Author Topic: Best sounding games or sfx in games (Read 10458 times)

mimic · « **on:** July 05, 2011, 09:08:49 pm »

Seems like it's always about visuals in video games or gameplay I don't think I've seen a thread about games with most memorable tunes and sound effects.
I hear the following sounds in my head (that's right! coo-coo!) since I first stepped into the arcades:

grobda - sfx and hi score jingle
commando - first level music (I usually can't get past that so I don't know if there is anything else memorable)
mikie - music
Tokio (Scramble Formation) - tune before level starts
Green Beret (rush'n'attack) - death/hi score tune

P.s. let's just limit to ARCADE video games no pc/console, etc.

DaveMMR · « **Reply #1 on:** July 05, 2011, 09:22:47 pm »

Just off the top of my head:

The "Insert Coin" sound in many Atari games always gives me goosebumps.
The announcer in Gauntlet
Level 2 of Marble Madness
And of course, the opening themes to Pacman, Galaga, Time Pilot and Donkey Kong.

vorghagen · « **Reply #2 on:** July 05, 2011, 09:24:28 pm »

Gyruss - Tocatta and Fugue in D Minor

yotsuya · « **Reply #3 on:** July 05, 2011, 09:56:57 pm »

Defender "Coin Up" sound.

drventure · « **Reply #4 on:** July 05, 2011, 09:59:48 pm »

The williams games always had great sound fx to me (like Defender, Stargate, Robotron, etc).

One that always gets me for music is Ribbit, but you have to be a classical fan.

boardjunkie · « **Reply #5 on:** July 05, 2011, 10:22:05 pm »

The Williams videos and pins had nice analog synth-ish sounds. The Gottlieb pins and videos had interesting sounds as well....along with the early 80s Taito stuff like Qix, Zookeeper, etc.

The Bally Sente system had great potential (it contained an actual 6 channel analog synth board made by Sequential), but they never really tapped into its full potential. They could have used the AY-3-8910 chips and had similar results.

DeLuSioNal29 · « **Reply #6 on:** July 06, 2011, 02:49:06 am »

Ms. Pac man credit sound.

Robotron sounds... namely the warp sound from level to level and the appearance of the Aliens in the brain level.

Last but not least, I remember playing MKII for the first time and saying, "Holy crap it sounds so CLEAR". This was due to the debut of the Midway Digital Compression System (DCS) in the series. Sound effects and background music were killer. So good in fact, I remember ordering the Soundtrack CD listed on the title screen. I still have it to this day.

D

Vigo · « **Reply #7 on:** July 06, 2011, 02:54:25 am »

Gorf

shrunkenmaster · « **Reply #8 on:** July 06, 2011, 04:21:42 am »

Defender, Juno First, Robotron, Gyruss, Gorf, Tron, Marble Madness, Gauntlet - love em!

Yoeddy1 · « **Reply #9 on:** July 06, 2011, 04:23:01 am »

Quote from: yotsuya on July 05, 2011, 09:56:57 pm

Defender "Coin Up" sound.

One million percent agree!

Jason

scofthe7seas · « **Reply #10 on:** July 06, 2011, 12:23:31 pm »

I always liked the very serene kind of bubbly "Q-Sound" music on many Capcom machines.

Mikezilla · « **Reply #11 on:** July 06, 2011, 12:32:14 pm »

Quote from: scofthe7seas on July 06, 2011, 12:23:31 pm

I always liked the very serene kind of bubbly "Q-Sound" music on many Capcom machines.

I used to like that one too, but I was repairing my cab and always had to restart it, so I heard that one a million times already

I enjoy the little chime when the capcom logo comes up on the street fighter games.

And the "infinity!!!" when you used to put a quarter in on Marvel Super Heroes.

yotsuya · « **Reply #12 on:** July 06, 2011, 12:34:46 pm »

Quote from: DeLuSioNal29 on July 06, 2011, 02:49:06 am

Ms. Pac man credit sound.

This actually sounds really good on a cab with a subwoofer!

mimic · « **Reply #13 on:** July 06, 2011, 10:40:42 pm »

Quote from: yotsuya on July 05, 2011, 09:56:57 pm

Defender "Coin Up" sound.

+1 on that. I will press coin button 20 times in a row just to hear that sound

ahofle · « **Reply #14 on:** July 07, 2011, 01:11:25 am »

- Spy Hunter music, especially when you get to the part that sounds like a jazz musician ad lib.
- Marble Madness, pretty much all the sounds and music are fantastic
- Road Blasters end of level music
- Super Sprint, end of level music
- Toobin
Hmmm, I'm noticing a pattern of Atari games here.

DCsegaDH · « **Reply #15 on:** July 07, 2011, 01:16:39 am »

Quote from: scofthe7seas on July 06, 2011, 12:23:31 pm

I enjoy the little chime when the capcom logo comes up on the street fighter games.

And the "infinity!!!" when you used to put a quarter in on Marvel Super Heroes.

I agree

Donkbaca · « **Reply #16 on:** July 07, 2011, 01:31:20 am »

Killer instinct! The announcer, all that bass.
The MKs and all the sounds, the pumping music, the whoopee! Guy
I always liked the sounds on the theater of magic pin

Silverwind · « **Reply #17 on:** July 07, 2011, 01:43:39 am »

Red warrior is about to die!

Mortal Kombat - soundtrack and effects are great!!

scofthe7seas · « **Reply #18 on:** July 07, 2011, 02:15:32 am »

Quote from: Donkbaca on July 07, 2011, 01:31:20 am

Killer instinct! The announcer, all that bass.
The MKs and all the sounds, the pumping music, the whoopee! Guy
I always liked the sounds on the theater of magic pin

Hahaha Only on Nintendo Ultra 64, Indeed.

jimmy2x2x · « **Reply #19 on:** July 07, 2011, 02:33:13 am »

One that really stands out for me (beyond the winners that have already been mentioned):

kampcool · « **Reply #20 on:** July 07, 2011, 02:45:22 am »

Great Topic, sound is an integral part of a great Arcade machine. As far as the retro cade games go, I think that "POLE POSITION" sit down games knocked it out of the park, and I love that green light go countdown sound. The revs of those cars were addicting, and you could "feel" the car next to you......Way ahead of its time.

I must also give a nod of respect to the Mortal Kombat II "DCS" sound system. Very "rich" stereo effects present throughout.

"GET OVER HERE", "FINISH HIM"

danny_galaga · « **Reply #21 on:** July 07, 2011, 03:51:04 am »

PONG FTW!!!

Xiaou2 · « **Reply #22 on:** July 07, 2011, 04:00:59 am »

Pole Position - Jingle tunes (fatt chorusy synth sounds)
Afterburner II
Outrun
Ghouls and Ghosts
Marble Madness - pretty much all of it. excellent soundchip, used very well.
Super Hangon - Outride A Crisis, Sprinter
Quartet - sega
Shinobi
Turbo Outrun - Rush a Difficulty
Ridge Racer - Rare Hero, Feeling Over
Star Trek - sega
Gyruss
Strider - movie-like soundtrack
TMNT - themesong!
The Simpsons - themesong

Sega games seemed to have some of the best music in games. However, i may just be more prone to remembering them because I played a ot of sega games.

Breaking down into soundfx is a totally new category that doesnt really go in the same bracket as music. It would also be very hard to judge something like that. So many great games, so many incredible synthesized sound effects.

I really miss the synth days. All the simple sampling stuff is boring. Synths put out a sound that is magical.

mgb · « **Reply #23 on:** July 07, 2011, 06:02:58 am »

Moon Patrol- One of the catchiest game songs
and I love the speaking on Berzerk, I still remember when I first heard it as a little kid at the corner store

boardjunkie · « **Reply #24 on:** July 07, 2011, 10:50:16 am »

Quote from: Vigo on July 06, 2011, 02:54:25 am

Gorf

All the Midway CCRS games had interesting sounds.

boardjunkie · « **Reply #25 on:** July 07, 2011, 10:51:51 am »

Anyone heard of someone making some kind of interface to "play" a video sound board via MIDI input? That would be way cool.

Cynicaster · « **Reply #26 on:** July 07, 2011, 11:04:21 am »

+1 for Defender and Robotron. To me, those are the quintessential "retro arcade" sounds--masterful as they are iconic.

I was playing a bit of Marble Madness recently and I agree--that is some great music for its time. That second level tune always gets stuck in my head.

I think the SFX in Zaxxon are simple but very effective and convincing.

Other great retro arcade audio moments that come to mind:

- when the ghosts scatter in Pac-Man after you eat an engergizer--I think those sounds are brilliant.

- the "free life" sound in Centipede. It just has this awesome carnival-like "you win!" vibe to it.

- the explosions in Raiden

- explosions and thrust sounds in Asteroids (sound sweet with a sub)

- when Coily jumps of the edge of the pyramid in Q*Bert

- "The End" in Missile Command

- music in Pengo

- music in Golden Axe and Altered Beast

Malenko · « **Reply #27 on:** July 07, 2011, 11:20:46 am »

Daytona USA, Even Crusin' USA

I know you dont want non-arcade, but final fantasy and castlevania they both have simply wonderful compositions.

Thenasty · « **Reply #28 on:** July 07, 2011, 11:36:23 am »

Vanguard
Phoenix
Frogger
Moon Cresta

others:
The BREAK SCENE in the PAC family ( you can tell from a distance what level the player is in)
Moon Patrol
Gyruss

RayB · « **Reply #29 on:** July 07, 2011, 01:25:51 pm »

Galaga for the cutesy weird FX
Rolling Thunder for some excellent funky music that was way ahead of its time
Juno First for techno sounds (original hardware though--the 48-in-1 boards sound like junk)
Marble Madness (and other Atari titles using that same sound hardware)
And as mentioned, most early 80's Williams games

GibsonRiddler · « **Reply #30 on:** July 07, 2011, 06:09:14 pm »

The tanks in Tron. The arcade always had the volume up on the machine. You could always hear the tank level.

HanoiBoi · « **Reply #31 on:** July 07, 2011, 11:53:14 pm »

The Donkey Kong tune between levels...

Do do do
do do do do..

followed by Mario footsteps, of course.

wp34 · « **Reply #32 on:** July 08, 2011, 12:12:17 am »

Quote from: ahofle on July 07, 2011, 01:11:25 am

- Road Blasters end of level music

+1

Quote from: yotsuya on July 05, 2011, 09:56:57 pm

Defender "Coin Up" sound.

+1 (Good call BTW)

I always like Star Wars-- particularly the cockpit cabinet (May the Force be with you)

But nothing to me sounds better than a dedicated Asteroids cabinet. You can feel the low end sound and the first time a ship comes out always makes me jump it is so loud.

Donkbaca · « **Reply #33 on:** July 08, 2011, 12:23:20 am »

I hate the donkey kong sounds

Donkbaca · « **Reply #34 on:** July 08, 2011, 12:43:12 am »

Michael Jacksons Moonwalker has awesome sound/music. I think sega games had the best music.
Best sound in the arcade is the knocker when you get a match or other free game in pinball

scofthe7seas · « **Reply #35 on:** July 08, 2011, 12:54:41 am »

Quote from: Donkbaca on July 08, 2011, 12:23:20 am

I hate the donkey kong sounds

Who hates the Donkey Kong sounds?!!?

The way the bass booms. You can tell that gorilla means business.

danny_galaga · « **Reply #36 on:** July 08, 2011, 02:43:16 am »

Quote from: mgb on July 07, 2011, 06:02:58 am

Moon Patrol- One of the catchiest game songs
and I love the speaking on Berzerk, I still remember when I first heard it as a little kid at the corner store

Chicken, fight like a robot!

I like also that I can't quite understand some of the other samples. One sounds like 'downtown intruder', which could mistakem for some kind of smutty euphemism. And another sounds like '---fudgesicle--- the humans'

mgb · « **Reply #37 on:** July 08, 2011, 09:02:45 am »

I love the start music in Galaga but even more I love the explosion sounds in Galaga'88.

Also that warp noise at the end of a game of Gyruss.

Man there are alot of cool sounds and music in classic games.

I go to the Funspot every year and some years it seems like they have all of the volumes so low and it kinda bums me out.

boardjunkie · « **Reply #38 on:** July 08, 2011, 10:07:18 am »

Heh....I have the Galaga start tune as my phone's ringtone. Sounds better than some MP3 song that ends up a garbled mess....

Ginsu Victim · « **Reply #39 on:** July 08, 2011, 12:21:17 pm »

Sinistar
Rastan
Defender
Robotron
Ghouls and Ghosts
Q*Bert

clok · « **Reply #40 on:** July 08, 2011, 12:38:13 pm »

Vanguard (somebody mentionedit before) ROTV (classic music updated) when you hit the energy field was incredible when i was in the arcade as a kid..

But one that alwasy stuck out REACTOR a game nobody played, but had the wicked little riff that played, still think it sounds cool today..

mimic · « **Reply #41 on:** July 08, 2011, 03:45:59 pm »

Let me add the two following games that keep on ringing in my ears to this day
Alive-alive - Bosconian
&
Play astro blaster! - Astro blaster

yotsuya · « **Reply #42 on:** July 08, 2011, 04:03:17 pm »

The Astro Blaster attention getter is a great sound. The first time I heard it in MAME, it immediately took me back to the drugstore I first heard it in when I was 9.

emphatic · « **Reply #43 on:** July 08, 2011, 04:19:47 pm »

Rygar: hooh (jump), hah (hit) and aaaah (death)
All Toaplan games (sound fx and music): Get Star, Out Zone, Flying Shark, Twin Cobra
Black Tiger (Music)

ChurchOfSolipsism · « **Reply #44 on:** July 11, 2011, 07:28:24 am »

Many of SNK's fighting games had great hitting sounds:


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