Published , by Greg Burke
Published , by Greg Burke
On this episode, we are counting down the top 10 best Sega Genesis video game soundtracks. The Genesis may not have had as prolific a lineup as its rival SNES, but Sega certainly has quite a bit of experience doing what Nintendon't. We reached out to our staff and community on Twitter and our Chatty forum for votes. Please take a look at the video to find out what Sega game took our top spot.
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What Sega Genesis video game soundtracks did you think should have been included in this list? Let us know in the comments section and be sure to check out our Top 10 SNES and Top 10 NES soundtrack videos to keep the groove going.
Want to read the list instead? Hit next page to see our text version of the top 10 Sega Genesis video game soundtracks. The price of reading instead of watching will be additional pageviews. Pray we don't alter the deal any further.
This side-scrolling beat'em up was truly unique in terms of level and gameplay design. Players took the role of Sketch, a comic book artist who got sucked into a comic book world. Fight your way through a series of panels all while rocking beats play. It's a cool game that probably flew under a lot of people's radars.
JRPGs are known for excellent music, and Phantasy Star 2 had a very impressive Sega Genesis soundtrack. The diverse playlist accompanies players through a fantastic sci-fi world. From open world themes to boss battle songs, it is no surprise that this game's soundtrack was a fan favorite amongst our Chatty community.
While Tetris may be the most iconic puzzle game soundtrack out there, the Columns series stepped their game up with Columns III: Revenge of the Columns' soundtrack. Music in puzzle games is a super important factor to building fun experiences and replayability, and Morihiko Akiyama did a wonderful job producing a memorable soundtrack despite the limitations of Sega Genesis hardware.
Most Castlevania games have amazing soundtracks, and Castlevania: Bloodlines stays true to the Belmont family's history. Composer Michiru Yamane went on to do the score for Castlevania Symphony of the Night which is heralded as one of the finest soundtracks of all-time. Bloodlines may be the black sheep of the franchise, but the soundtrack is great.
Earthworm Jim landed on Sega Genesis in 1994, and saw a simultaneous release on SNES. The music ended up being different between the platforms, and many players have gone on to prefer the Genesis version of the soundtrack. This is surprising considering SNES boasted a better sound chip.
This Genesis RTS featured eight levels, each with their own unique theme. Herzog Zwei is arguably one of the best two player games on the 16 bit Sega console. It's no surprise to see it make it onto this list with its unique gameplay and great music.
A game centered around two alien best friends, ToeJam & Earl featured a multitude of jamming tracks. Players had to capture humans and track down parts of their spaceship while navigating the game to a truly funky soundtrack. Just last week, ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove launched on consoles and PC.
This fantasy shmup had some excellent chip tune beats. The soundtrack accompanies players as they take on giant enemy bosses and navigate excellently designed levels. This soundtrack is criminally underrated, but our community clearly has some great taste with their votes landing this title at the number three spot.
This sequel to the wildly popular Streets of Rage took everything to the next level. Improved gameplay, level design, and music made Streets of Rage 2 stand out on the Genesis platform. Although the original game may have some more memorable songs, the sequel featured some more technically impressive music.
There was no question that a Sonic game would take the top spot in this top 10 list, right? While the Genesis featured a ton of Sonic games, Sonic 3 featured an amazing soundtrack. King of Pop Michael Jackson reportedly offered some help while the Sonic 3 soundtrack was being produced, and the project saw over a dozen musical minds come together for the soundtrack. Sonic can really move, and the soundtrack to his games are some of the very best in video game history.
What Sega Genesis video game soundtracks did you think should have been included in this list? Let us know in the comments section. In case you missed them, be sure to check out our Top 10 SNES and Top 10 NES soundtrack videos to keep the groove going.