One song. Not, "oh, this song or this song." No, one song only. Post one song from a video game that has been largely influential on you.
Me? I'd have to say The Oracle, the Dark Lich/Thanatos theme from Secret of Mana. Not only did it perfectly intensify the gravity of what the fuck you -- your character -- is up against, it's also the reason I gained a love for harder, faster electronic music, and harder music in general. I wouldn't have a hard-on for darkstep, breakcore and heavy drum'n'bass if it weren't for this song. What makes me appreciate it even more is how flexible the composer is: he steps away from a largely orchestra- and classical-inspired approach to most of the sound-track, then says, "no fuckin' violins here; this shit is next-level evil."
This song is the cherry on top of the delicious sundae that is the soundtrack of Grim Fandango. Too bad it was only used in one room in the entire game.
lost of cool stuff in here, props for posting hell march <3. This is probably my favorite game music, it just speaks to me and brings a sense of calm no matter what.
omg...I used to play so much Starfox 64 as a kid, that was by far my favorite game. Just hearing this song makes me so nostalgic...*runs to play some N64*
Not sure if this counts since it's not originally a video game song. (Ain't No Rest for the Wicked by Cage The Elephant)
I bought the game on a whim after hearing about it's generally good reviews. I've never been a huge fan of shooters so I was skeptical and I thought it was just going to be a fallout clone. So I install it and load it up and this is the first thing you see when starting the game.
After watching it I couldn't help but to smile as I settled in to enjoy the ride. The developers went over the top to make a game that was just pure awesome instead of focusing on the less artsy multiplayer gameplay that we see in Halo or CoD. Borderlands remains to this day, one of my favorite single-player/co-op games.
Most of my favorite music comes from video game OSTs and arrange albums, so I have a LOT of favorites. But as for most influential and meaningful? There can only be one.
Glad to see all the Sonic 2 love in here. Not exactly inspirational to me, but one of the more prominent soundtracks of my youth, and damn awesome at that.
@sixfour -- definitely a classic. That song seriously can never get old, and it's no surprise there are about fifty different guitar renditions alone you can find online.
@backpack -- I really want to check that game out, now. I've only really heard about the game-play via podcasts and the art style, but not the actual story, narrative or characters. It looks fun!
Surprised that this one hasn't come up yet. The game isn't nearly as good as Chrono Trigger, but this music has stayed with me much longer than the game.
Since everyone's already heard every song from Secret of Mana, Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy, etc., I present a 10 year old remix of a 22 year old game: the intro to Phantasy Star 2.
EPT
