfectly fit the grittier, darker story about robotic duplicates and futuristic terrorism.
2. Bio-Hazard Battle
This soundtrack is straight up haunting. You start out with ominous drums and eerie, dissonant chords on the title screen and first level before hearing the intense second level theme. There's repeated motifs here and there across the soundtrack, making the whole thing feel cohesive. The way the mood shifts from creepy to aggressive is like an action-horror movie.
3. Dynamite Headdy
One of the most eccentric soundtracks on the system. It shifts from bouncy and goofy, to intense rock, and back to cheerful and calm. I can't not smile at how unserious this game's tone can be.
4. The ToeJam & Earl games
These games are just pure funk. This is possibly my favorite usage of the GEMS driver.
5. The Vectorman games
Vectorman's music is energetic, but not too aggressive. The futuristic trance vibe is something I can't imagine other consoles doing as well as it's done here.The options music from the first game is especially catchy.
Truly hidden gems there
My favorite ones but RiSTAR owns all games of the era period. Honorable mention to Jazz Jackrabbit. Criminally underrated and overlooked.
I love your content, your channel is great!!
Listening to this video with a good pair of headphones is a must. The music on the Genesis is outstanding.
@@FloridaEbikes I know right , video sounds amazing through a high end amp and good speakers , I just can't with headphones 😅
@@FloridaEbikes Looks like someone rode a bike with no seat lately.
@@FloridaEbikes Both have their place. Quality comes in many forms.
I've always absolutely adored Castlevania: Bloodlines soundtrack. So amazing.
The BEST soundtracks from my youth!
Love each tune from those games and I own the Batman and Streets of Rage 2 game soundtracks on my phone to listening every day. Thanks for the memories and the video!
I'm partial to the SNES soundchip, but damn do I enjoy the funk and twang that the Genesis can put out.
I feel you on that man. When it comes to games with a gritty atmosphere, but Genesis really paints a great picture sonically.
Comparing the TMNT games, some songs definitely sound better on the genesis. Not all of them though.
the good funk and twag, not the bad funk and twag haha
The Mega Drive (I’m from the UK) sound chip when used correctly sounds great and is great for techno and energetic music and is very capable at orchestral music as the Shinning Force games proved.
Valis III has one of my favorite soundtracks...it's definitely underrated...and the fact that you put Midnight Resistance on your list I was blown away ( I was like nobody is going to think about putting this on their favorite soundtrack list) you are the man!
If they don't have it in their top 10 I would think they haven't listened to it lol .. it's seriously that good. Still issue is there are many great tunes on genesis , so making a top 10 is tricky .
For me one of my top genesis soundtrack is Outrun 2019 so underrated !!!!
The quality of your videos has really taken off. I’m always so happy when I see a new video from you in my feed! Great job. Greetings from Malta
He makes videos all the time. Does he have a life? I'm impressed!
I have to give a shout out the the Phantasy Star games on the Genesis. Loved those sounds tracks!
Each one has such a good soundtrack! 4 sounds outstanding
I absolutely love the content you make. One of the top video game channels on UA-cam IMO
This was an awesome list! THE ONLY thing missing from this was Gunstar Heroes.
This channel is amazing man. I love hearing about your memories and experience with these great games.
Vectorman had incredible music. Miss that game.
Hell yes
Absolutely
The first level music is classic
Download an emulator and the game Rom :D
I have the game on the sega mini, im just referring that they could make a sequel.
Also, I finally found out what song you use at the end of most videos! Thanks!
All Jesper Kyd stuff is of course amazing (The Adventures of Batman and Robin, Sub-terrania, Red Zone), and i would add Probotector, Zero Wing and Bio Hazard Battle.
Another great one, Sega Lord X. I was listening to this as I worked, and it easily got me in the zone. For my personal history, it was Sonic 1 and Streets of Rage 1. I love those soundtracks, and can pop them in at any time. Thanks for another great video!
I am VERY surprised that MUSHA didn't even get an honorable mention.
Every track of M.U.S.H.A Aleste stands out compare to the list.
But its still nice to hear the deep connections SegaLordx has with those games
Great list. SOR2 has always been my fav soundttsack on Genesis, nice to see it high on your list
Gotta love Yamaha! Such a distinctive sound, you can tell within seconds that you're listening to a mega drive/genesis game
SLX, I love your content, and I think my personal favorite parts are your personal anecdotes of life on the periphery of games, like that bit with your mother. You're a great content creator, man.
I LOVE the entire soundtrack of Dynamite Headdy, seriously there's like no bad song whatsoever in that game
Haven't played in most of these, but your selection is so awesome!!!
The most importantly your passion for this 16bit marvel clearly show here, which is why I Subscribed.
Awesome work.
Sonic 3 & Knuckles, best music
The music from hydro city zone act 2 is just amazing
I absolutely love Flying Battery Zone act 1, Lava Reef Zone act 1, and Death Egg/ Doomsday Zone.
Sky Sanctuary is timeless.
*I love ALL Sonic game soundtracks and play the with a surround sound hi-fi system people!* ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
The original sonic 3 not connected to sonic and knuckles.
Some amazing tunes I just discovered through this video. I was a Nintendo owner during my childhood so rarely experienced much the Mega Drive had to offer.
I do hope you’ll consider doing your Top 10 SNES soundtracks in the future, and hoping UN Squadron gets a mention as it was the game that actually made me perk up for the first time and listen to the music on its own.
Hey, we do not use the N-word here! 😠
Shout outs to Suncoast Motion Pictures. I used to get VHS anime videos there all the time back when everyone was calling it "Japanimation". Side shout outs to Babbage's too.
And VHS's be $24.95 for 2 episodes lol......ah....I'll never forget my first exposure to the "real" anime, my older cousins watching Devil Hunter Yohko.....
When I saw number 1, I instantly thought "man I hope he shows 'Moon Beach', because that track is what comes to mind when I remember this game"
Fantastic picks.
ESWAT has such an underrated soundtrack. Game could really use a remake.
Really been enjoying your channel man.
I like how you talk a LITTLE bit about your harder times while still focusing on the matter at hand.
Your editing skills are getting noticeably better too.
Anyways, keep doing what you do, Duder.
China town from revenge of shinobi is just too damn good.
I can't believe I missed it before. Thank God he did. Looking forward to repeating it
Wasn't "China Town" only used on 1 stage in the entire game unlike some of the other tracks. Shame also as it was EPIC!! "China Town" and the track to the "Good Ending" still give me the chills.
*I love the exciting boss fights music!!!*
My favorite song from The Revenge of Shinobi was Terrible Beat (which is the boss theme, by the way), China Town and Ninja Step. Wow! Yuzo Kushiro really hit it out of the park with this soundtrack!
Such a solid list! That FM chip just has so much damn drive. And I love that you were so candid with your choices.
A ton of Genesis game soundtracks influenced what I would go on to do with my own music so it's awesome to hear someone else's list and see what other people in the comments had for their own choices.
My top Genesis soundtracks are definitely: Outrun 2019 (a.k.a. Junker's Run), Contra: Hard Corps, Dinosaurs For Hire, Jurassic Park, Streets of Rage 2, X-Men, Sonic 2, Revenge of Shinobi
Yuzo Koshiro is a goddamn legend
If I had to absolutely pick a favorite, it's for sure Rocket Knight Adventures. Absolutely fantastic soundtrack with an unbelievable amount of variety. Even had a few songs that could sync up with the stage if you were playing it right. Well RKA in general is an extremely amazing game too. Sparkster also comes up when I talk about favorites, not as good as RKA's soundtrack, but still excellent.
I liked your selection and the personal attachments to the games as well. Seeing what you picked at number 1 was no surprise given your last video on it.
As a composer, I have found myself listening to a lot of video game soundtracks over the years: especially 16-bit games and music for the Sega CD. In terms of the Genesis/Mega Drive, Yuzo Koshiro's work with Streets of Rage 2 is one of the best soundtracks because of the polished and balanced stereophonic mix of synthesized instruments. It's been 29 years since its release, and it still holds up.
I would put the soundtrack to Rocket Knight Adventures as a close second because it is a game that is near and dear to my heart: especially due to the memorable music (like the first stage and boss levels). If you listen closely, most of the stage music function as variations on the music for the first stage.
Streets of Rage 3 was a pretty amazing soundtrack. It was such a leap forward into experimental music that seemed to be ahead of the curve even compared to normal music being made.
@@rangoononline True. Streets of Rage 3 has also become a polarizing soundtrack because of its experimentation with and reliance on electronic loops and surprisingly dissonant moments. For that last part, I point to the "Bad Ending" music. To my ears, that track sounds like a classical modernist serial or atonal piece. It works, though, because the track is meant to sound "weird": signaling to players that they need to try the "Hard" difficulty or that they messed up.
@@ZEKESPILLEDINKMUSIC Just checked out that track again and it's pretty out there! Thanks for writing all that interesting stuff
@@rangoononline You're welcome.
Thanks for sharing this as many of the games mentioned here weren’t ones that I had ever got to play. Some of my own favorite Genesis soundtracks (besides a few that you had already mentioned) include those from Comix Zone, Wolfchild, and Viewpoint. If you haven’t already, I implore you to give these a listen as I think they still hold up pretty well even today.
The only TRUE Genesis debate is if SoR1 or SoR2 has the better music 😉
Certainly can't go wrong either way for sure but I'd give the slight nod to Streets of Rage2 for sure! Personally to me it's the greatest beatemup series of all time with part two to me, still being the very best of the entire genre.
I have to say I also prefer the music in part two, with tracks like *Go Straight* hard to beat by almost any SEGA Genesis music/soundtracks!
I still have ALL 3 S.O.R. Game's for my Sega Genesis System and the 4th one for my Xbox One.
Aragorn7884 speaks the truth
Slight edge to SoR2 for the stage 1 music. But it's super close.
Actually I'd say Sor 3/BK3 has the best soundtrack in the series. Music in 3rd game is insane.
Eeeeexcellent video. I remember a previous music related video of yours where I mentioned Gleylancer. Absolutely amazing soundtrack. Lightening Force as well. When used to its full potential the Genesis sound system can be extremely impressive as you have clearly demonstrated. Most of my favourites fall in line with yours but a few others I also enjoy are Rocket Knight Adventures, Ghouls N Ghosts and Strider. Beautiful recollection about your mom, I have quite a few games in my collection directly tied to some touching memories involving my mom as well. It's pretty wild how gaming creates those attachments. Cheers dude!!
the Mega Turrican soundtrack is amazing. I love listening with earphones
El Rincon de Bob *Stereo too and I love the Amiga copy too*
Midnight Resistance! I gave an audible "HELL YEAH!" for that one!
When comes to orchestal music, the SNES was the best. But the electronic soundtracks where better suitable for the Sega Genesis.
In the right hands, the Genesis was capable of doing some very impressive stuff than no other console of the time can replicate.
Partially agree but the Donkey Kong Country games did some amazing Synth stuff like stickerbush symphony or disco train. Also Top Gear did some cool stuff too.
@@magicjohnson3121 oh yeah for sure. That Sony sound chip was a marvel.
That's not true at all. The Genesis is pretty much only suitable for sounding like an FM synth. The SNES, not so much, but it's definitely not limited to orchestal music haha.
Your list is solid. I think I'd put SoR 2 as #1. You deserve more subscribes SLX, I share your vids all the time. Keep it up with the content, you're one of the good ones.
If Japanese games were included, I'd add the first Puyo Puyo. It had only about 3 or 4 tracks, but they're impossible to get outta your head.
Great Video. Including “good ending” on the SOR2 list, and having “ground zero” playing in the background near the end of the video is awesome. Both are incredible tunes that made beating their respective games feel so much more rewarding, and I feel they are never mentioned, discussed or given their due because they aren’t in game music.
Best music ever!! Love me some proper Genesis tunes!
I love hearing all your personal stories relating to your content. I can relate often
No wonder I love your channel. I graduated high school in 97. I figured we were almost the same age, but I guess I am a pipsqueak compared to you. 😂
Tus videos me dan mucha nostalgia, los 90 fueron la mejor época de mi vida, y disfrutar mi infancia del sega Genesis fue de lo mejor.
X-men 2 clones wars always had good soundtrack no ones mentions
I was about to comment something similar
@The BATMAN Says I wish a new 16 bit X-men game came out
Your doing awesome work with all these great videos! Thank you
The Adventures of Batman and Robin > Batman the Video Game. You're in Batman denial! 😂
glad to see that i'm not alone !!!
The Adventures of Batman and Robin : fantastic game (lots of hours co-op with my brother) and equally fantastic soundtrack !!
Batman Returns has a pretty good soundtrack (generic game though)
@@OriginalMasters I agree, the SFX are a bit stifled due to the over driven music (or maybe lack of SFX in the first place), but melodically steril I'd certainly disagree. Nothing but emotion is elicited throughout each level, sub boss and boss of the game, which I equate to being melodic.
How about this: Batman NES > Batman Genesis 😛
@@CarlosXPhone Nope.
The E-Swat story never fails to make my heart warm.
ps I totally agree, the Gen/MD sound chip had a broad range of quality. compared to the SNES it could make some really really awful sound tracks as well as much superior clearer sounding ones.
Too many companies were really terrible with their sega genesis soundtracks. In the right hands I feel like the fm synthesis was superior to the sample based sounds of the SNES. To me SNES sounds muffled. If only some devs weren't so lazy.
contra hardcorps, the adventures of batman and robin, looney toons: buster's hidden treasure, streets of rage, etc etc so much amazing music...
Dungeons & Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal Sun, while not my favorite it's a great and over looked soundtrack.
Hugely. The guitars and percussion are great. I also like the change to the percussion if you look at the map inside a cave.
Yeah so many atmospheric tunes in that game. Especially the intro music, the swamp theme, and one of the battle tracks with the vocal 'HUH' really stick in my head.
@@420haxx Yep, was about to say the same!
A lot of people will find the music in Road Rash too twangy or harsh these days, but goddamn is it permanently seared into my brain.
Mega turrican I always forget how awesome that game is!!!
Sega Lord, I have to say, even though I still have my Genesis sitting on my shelf waiting for me to turn on, your videos still truly give me a sense of nostalgia like no other and I can totally relate to alot of your past experiences and some of mine were a bit similar in some way. I even feel inspired to make some videos of my own sharing my experiences with the genesis. I love your channel so damn much I'm willing to offer you a donation. Do you have a Patreon or something we can donate to? I don't have much, but the quality and hardwork you put into your video deserves compensation.
I love the sound of the genesis!
A great video mate, a real trip down memory lane, I have to agree the music from the SoR series is just immaculate in all respects. I have finished SoR 4 recently and started again on SoR 2 on the megadrive mini.
I do a very immature chant like gesture when the seeeeeeegggaaaaaa intro comes on. Each and every time. Keep up the good work
Is it really inmature when you are having fun and don't give a damn what others think? Lol
Rocket knight adventures is still an UFO to me everytime I listen to it. Really is a one of a kind.
The more I discover the Mega drive / Genesis library, the more I'm impressed by its soundtracks.
To be honest, there are not that many games that didn't have a great soundtrack one way or another. Listing them all would be like listing almost all games ever made for the system.
True. I don't remember having so many games with OST that suck.
Streets of Rage 1 is also my #1 favorite Genesis soundtrack. Particularly Stage 4 "Keep the Groovin'"
The music as whole resonates so well with contemporary house and electronic music of the late 80s and early 90s. The fact that I recognize so many influences to groups I already enjoy (Black Box, Soul II Soul, etc.) makes it that much more awesome.
+ MUSHA ALESTE, THE IMMORTAL, THUNDER FORCE 3, HELLFIRE, and many more!
The soundtrack specifies "Dance of Flame" from "Elemental Master" is a giant hyper bass monster hidden in the sound of the Sega Genesis. Wonderful.
Some of my personal favorites are Splatterhouse 2, Earthworm Jim, The Ooze, Sonic 3&K, Mega Man - The Wily Wars, and Contra Hard Corps., but I absolutely cannot disagree with any of your picks.
In my opinion, when used properly, the Genesis could sing better tunes than a lot of SNES games. Its just unfortunate that many developers were too lazy to learn how to properly compose for the hardware, so it now has a reputation in the retro community for having crappy music
My pick's: Chuck Rock II: Son of Chuck Rock & Vectorman. I like how you kept the 4:3 aspect ratio in your video.
No Elemental Master mentions? C'mon man...
You're an inspiration, thank you. Love all of your content
I prefer the Japanese produced tracks as well. Have you ever played Gaiares? Awesome soundtrack, highly recommended.
Definitely, feels like Japanese devs had a much better grasp of the FM synth chip. Speaking of which, I've totally been digging the Gleylancer soundtrack. Imo this ost made me believe that this was one of the pinnacles of Genesis/MD music production.
How cool it is to see a Midnight Resistance mention, this is such an underrated game!
Thunder Force IV should be #1. It has the GOAT soundtrack.
This. Sega CD bonus: Thunderhawk, with guitar parts by Anthony Wheeldon, contributor also to other Core Designs titles like Heimdall and Battlecorps. Oh and Lunar TSS from Working Designs, totether with Sonic CD Western version. What great tunes!
As a kid, I spent more time playing Phantasy Star II than any other game. I beat it again last year and am still totally in love with its soundtrack. Great video, SLX!
One of the most brilliant soundtracks for Genesis is Shining Force II. If you don't know it, check it out. Another really brilliant one is Ristar. Great list, but I was hoping to at least see Shining Force II. Really incredible one.
This is the video i was hoping for! I hope you delf more in the sega music! A video dedicated to the sonic music tracks would be awesome
Best soundtrack Games: Herzog Zwei, Ranger X, Contra HC, Thunder Force IV, Street of Rage 2, Sub-Terrania, GunStars Heroes, Splatterhouse 3, Comix Zone, Castlevania Bloodlines, Phantasy Star 4, Shinning Force 2, Beyond Oasis, Mega Turrican, Alien Soldier, *Paprium (New Game 2020). *** TRUE BEST: Adventure Batman and Robin!
I love MegaDrive music and often listen to it while working. Here are some of my picks :
Red Zone, Sub-Terrania, AWS Pro Moves Soccer, Dune II, Gauntlet IV, Verytex, Master of Monsters, Devilish, Comix Zone, Phantasy Star IV (PAL 50Hz), Shining Force II, Xeno Crisis, Savaged Regime's arrangements, Landstalker, Gunstar Heroes, Gleylancer, Mega Turrican, Cosmic Carnage (only uses the MegaDrive), Sonic 3D, Light Crusader, Hybrid Front, Crusader of Centy, Story of Thor, Streets or Rage, Golden Axe 3, Outrun 2019.
What about MUSHA? Best Genesis sound track ever.
I love that you put Road Rash in here, I absolutely love the tracks.