Uncharacteristically sinister songs in games

[munchy]

By this, I mean songs that sound incredibly sinister for whatever game they happen to be in. Off the top of my head, here are some:

Last world songs of Kirby 64
Drawcia World song in Kirby Canvas Curse
the "Fight all the bosses again" room in Megaman X7

[Revolver Ocelot]

The intro theme to Radiata Stories is pretty eerie for such a light-hearted game.

[Akirasfriend]

Something that sprung to mind when I thought about it:
Wizard of Wor for the C64 was attempting scary music (the only music in the game) with the classic 'Duuun... du-dun-dun...' and, when something cool happened, ending in 'DUUUUUUN!'

However, possibly due just due to the sound quality or something like that, it came out incredibly eerily - instead of just one sound, there were multiple channels of the same music, higher and lower than the intended sound. It still gives me the creeps.

[Pitchfork]

The final boss fight in EarthBound. Giygas's last form is terrifying for the sounds alone.

[mainpatr]

The final Bowser fight in Super Mario 64.

[[UNPERSON]]

The Alundra 2 game over music. It just sounds terrifying and depressing, so much that it actually motivates me not to die in that game (works to a degree).

[kal]

Not really music (kind of is..but not really) but the drowning sound in the Sonic 2d games use to (and still does) freak me out. The beeping..the countdown timer....scary.

[necromaniac]

The whole of G-Darius

[[UNPERSON]]

Speaking of Sonic, I found the game over music in the U.S. version of Sonic CD to be creepy. While the Japanese version is just a depressing version of the opening theme, the U.S. version sounds like it was ripped from a horror film involving a demonic circus.

[munchy]

On the subject of the US Sonic CD soundtrack, the boss music is also really creepy. (For a Sonic game, anyway.)

[ReyVGM]

The whole Drakken soundtrack.

[Drawesome(Dale)]

Rocket Knight Adventures boss theme.

[Haz]

Level 8 of Target Earth.

[Deleted]

pitchfork said:

The final boss fight in EarthBound. Giygas's last form is terrifying for the sounds alone.

Not to mention the appearance... that shit gave me the willies overall. Also, the distorted hotel theme in Threed when you were about to be assaulted by the zombies scared me so much that I muted the TV every time I came by that bit. The warped "morning" theme in Moonside's hotel was also disturbing.

The final fight against Goji in Jet Grind Radio had some of the freakiest/most ethereal music I ever heard, but I thought it was fitting for the area... just uncharacteristic for the rest of the game. I think a total WTF was in order when fighting a giant Golden Rhino robot shooting fire.

Granted that Katamari Damacy's soundtrack was a large melting pot, but the one that plays in the eighth level... I think it's "Angel Bearing Gifts" or something like that? That one starts out somewhat peaceful, but eventually turns to somewhat chaotic with real offbeat spacey sounds and pounding drums. Just seems odder than most other sounds. But then, the soundtrack also has a French-named song sung in English set to a tune that wouldn't sound out of place in a Pixar film, so... I'll shut it.

The level 6 music in Streets of Rage is quite slow and soft compared to the rest of the soundtrack. Kinda doesn't fit very well with the high-pumping factory setting, IMO. Also, the stage 5 music in SoR2 is slow, but it fits a bit better with the dark and swaying ship that you're fighting on.

The really creepy underground music in Startropics is also a bit odd compared to the rest of the upbeat soundtrack. That's the one that plays while you're in the extensive caverns of stage 6. Both the music and the entire stage kinda gave me the jeeblies, actually.

Oh, and necromaniac, I also concur with all of G-Darius. I'm also putting in a bid for Darius Gaiden with all of the weirdass female vocalization. And the ending credits music is depressing... though, I could see it fitting for a few endings (namely, the one where the planet Darius explodes, dammit).

And finally (this is something I'll be touching on in my article), the final area music in Rez... FEAR IS THE MINDKILLER. Oh-so-very different from the rest of the upbeat music in the game. Shit, that entire final area was a mindfuck.

[personman]

munchy said:

On the subject of the US Sonic CD soundtrack, the boss music is also really creepy. (For a Sonic game, anyway.)

I concur, combined with the bad future settings it seems to give me a feeling of sudden dread which also brings that conflicting feeling since its Sonic, that sort of thing shouldn't be there.

and then this: soniccd402.ytmnd.com/

I found that little secret by mistake long ago, and the image combined with the music plus me being really young at the time... I'm getting scared just letting that run in the background right now. *closes window*