The PC Engine's best BGM?!

[Tatsujin]

Rule: only one vote for one existing track!! which would be your ultimate favorite one?

mine: Gate of Thunder: "stage 3 - Mines".. listened to it at least about 10'000 times (over the last 15 years), and never got bored. just true quality!! it's way beyond the f*ckin' limit.

:edit:

break beats meets hardrock. great combo.

[runinruder]

Legendary Axe, the first part of Stage 5.  No other tune gets me pumped up like that one does.  It really feels like a grand adventure is about to reach its climax.   

[ccovell]

We've got to split this into Hu and CD, for sure.

On CD, there are the ones that everyone already knows about (GOT, YsIII, etc).  But what really, really pumped me up were the tunes to Shubibinman 3, Super Darius II, and NEXZR.

On HuCard, it's anything by Macco / "Hiro T. Suzuki", like Ankoku Densetsu, Maniac Pro Wrestling, and Dungeon Explorer.

[edit: I didn't notice the rule, so I get to ignore it.]

[Keranu]

The "See You Again" song played during the ending credits of Ys Book I & II, which is actually normally played for Ys I's credits in the other games from what I understand.

[FM-77]

The Paleozoic Era from Dragon Spirit.

Best-song-ever.

[esteban]

I, too, want to totally violate the rules that Tatsujin made in his first post, because I can't pick just one chiptune at the moment (I don't even want to consider Red Book tracks).

Legendary Axe II is phenomenal -- I have a hard time choosing just one track from it. Same goes for Dungeon Explorer (though it isn't as brooding as LA II).

So, what I'll have to do today is choose my current favorite(s):

Dragon Spirit

My vote goes to:

04. Kazan - MASTERPIECE. Period. Adrenaline-pumping, in-your-face, yet still majestic song. Whereas Kodai was cheerful, Kazan is urgent and more serious. The urgency of the first half of the song gets you stoked, but seamlessly transitions to the grand, sweeping second half. The second half is no less urgent: but it achieves it in a more epic manner. This variety keeps the entire song fresh -- even upon multiple listens: no small feat.

Runner-up:

10. Hyouga - This is a fantastic track with a wonderful progression from start to finish! It starts off epic (evoking the feeling that you are soaring in the sky), then there is a moment of reflection as the composition gets sparse (I love the sound of the slightly droning, fading synth here), then the composition builds, punctuated with synth "handclaps" (I can't think of another way to describe them) and the brooding B-52 drones underneath. Wonderful.

And in the "short little ditty" category:

05. Hinotori - Gosh, I love this bittersweet track...  Yay!

If this is what it takes to get folks to give a serious listen to the Dragon Spirit chiptunes, than I couldn't be any happier.

[Black Tiger]

Tengai Makyou Fuun Kabuki Den: http://www.superpcenginegrafx.com/KABUKI_DEN_13.mp3

[Spector]

I like the title theme to Salamander and level four on Gradius, which sound better than the arcade to me. Also, what about the brilliant opening to Galaga 88 when the ship takes off. That huge chord change was one of the first things I heard when I got my PC Engine for the first time, and I'll never forget that moment
I can only choose one? OK - Gradius level four, but I've only touched on a small portion of the PCE back catalogue.

[esteban]

The Paleozoic Era from Dragon Spirit.

Best-song-ever.

Awesome! Apparently, you posted this while I was composing my response. Yay! At this point, I have no reason to suspect you are teasing me...

[nat]

Dungeon Explorer, since it clearly has the best soundtrack of any video game ever made.

If I had to pick one, one of the tunes in the later dungeons, I think stage 11 maybe.

Runner-up: title track to Air Zonk.

[Joe Redifer]

Tengai Makyou Fuun Kabuki Den: Garp's Theme

Wow.  A PCE-CD game with actual effort put into the music!  That's rare.  Usually they are simple tunes performed on whatever Casio synthesizer that could be purchased cheaply at the used music store (like Final Zone).

[FM-77]

Nice stevek666. Finally someone who appreciates this game!

I recommend the album Magical Trick Society: Dragon Spirit - Lead into Genesis, it is a dojin album with Dragon Spirit remixes. It's pretty poor, but I love the remix of Paleozoic Era (despite it being too rock-ish for my taste).

I will upload it along with the songs you mentioned here. Why? Because they need listenin'.
http://www.digitalsloth.net/ys/files/02_THE_PALEOZOIC_ERA.mp3

http://www.digitalsloth.net/ys/files/04_JUNGLE.mp3


Dark Castle - Boss

[Keranu]

Tengai Makyou Fuun Kabuki Den: Garp's Theme

Wow.  A PCE-CD game with actual effort put into the music!  That's rare.  Usually they are simple tunes performed on whatever Casio synthesizer that could be purchased cheaply at the used music store (like Final Zone).

Yeah but those cheap Casio synthesizers make for some awesome quick tracks .

[esteban]

Tengai Makyou Fuun Kabuki Den: Garp's Theme

Wow.  A PCE-CD game with actual effort put into the music!  That's rare.  Usually they are simple tunes performed on whatever Casio synthesizer that could be purchased cheaply at the used music store (like Final Zone).

You are a snob, a musical snob! I don't know why you hate "cheap" synths so much. For example, I love the synth horns used in Valis II...

[Joe Redifer]

Because they represent a lack of effort.