Well, this is it! The big one. It''s the final Bitmob Community Jukebox. I'd just like to take a second to thank everyone who submitted a song for this or any prior edition of the Jukebox. Also, a special thanks to Evan Killham for maintaining a catalogue of all the music that the community has selected over the last year. As a small token of gratitude, I posted his songs first. After that, I randomized the contributors and put my choice last.
I will be doing one final post down the line that will act as a sort of hub for all of the past Jukeboxes, so keep an eye out!
Evan Killham, Community Member -- Ratchet and Clank
I'm not about to throw the "best music ever" title around all willy-nilly, but David Bergeaud's score for the first Ratchet and Clank is one of my favorites, and it's the first soundtrack I went out of my way to listen to outside of a game. The music perfectly conveys the "futuristic-action cartoon" vibe that Ratchet and Clank was going for, and it's great stuff to blow things up to.
Key tracks:
Kyzil Plateau: Veldin
Blackwater City: Rilger
Brett Bates, Editor -- BioShock
The '50s tunes echoing from the broken-down radios and jukeboxes that litter Rapture's landscape were enough for BioShock to earn my vote. But let's not forget about the haunting original soundtrack that accompanies the game as well. Every time I hear the rush of strings halfway through "Welcome to Rapture," my mind travels back to that initial bathysphere-reveal as Andrew Ryan's voice boomed in my ear. At that moment, I realized I was about to play something very special -- and the soundtrack was an intricate part of that.
Key tracks:
Beyond the Sea (by Django Reinhardt)
Welcome to Rapture
Igor Bonifacic, Community Member -- Machinarium
You must include at least one song from Machinarium in the final Community Jukebox. In case anyone hasn't played Machinarium -- and you really should -- it has wonderful music throughout. In fact, I think the only time I've ever stopped playing due to a soundtrack was with the in-game music of Machinarium. What makes the soundtrack so successful is its eclecticism. The game's many songs draw inspiration from a wide array of sources like Jazz, dubstep, and even an 8-bit tune here and there. All the songs are prime examples of their respective genres.
I think the Robot Band Tune and By The Wall are the two of the best examples of the game's music.
Key tracks:
By the Wall
The Robot Band Tune
Carlos Hernandez, Community Member -- Metal Gear Solid
I think the best video game soundtrack of all time has to be Metal Gear Solid's. The music has a variety of tracks that perfectly suit the game. From sneaking to intense action, it has the feel of an over-the-top movie score. Whenever you arrive in a new area in the game, a noticeable change in the music swells, and Konami reworks the musical tracks. Two representative songs from the game would be "REX's Lair," which makes you jumpy and curious about what's coming. And also "The Best Is Yet to Come," which, ironically, is not an optimisitic track.
Key tracks:
REX's Lair
The Best Is Yet to Come
Jason Wilson, Managing Editor -- Final Fantasy 7
My iTunes has an entire section dedicated to video-game music: tunes from the Star Wars: X-wing series and Baldur's Gate, Heroes of Might and Magic, and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, too. Some of these are tracks direct from the game; others are community-mixed tunes.
But only one game gets its own playlist: Final Fantasy 7. Like many of my favorite concertos and symphonies, Nobuo Uematsu's compositions have stuck with my until this day. The One-Winged Angel and J-E-N-O-V-A themes stir my heart, especially the later arrangements that include choral lines and different instruments. I listen to parts of this game's soundtrack practically every time I edit or write.
Key tracks:
J-E-N-O-V-A
One-Winged Angel
