SF Alpha 3
Guilty Gear
SSF2T
Gundam Wing Endless Duel
DBZ Budokai 1, 2 and 3
DBZ Sparking
Super DBZ
Edit: I was playing the original SF Alpha, and I was really surprised when I heard Adon and Charlie’s themes… I had no idea Capcom would actually go for Mega Man style SNES music! And I thought it was sick. I wish Capcom would try out more of that music, I love it. It’s cool and original.
Street Fighter 2
Street Fighter 3 2nd Impact (fuck 3S music)
Marvel Superheroes Vs Street Fighter
Guilty Gear Isuka (I really don’t like normal GG music)
Ninja Masters
World Heroes 2, Jet & Perfect
Samurai Shodown (the ending credit music without continuing was Awesome)!
Art of Fighting
KOF 94, 97 and XI
Other fighting games:
Night Warriors
3S
Primal Rage
Dark Legend
Guilty Gear (all except Isuka’s)
Guilty Gear (all)
Hokuto no Ken
Neogeo Battle Coliseum
Street Fighter Alpha 3
Street Fighter 3: Third Strike
Cyberbots
Power Instinct Matrimeele
Tekken 5 (and DR)
-Guilty Gear (Awe of She and Bloodstained Lineage haven’t been even half as good since GGX, though, especially the latter)
-KoF '99, '00, and '03 (arranged; Splendid Evil is just that good)
-SFA2 (original, not Gold) and 3 (Charlie’s A3 theme is crap compared to the A1 arranged version and the A2 version, though)
-3S (admittedly, I often enjoy listening to the soundtrack more than playing the game itself)
-Tekken 4 and 5 (mainly the Shinjuku theme in T4 and Moonlit Wilderness in T5)
-Soul Edge (Khan Super Session tracks specifically)
I hate most fighting game music. It’s never been particularly inspiring for me, and seems to have gotten worse as time goes on. MvC2 music - what the freaking hell is that crap?
Probably the only exception to the rule is Chun and Ryu 3S music. But even that is borderline shite. The rest of the game’s music is just irritating - I usually turn it all the way down and listen to something else in the background. CvS2 and Tekken 3/5 have maybe one or two tunes that don’t completely bug me. Everything oldschool is just god awful.
Streets Of Rage and Streets Of Rage 2 (Called “Bare Knuckle” in Japan) were some old Megadrive/Genesis beat-em-up brawlers that had GREAT music. Written by composer Yuzo Koshiro, that was the best music I’ve ever heard from a biffo game. Definitely in the theme of the game. Game music these days just seems to be some random crap licensed by the development studio. Nobody seems to put thought into matching the music with the overall mood of games any more.
Whinge, bitch, piss, moan, grumble, fart, old man rant…
Man… I can’t agree. I’ve been listening to the 3S soundtrack quite a lot lately, and the music comes off so much better through good headphones. Very cool basslines throughout. Some themes are not as inspired as others, but most of the stuff is great to listen to.
And it’s interesting that you talk about Yuzo Koshiro’s Streets of Rage work (I agree with you: great music), because some 3S pieces reminded me of it (esp. the more hardcore SoR3 soundtrack)…
Have you tried the Guilty Gear soundtracks? Quality stuff. Even if you dislike the fighting game itself, the music holds its own. It, for the most part, fits along with the characters and mood of the game as well.
i am ashamed of myself for forgetting about this one! edits