Popular music site Pitchfork has listed their favourite video game soundtracks from the last twenty years and some of them may come as a surprise to you. Included on the list are newer titles such as the charming Animal Crossing: New Horizons and manic platforming exploits of Celeste along with older titles such as Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 and SEGA’s Space Channel 5. Here’s the list published on Reset Era.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons (2020)
Composers: Kazumi Totaka, Yasuaki Iwata, Yumi Takahashi, Shinobu Nagata, Sayako Doi, Masato Ohashi
Celeste (2019)
Composer: Lena Raine
Eternal Sonata (2007)
Composers: Motoi Sakuraba, Frédéric Chopin
Monument Valley (2014)
Composers: Stafford Bawler, Obfusc, and Grigori
NBA Street Vol. 2 (2003)
Various Artists
Persona 5 (2016)
Composer: Shoji Meguro
Space Channel 5 (2000)
Composers: Naofumi Hataya, Kenichi Tokoi, Ken Woodman
Shadow of the Colossus (2005)
Composer: Kow Otani
The Sims (2000)
Composer: Jerry Martin
Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP (2011)
Composer: Jim Guthrie
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 (2000)
Various Artists
Undertale (2015)
Composer: Toby Fox
I think Ace Attorney really shines in this department. It’s a short list for summing up 20 years, but not a bad one.
Sonic Mania and Xenoblade Chronicles have not been done justice.
No Xenoblade or NieR: Automata!? You guys SUCK!! *shrug* To each their own, though. Lol
The Mario Galaxy soundtracks would’ve been pretty cool to include too, just sayin’.
New Horizon’s soundtrack is still good, but imo the worst in the series
Happy to see Persona 5 here, but I would have upgraded it to P5 Royal- Take Over, No More What-Ifs, and Throw Away Your Mask are all incredible additions to its already-phenomenal soundtrack.
I would have vouched for Zelda: Skyward Sword, Cuphead, and Fire Emblem: Three Houses.
Mario Galaxy games and Silent Hill soundtracks are a miss
I’m surprised DKC Returns or Tropical Freeze music didnt make the cut.
I’m very disappointed that Bravely Default isn’t on here. It’s quite possibly my favorite soundtrack of all time. It’s an absolute masterpiece!