Underappreciated Music?

My whole life, I have been into video games. I think originally, it started out as strictly a form of entertainment. It was something fun to do with friends, and to me, it was more entertaining than simply watching TV. But something happened to me around the age of 12 or 13, and the role that video games played in my life suddenly changed. No longer was it just mindless fun. When my friends and I first played Final Fantasy IV for the Super Nintendo, I watched and read as a wonderful story was told to me, accompanied by some of the most beautiful music I had ever heard (and not just in a video game).

Final Fantasy IV - Theme of Love

A song that plays behind the growing love story between the main character, Cecil, and the White Mage, Rosa. Cheesy? Yes. But a perfect song to accompany the story.

Final Fantasy IV - Toroian Beauty

A great song to accompany a truly beautiful new town to explore, Toroia was a "calm before the storm" in the story.

Final Fantasy IV - Battle With The Four Fiends

Ah, nothing could be more foreboding than the battles with Golbez's Four Fiends, and the music which played through those battles embodied that emotion.

This music is a constant reminder to me of the stories that were told and the adventures that filled my mind. And I am not the only one to feel this way, for I have found others out there who have been inspired and mesmerized by this wonderful music. Below are some other examples that have inspired me over the years (my apologies to any Square-Enix haters out there).

Final Fantasy X-2 - Akagi Party (Piano Version)

In game, this music is much different as it mostly background music sung (hummed) by a choir, but it is played during a particularly haunting part of the story. The piano version stands out much better, but I think it keeps the haunted feeling intact.

Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep - Fate of the Unknown

This music plays during the ending scenes of the game when the three heroes, Terra, Ven, and Aqua, struggle against the game's villain, Xehanort. The fight is complex and difficult, and it does not end happily, but the music is beautiful as it incorporates all aspects of the "Kingdom Hearts" genre into the mix--mysterious, soft and slow, quick and hard, and wickedly triumphant. Every time I hear this, I am overwhelmed it's beauty and the memories of a truly bittersweet story.

Metal Gear Solid 4 - Metal Gear Saga

The Metal Gear storyline, as it weaves through a variety of sequels and prequels, is spectacular, complex, and oftentimes stunning with its harsh sociopolitical commentary. I think this music sums up the series nicely.

Super Mario RPG - Forest Maze REMIX

Something I have found in my travels hunting down video game music is a fairly widespread community of people who remix the songs. Inspired by something they love (like myself), many of these artists have set out to give something back to these songs. While the remixes vary considerably, the source music is almost always there, lending its memories of the story it accompanied (the "Forest Maze" original music makes an appearance around 3:26). In my experience, these remixes fail when the source music is not giving the attention it should, but I think this one fits the source perfectly.

Final Fantasy Crisis Core - The Price of Freedom

One of my all-time favorite songs. When I hear this, I can perfectly visualize the story this music plays through. The game takes us through the short career of Zach Fair as he fights for a ruthless company as a soldier. Zach fights through countless battles and uncovers startling truths about the world and about the "heroes" he fights with. After everything he endures throughout the game and the story, Zach attempts to return home to reunite with his love, but he ends up fighting to his death against a military force to protect his friend, Cloud (the same Cloud who will go on to become the main character in Final Fantasy VII). The song is bittersweet with its slow strings, but strong when the electric guitar comes in, perfectly summing up a character I came to respect.