Why music matters in games

                                         ♫ Like a good neighbor state farm is there♫

Chances are you know the exact melody that line is sung to, the cadence, and the tempo. Of course it is the well known jingle of State farm insurance company and acts as not only a tagline for the company, but a device to penetrate the brand into the minds of the viewers. Music works in a interesting way; much like a familiar, fragrance it can bring memories and emotions to the forefront of our thought unlike many other experiences. A particularly robust or dramatic score can enhance a scene or setting and convey a mood, sometimes even better than a visual can.

 Melodies work in a interesting way, they are essentially a function of space more than anything else. We pull melodies out of the jumps between notes rather than the note itself. A melody that Starts on an "A" and jumps 2 notes to "C" will still be recognizable when played starting on "B" and jumping two spaces to "D".

Video game music has evolved along with games themselves. The scores games will have can stand side by side with hollywood film scores, and are often even written by the same composers. Lets explore some of the most influential game music and dive into why it is so important, and what it's accomplishing.

Super Mario Bros. Theme - Koji Kondo



Possibly the most instantly recognizable piece of game music is of course the theme to Super Mario Bros. Play this tune for anyone and chances are they will be able to tell you exactly where it's from, even if they don't play games at all. The theme is accomplishing a couple different goals; firstly its setting a playful scene. This is a video game we are playing after all. The bouncy baseline and overall playfulness of the melody suggest that you should probably just sit back and have fun with the game. The theme has been reworked and remixed countless times, but no matter what instruments we hear playing that catchy melody we are always reminded of good ole' 1-1 and that there is a power mushroom in that third block on the right.

One Winged Angel - Nobuo Uematsu



Jumping forward 13 years brings us to another familiar piece; the bombastic and frightening "One Winged Anger" from the final battle with Sephiroth. Arguably one of the meanest sounding works composer Nobuo Uematsu has put out. This play as somewhat of a death-march and plays a very different role in the game than the Mario Bros Theme. It's apocalyptic, it's threatening, it's clashing, and all of this adds to the mood that money is on the table with this one. Play time is over, your 40-50 hours is culminating here, be afraid.

Although this one may be a little less recognizable to people out of the know, it still resounds with the people play games. Even those who may never have touch a Final Fantasy game can usually place this as an FF joint. It's that kind of impact that a song can have on a game, a far reaching influence that iconifies certain moments and games.

The Legend of Zelda: Overworld Theme - Koji Kondo



Are you ready for adventure? Well you'd better be dammit, because this piece is going to force it upon you. Zelda was the first of its kind in many regards. It gave you a huge world, teeming with dungeons to explore, monsters to face, and the player agency to pretty much discover it all for yourself. But there was an issue initially with the first Zelda game, play testers didn't know what to do. They were thrust into this open world with no real direction. This piece serves as a make shift objective to players to "go and explore". This music does more than just lend a recognizable melody. It inspires exploration, its orchestration and melody boast a world yet to be discovered.

There are so many notable pieces of game music that I can't cover, But I thought these 3 were a good place to start to explore why game music is so important to the overall experience. they create moods, cast shadows, and create memories far more than mere button presses. They can connect us with people inside and out the game world. But most of all, they are just good music. So keep listening and drop me a line if you there is a piece of music you want me to cover.

Thanks for reading and Keep Gaming Folks.