Sounds; they truly are foods for your ears. And just as you never forget a good - or bad - casserole, you never forget a good - or bad - sound. Graphics and gameplay are but two of the elements which make up a game; another, perhaps less appreciated, is the sound. Yet think of your favourite games, and the music and effects are synonymous with the on-screen action.
Here 10 examples of video game sound which have stayed with me - sometimes for close to 30 years.
Here 10 examples of video game sound which have stayed with me - sometimes for close to 30 years.
THE MAIN THEME FROM ALEX KIDD IN MIRACLE WORLD
This was video game music of a sort I was unaccustomed to; more than one channel, with a "swoosh-y" percussion... and it got stuck in my head primarily because a) It was really catchy, b) It was used for both the title screen and the first level, c) I rarely made it much past the first level, and d) There were no saves in those days, so I had to play through that first level every time I played the game.
It was composed by Tokuhiko Uwabo, who provided music for a bunch of Sega games - most notably Space Harrier - his last being 1994's Sonic & Knuckles. Uwabo later left composing and video games behind, to become a venture capitalist. Because that's a logical career progression.
It was composed by Tokuhiko Uwabo, who provided music for a bunch of Sega games - most notably Space Harrier - his last being 1994's Sonic & Knuckles. Uwabo later left composing and video games behind, to become a venture capitalist. Because that's a logical career progression.
THE SOUND OF ERIC'S FOOTSTEPS IN SKOOL DAZE
Pop-pop-pop-pop-pop... this is the sound that a naughty boy's feet makes as he hurries through school, apparently. The Spectrum wasn't known for its sonic capabilities, but its 1-bit output was responsible for some truly iconic bleeps n' bloops.
Case in point: Eric's footsteps in Skool Daze. It's likely I played Skool Daze more than any other ZX Spectrum game. Given that there was a lot of walking, those footsteps shall never leave me. They are the sound of me hurrying away from the suspiciously cool Mr Withit. You chose to work in an all-boys school did you, Mr Withit? Yeah, I bet you did.
Case in point: Eric's footsteps in Skool Daze. It's likely I played Skool Daze more than any other ZX Spectrum game. Given that there was a lot of walking, those footsteps shall never leave me. They are the sound of me hurrying away from the suspiciously cool Mr Withit. You chose to work in an all-boys school did you, Mr Withit? Yeah, I bet you did.
YOSHI'S THEME FROM SUPER MARIO WORLD
Super Mario World boasts one of the greatest game soundtracks of all time, but few moments in gaming are as joyous as when you clamber onto the back of your special dinosaur friend, and the music gets one hundred percent jauntier.
The extra percussion which played when Mario was riding Yoshi - hel-loh! - made full use of the Super Nintendo's ability to emit a whopping eight sounds simultaneously, and was testament to the 18 months it took Koji Kondo to compose the soundtrack.
The extra percussion which played when Mario was riding Yoshi - hel-loh! - made full use of the Super Nintendo's ability to emit a whopping eight sounds simultaneously, and was testament to the 18 months it took Koji Kondo to compose the soundtrack.
WHEN YOU GO IN A CAVE IN SUPER MARIO WORLD
While we're talking Super Mario World, the point at which the game blew my mind was when I first entered a pipe - he-loh! All the regular sound effects, and the music, became all echoey, as if I was indeed in an underground cavern. It underlined that the SNES was a proper next-gen machine, and demonstrated how a little something like echo could really enhance atmosphere.
ZX SPECTRUM LOADING NOISE
I don't know why the ZX Spectrum had to make that horrible noise while it was loading. I don't know why they couldn't have made it a nicer noise, like a harp or birdsong, or just muted it altogether, but - as unpleasant as it was - to an entire generation that horrid screeching would herald the imminent arrival of gaming treats.
You know: akin to your mother shrieking like a banshee as she handed you your birthday gifts.
You know: akin to your mother shrieking like a banshee as she handed you your birthday gifts.
THE FIRST LEVEL THEME IN JAMES POND 2: OPERATION ROBOCOD
Another game from the pre-save era, and a bit of an underrated gem. The lack of saves once again meant that every time I played Robocod I was assaulted with the dangerously catchy first level music. Notably, the Amiga version borrowed from the Robocop theme, but this was altered once the game made its way to the Mega Drive. Probably for legal reasons.
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG "SEGAAAAAAA"
Sega pulled out all the stops with the original Sonic The Hedgehog, determined to prostrate it before the world as new epoch in 16-bit gaming. It began from the second you booted up the game, with the appearance of the Sega logo, and a choral burst of "Seyyyyy-gaaaaaah!". Get this: that digitised vocal sound took up 1/8th of the entire cartridge. Worth it though. Totally, yeah?
ALL THE SOUNDS IN SPACE INVADERS
Sometimes less is more. The Space Invaders music was comprised of a mere four notes, but those notes sped up as the invaders got closer to the bottom of your screen. It was an effect not dissimilar to famous theme from Jaws. It was the first time music had been synonymous with the game it accompanied, the first time in-game music influenced a player's emotions - and it was terrifying,
THE SCIENTISTS IN HALF-LIFE
"Greetings!"
"Ah, Gordon - there you are."
"A resonance cascade scenario."
The scientists that you meet at the beginning of Half-Life, prior to the botched experiment which unleashes all manner of holy heck on Black Mesa, are some of the most chipper fellows you could ever meet.
They were played by a variety of actors, mostly uncredited, who doubled - sometimes tripled - up on roles. They included Brice Armstrong, who voiced various roles in the animated series Dragonball Z, Harry S. Robins, who cropped up again in Half-Life 2, and Mike Shapiro, who spoke on behalf of various passers-by in Grand Theft Auto V.
"Ah, Gordon - there you are."
"A resonance cascade scenario."
The scientists that you meet at the beginning of Half-Life, prior to the botched experiment which unleashes all manner of holy heck on Black Mesa, are some of the most chipper fellows you could ever meet.
They were played by a variety of actors, mostly uncredited, who doubled - sometimes tripled - up on roles. They included Brice Armstrong, who voiced various roles in the animated series Dragonball Z, Harry S. Robins, who cropped up again in Half-Life 2, and Mike Shapiro, who spoke on behalf of various passers-by in Grand Theft Auto V.
TINGLE
What is the deal with Tingle? Of all the characters Nintendo has created, he is - without a doubt - the most bizarre. His weird outfit (green, skin-tight, bodysuit, clock necklace, belt, and red pants), and his peculiar dancing would be odd enough - but the jabbering and giggling really sold it. More distressingly, we know now that Nintendo considers him to be a 35 year-old man, who is "obsessed with forest fairies".
"Tingle, Tingle! Kooloo-Limpah!" he would cry, which is no way for a man in his 30s to behave, and the reason his father was forever telling him "to grow up".
His debut appearance in Majora's Mask was at odds tonally with much of the rest of the game, which might be why he met with a less than favourable reception. Director Eiji Aonuma chose not to include the character in Twilight Princess, stating that "some American people didn't like him very much". We can all guess which ones... #MAGA
We have learned in subsequent appearances from the character that Tingle has three brothers: Ankle, Knuckle, and - inexplicably - David Jr.
However, it was his incessant shrieking that has stuck in the memory.
"Tingle, Tingle! Kooloo-Limpah!" he would cry, which is no way for a man in his 30s to behave, and the reason his father was forever telling him "to grow up".
His debut appearance in Majora's Mask was at odds tonally with much of the rest of the game, which might be why he met with a less than favourable reception. Director Eiji Aonuma chose not to include the character in Twilight Princess, stating that "some American people didn't like him very much". We can all guess which ones... #MAGA
We have learned in subsequent appearances from the character that Tingle has three brothers: Ankle, Knuckle, and - inexplicably - David Jr.
However, it was his incessant shrieking that has stuck in the memory.
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