The worst game music you've ever heard...

The Coop · Post by **The Coop** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 9:07 pm

This topic's pretty much just what the title says. We've all heard bad music coming from various systems over the years, and we've been bombarded by horrid tunes being blasted at high volumes from arcade games as well. So out of all the games you've played, which one(s) had "music" that truly made you think "I'd rather drill screws into my toes than listen to that again"? And for some extra fun, if it's a game that has been turned into a sound file format (like for the NES, Genesis, N64, etc.), provide a link for those of us who need our curiosity satisfied.

For me, I'd have to say Zero Tolerance on the Genesis. It was my first FPS game, and though its playing field is pretty small, I had fun with it. However, the noises that it makes for its music are almost painful to listen to. Piercing notes, horrid choices in synth sounds, the tempo gets knocked out of whack regularly so there's not even a sense of rhythm to it... really bad stuff.

For those living dangerously, here ya go.

Post by **BulletMagnet** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 9:13 pm

Might as well mention the US version of BioMetal before anyone else does...

Rather amusingly I also recall my dad, from the next room, rating Darius Twin as "the most annoying music I've ever heard." While I like quite a bit of Zuntata's later stuff, I'm half-inclined to agree with the old man on this one.

EDIT: And I still say that the vocalist who sings the theme song to Twinkle Star Sprites on the Saturn is off-key...

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 9:24 pm

I AM THE WIND~

FatCobra · Post by **FatCobra** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 9:51 pm

The music in Pokemon games. It's enough to make my ears bleed.

Daigohji · Post by **Daigohji** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 10:01 pm

Nothing can compare to Discs of Death, a Tron clone on the Spectrum. The "music" is a migraine inducing three second loop that drones on and on endlessly.

In a distant second, the upcoming Phantasy Star Universe has an incredibly annoying vocal song in some of its trailers. All the more disappointing since the music was one of the strengths of PSO.

extrarice · Post by **extrarice** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 10:10 pm

Blaster Master 2 for the Genesis.

RippleScythe · Post by **RippleScythe** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 10:43 pm

Try Volguard II for Famicom.

12 notes just looping and looping and looping and looping infinity

Stormwatch · Post by **Stormwatch** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 10:46 pm

Xevious... enough said.

GaijinPunch · Post by **GaijinPunch** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 10:52 pm

I think almost all game music is garbage. Some game music site's logo was "giving game music the attention it deserves". I thought of making a signature, "Putting game music where it belongs.... the bin".

Jon · Post by **Jon** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 10:58 pm

1942's "music" was pretty atrocious if memory serves. I will also second Robs vote for "I am the Wind."

King Slime · Post by **King Slime** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 11:01 pm

I cracked up when I heard the music in 1942. I can never concentrate on the game. I keep laughing because of the soundtrack and then I get gunned down. =D

Mermaid had quite possibly the worst soundtrack though...along with being the worst game ever.

Andi · Post by **Andi** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 2:26 am

Stormwatch wrote:Xevious... enough said.

I think Xevious's music really adds to the atmosphere. It's sparse and unchanging and therefore fitting to the weirdly unpopulated world scrolling beneath you. Also, it's desperation inducing, like an alarm or something.

I'm actually being serious. I really think Xevious's music is cool in its own way. I play the NES version, that has the same music as the arcade right?

DJ Incompetent · Post by **DJ Incompetent** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 2:53 am

Personally, I hate Strikers'. It deserves better....

It deserves better.

gameoverDude · Post by **gameoverDude** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 2:55 am

Sky Target (Saturn) : The first boss music is horrible. HIDOI DESU. As 007 once said, "Tell me, who's strangling the cat?".

Smash TV (Genesis) : The melody is the same as the arcade tunes, but it has too much of a "Plink, Plink, Plinky-Plink, Plink" sound. That's a letdown when the Genesis is capable of some hot soundtracks (TFIII, TFIV, Gaiares, Musha, etc).

San Francisco Rush's soundtrack is so bad it's good. I find "Rave Rush" to be sort of a guilty pleasure. In his SFR review, K. Lee in EGM was talking about a song that had him cracking up continually. Rave Rush was it! The first few times I played SFR on the N64 with this BGM, I found myself laughing so damn hard. Good times.

1942's music is another guilty pleasure of mine. It's definitely cheesy, but I actually like it. Thinking of it cracks me up.

"Pak-Pak-Paka-Paka-Pak-Pak-TWEET! Pakita-Pakita-Pak-Pak-TWEET!"

I like Darius Twin's music. It was done by Joutohei Nakayama (Grid Seeker), then known as "Wiz Master".

Honestly, I don't care for Xevious' repetitive BGM loop. Thank goodness it got the axe for Xevious Arrangement.

The Coop · Post by **The Coop** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 3:40 am

Yeah, I gotta agree about Darius Twin's music being bad. Even Super Nova had better tunes. Some of the instruments used for DT were just so gratingly annoying, I questioned whether Zuntata actually had anything to do with it.

Triple Lei · Post by **Triple Lei** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 3:45 am

Aw come on... no one's played Gilligan's Island for the NES? You know, with the six castaways? (I guess they ate Ginger)

tekneekz · Post by **tekneekz** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 5:17 am

espgaluda

Blade · Post by **Blade** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 6:51 am

Seriously, no ribbing others fav games...the downright shoddy stuff would be like Boy and His Blob.

Maybe even the NES version of Top Gun.

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 7:10 am

Blade wrote:Seriously, no ribbing others fav games...the downright shoddy stuff would be like Boy and His Blob.

You just broke your rule. AB&HB is great, the three songs included.

Daigohji · Post by **Daigohji** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 7:26 am

Wait, how could I forget. The off key rendition of the Ghostbusters theme in the Commodore 64 version is hilariously bad.

Michaelm · Post by **Michaelm** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 10:40 am

Mushihimesama through Digital Out

sven666 · Post by **sven666** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 11:31 am

airbase stage (1st with ruby) in gigawing.. has me going fucking nuts!

tiger heli port on the NES is horrible, and so is the 4 second loop of the rygar soundtrack.. and yeah ESPgaluda isnt too hot either in my ears, tho the boss music in galuda 2 is pretty cool

jp · Post by jp » Thu Aug 24, 2006 3:48 pm

Rob wrote:
Blade wrote:Seriously, no ribbing others fav games...the downright shoddy stuff would be like Boy and His Blob.
You just broke your rule. AB&HB is great, the three songs included.

I concur.

I haven't played A Boy and His Blob in a decade...

... and I STILL have that music stuck in my head (the music from earth anyways).

As for horrible music... I honestly cannot think of anything. Either I am impressed with a game's soundtrack and take note of how good it is or I don't notice it at all.

Blade · Post by **Blade** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 3:56 pm

Dear god! How can you even like that music...it was poorly made! The game itself takes 6 minutes to beat at best.

I sincerely question your taste in music then.

jp · Post by jp » Thu Aug 24, 2006 4:49 pm

Are we talking about A Boy and His Blob on the NES? 6 minutes? Uh... don't you have to get treasure from the sewers/underground to buy vitamins to even beat the final boss? In fact, don't you have to play through the first part to even get the neccessary jelly beans for the Blobobian world or whatever its called?

6 minutes? I think not. And the main song is catchy. In fact, thanks to you, its stuck in my head for the remainder of the day.

Alske · Post by **Alske** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 4:58 pm

Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance.

Post by **Shatterhand** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 5:45 pm

There was a spectrum game called TOY ACID GAME . I doubt anyone knows this game, but the music of it was in such a high tone, and so badly made... when the game played the music, I SWEAR it made my TV show lines of interference on screen. It was a great music if I wanted to scare the hell of someone.

The game also never made any sense to me (It's a great candidate for the "Most weird game" thread).

But well, I doubt anyone knows this game anyway.

"Pak-Pak-Paka-Paka-Pak-Pak-TWEET! Pakita-Pakita-Pak-Pak-TWEET!"

That was a PERFECT rendention of 1942's soundtrack.

RippleScythe · Post by **RippleScythe** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 6:12 pm

King Slime wrote:I cracked up when I heard the music in 1942. I can never concentrate on the game. I keep laughing because of the soundtrack and then I get gunned down. =D

I was about to bring that up too, subliminally it may be a morse code saying "you'll never make it to the end"

Axon · Post by **Axon** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 8:25 pm

Ys 1&2 PCE and Tobi Dvine.

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 8:50 pm

jp wrote:Are we talking about A Boy and His Blob on the NES? 6 minutes? Uh... don't you have to get treasure from the sewers/underground to buy vitamins to even beat the final boss? In fact, don't you have to play through the first part to even get the neccessary jelly beans for the Blobobian world or whatever its called?

He must be talking about the handheld version.