So, I've been playing Mega Man games a lot lately, and while I'm still working through the X games, that wasn't enough to stop me from listening to every soundtrack in the franchise as well. Similarly with Sonic, a Mega Man game is almost always synonymous with great music.
Let's start with the classic games, all of which boast pretty reliably great soundtracks:
Mega Man: Mega Man's first soundtrack is a lot like the game itself. It's not one of the best, nor one of the worst, but with its simplicity comes a charm that helps it stand out even after all these years. Most of the main Robot Master themes are fairly short, but their catchy melodies, classical feel, and distinct minor keys still help to establish them as some of the most iconic pieces of music in the series, especially in the case of Bomb Man, Cut Man, and Guts Man. The endgame themes are a lot weaker though, coming off as fairly droning and off-beat (with the exception of that haunting Yellow Devil theme).
Highlights: This one's a bit of a no-brainer but Cut Man's theme is the Mega Man theme. It's energetic, catchy, and feels like a distinct part of this specific series. It's also one of the longest and most complex themes in the game and suffers a lot less from the short loop issue compared to many of the others.
3/5 Stars
Mega Man 2: Mega Man 2 is overrated... but not its music! Seriously, this soundtrack deserves all the praise it gets and then some, every single track in Mega Man 2 is a masterful piece of chiptune and an absolute banger. I don't really know what else I can add to the conversation here, I'm not super knowledgeable about what goes into a great chiptune song, so I'm just going to reiterate the point that many others have made: This is rock. It has the same intensity, fast pace, and flair that you'd get from one of the best rock songs, and as a fan of the genre, that makes Mega Man 2's soundtrack right up my alley. And yet, this isn't even my favorite classic Mega Man soundtrack...
Highlights: Isn't it already obvious? It's the first Wily's Fortress theme, one of the all-time greatest pieces of video game music. It's exciting, thrilling, and makes you feel like a badass, I probably wouldn't have noticed Mega Man to begin with had I not discovered this amazing theme in Super Smash Bros 4.
5/5 Stars
Mega Man 3: Mega Man 3 is the best classic Mega Man soundtrack. It takes the sheer energy of the second game's music and adds an extra layer of complexity and emotion. The tracks are lengthier, and have more parts of them. Songs like Needle Man, Proto Man's Whistle, and even the Title Screen theme feel more melancholic than you'd expect from the series at this point, and all the other songs are just ridiculously catchy and intricate, like Gemini Man and Magnet Man. Granted, I don't think MM3's soundtrack is as consistently solid as the last one, but the highs are so incredibly high that it's hard for me to care. When this soundtrack is at its best, not a single classic Mega Man game can top it.
Highlights: Snake Man's theme is my favorite classic Mega Man theme, hands down. It gives me chills every time I listen to it. It perfectly captures the vibe of adventuring into some mysterious ruins, with an eerie yet still catchy verse that loses the intensity in exchange for sheer drama for its beautiful chorus. But then we also got Title Screen, Spark Man, and Wily's Castle 2, which are also all great. Seriously, I can not rave about MM3's music enough.
5/5 Stars
Mega Man 4: I didn't really like Mega Man 4's soundtrack that much at first, mostly because it's sandwiched in between two of my favorites in the series. However, I did warm up to it the more I listened to it, even if I still think it's pretty average for a Mega Man soundtrack. I think the composers knew that this was the fourth game in the series and that they probably had a bit more freedom to experiment, which is great because some of my favorite songs in MM4 were the weird ones, like the smooth Toad Man, the reverse-sounding notes in Dust Man, and the layered chords in Ring Man. However, while most of the soundtrack is at least solid, who the hell thought the password theme sounded good? It's hands down the worst song in the whole series by a mile.
Highlights: This might be a bit of an obvious pick but Pharaoh Man's theme is such an easy standout for Mega Man 4. It has a catchy and nearly iconic melody, a great sense of energy, and a fantastic bassline.
3/5 Stars
Mega Man 5: Mega Man 5 is an underrated gem and one of my favorite games in the series. Thus, its soundtrack is also an underrated gem and, you guessed it, has one of my favorite soundtracks in the series. Mari Yamaguchi composed the music of MM5 and right from the get-go, she establishes a unique syncopated chiptune style that's really helps to unify this soundtrack, while also leading to some of the most complex and ambitious NES music I've ever heard. It's cohesive and consistent, while also having pretty much every single track be a jazzy banger. Gravity Man is pure unadulterated Mega Man, Crystal Man is super adventurous, Napalm Man is incredibly catchy and intricate, and Wave Man is beautifully relaxing. Also, they timed the boss theme so it doesn't get interrupted by the health bar filling up. 10/10.
Highlights: Despite all my raving about Mari Yamaguchi's style, my favorite track in the game may not have even been composed by her! While I don't know for sure, from what I've heard, the Wily Castle theme was made by Yoko Shimomura, aka my favorite video game composer. Whether it's Shimomura or Yamaguchi, this is the best Wily Castle theme in the series and one of my favorite Mega Man themes in general. It has such a haunting vibe to it, and gives the endgame a great sense of finality.
5/5 Stars
Mega Man 6: Mega Man 6's soundtrack is an acquired taste, and ultimately I'm still somewhat mixed on it. On one hand, MM6 has some of the most complicated, intricate, lengthy, and crisp-sounding tracks on the entire NES. Yuko Takehara's more melancholic and grand style really shows in Mega Man 6's music, which has a strong sense of atmosphere and finality to it. Just by listening to the music alone, you can tell MM6 is the end of an era. However, I feel like a lot of the songs here can be a bit slow-paced, even the ones I really like. It's something I've gotten used to over time, but when you're coming off the heels of some of the other more high energy NES Mega Man soundtracks, it can feel a bit odd. At the very least, it's a rare soundtrack where it sounds just as good listening to it at 1.25 speed.
Highlights: The theme for Mr X Fortress is absolutely phenomenal and one of the best Classic themes in the series. It's climactic and hopeful and really captures the vibe of this being the final entry for the NES.
3/5 Stars
Mega Man 7: Mega Man 7 is the first, and one of the only classic Mega Man soundtracks to not use chiptune, so I was a bit wary that it would feel like the black sheep of the series. I was wrong on both accounts, though, this soundtrack is fantastic! I like chiptune, but it's such a breath of fresh air to have instrumentation that's clearer and easier on the ears, and it allows for a much greater variety of songs. Like many other SNES soundtracks, Mega Man 7's music puts a big emphasis on the bass (makes sense, this game introduces Bass), and it allows for a really groovy soundtrack. The Robot Masters have some great themes here, but the entire endgame is especially strong, pretty much every castle and final boss theme is fantastic. The only thing stopping me from giving it a perfect grade is the theme for Auto's Shop, that's nearly a low on par with MM4's Password theme!
Highlights: Jurassic Jungle is so freaking good. It's energetic, adventurous-sounding, and, as much as I hate to repeat myself, just plain groovy. The central synth is super easy on the ears, and the backing trumpets, bass, and especially the drums all elevate the track.
4/5 Stars
Mega Man 8: If you've seen me bring up my thoughts on house music and DnB, you can probably guess what my opinion on the Mega Man 8 soundtrack is going to be. Mega Man 8 is pretty much the Sonic CD of the series music-wise, an experimental and weird yet oddly consistent and cohesive score that nails that 90s house feel. There are so many strange melodic choices in all these songs that it kind of took some time for me to fully warm up to them, but I came around to truly loving the majority of this soundtrack. I don't care how well it fits into a Mega Man game, this is exactly my kind of music. Also, apparently a Resident Evil composer made the music for this one and it kinda shows, there are some eerie pieces of music here.
Highlights: While I love the dnb-heavy opening, Astro Man's theme is the highlight for me. It's a great and groovy piece of house music that feels right out of something like Super Monkey Ball, but the most noteworthy part is its weird piano usage that helps give the song a bit of a distorted feel, which fits the stage pretty much perfectly.
5/5 Stars
Mega Man 9: At first, I thought Mega Man 9's soundtrack, just like the game itself, was too derivative of Mega Man 2. But I was wrong, it's better. MM9's soundtrack is probably the most Mega Man soundtrack to ever Mega Man, and that's not at a bad thing at all. This is peak 8-bit rock, and it's filled to the brim with fantastic tunes for pretty much every Robot Master, especially Splash Woman, Plug Man, and Galaxy Man. Mega Man 9's soundtrack is ridiculously catchy, and the more you listen to them, the more they will worm their way into your head. Seriously, try to listen to Jewel Man's theme and not bang your head to the twinkly chiptune. And don't even get me started on the Wily Castle themes, easily some of the best and most dramatic in the series.
Highlights: Flash In The Dark is a fantastic Wily Castle theme, easily one of the best in the series. It's intense, dramatic, and super climactic, with an especially chill-inducing chorus. And yes, it is better than Wily Castle 2.
4.5/5 Stars
Mega Man 10: Mega Man 10's score is a true love letter to the series, bringing back every single prior classic Mega Man composer to work on at least one track. This means that, at its best, MM10 has some of the biggest bangers in the series from the composers of 2, 3, 5, and 8. Some of the tracks really play around with what chiptune can accomplish with songs like Absolute Chill and Deep In Space, which is absolutely fantastic. However, a soundtrack with this many composers could never be consistent, so while Mega Man 10's high points are ridiculously high, it's also a very uneven soundtrack with some lows as well. More specifically, the non-stage themes like the cutscene, stage select, and boss themes are a bit on the lackluster side. I still love MM10's music to bits, but its hit-or-miss nature prevents it from ranking as one of my absolute favorites.
Highlights: As mentioned above, Cybersheep's Dream is Mari Yamaguchi's contribution and it's absolutely phenomenal. Her jazzy syncopated style is shown in full force, and the song does things I've never really heard a piece of chiptune do. Easily one of my favorite classic themes.
4/5 Stars
Mega Man 11: This is the Sonic Forces of the series in terms of music. It goes for a hard electronic style that people will either love or hate, but I tend to leaning towards the former. Good electronica is good electronica and I really like how intense and head-bangy a lot of the tracks in this game are. At its best, we have probably my favorite Title theme in the series, one of the best Wily Castle themes, and one of my favorite lineup of Robot Master themes. However, I will also admit that the music in this game can get pretty samey and repetitive due to using the same instrumentation a lot, and outside of the aforementioned castle theme, there are some pretty weak tracks near the endgame.
Highlights: Fuse Man is so good. Capcom picked the perfect song to use for their trailer theme because this one goes incredibly hard, it's fast-paced, energetic, and just plain exciting. I also love the tense Torch Man theme and the explosive-sounding Blast Man theme.
4/5 Stars
Mega Man & Bass: When I first heard the soundtrack to Mega Man & Bass, I immediately chalked it off as the worst in the series and found it to be super unmemorable. I think that's a bit harsh. While it's true that Mega Man & Bass is one of the weaker classic Mega Man scores and doesn't reach the heights of other soundtracks, it's by no means the worst. If I had to describe the music for Mega Man & Bass in a single word, it would be groovy. The basslines are top-notch throughout, and pretty much every track is super easy and fun to jam to. While the game itself elicits a lot of frustration out of me, the soundtrack feels tailor-made to cheer up whoever is listening to it. Unless you're listening to the GBA version, of course. This soundtrack just doesn't work outside the SNES/SFC.
Highlights: I really liked the theme for the Data Base. It's so chill and nostalgic, a perfect theme to listen to while looking through the history of the classic Mega Man games. But fine, if I had to pick a level theme, it would have to be Ground Man's theme, one of the slickest pieces of video game music ever made.
Original: 3/5 Stars
GBA: 1/5 Stars
My ranking of the Mega Man soundtracks would be:
- MM3
- MM5
- MM8
- MM9
- MM2
- MM7
- MM11
- MM10
- MM6
- MM&B
- MM4
- MM1
- MM&B (GBA Version)
Next up are the X games. As a whole, I think these tend to have better soundtracks than the classic series... except for one, but I'll get there when I get to it:
Mega Man X: Mega Man X serves as the baseline for how a good Mega Man X soundtrack should sound. It's not my favorite in the series, but it is a fantastic soundtrack with a lot of incredibly iconic and memorable songs. Like with Mega Man 2, there's not much I can really say that hasn't been said about this one. It sounds like a full-on rock album a lot of the time (Boomer Kuwanger is particular could be a goddamn stadium anthem), the SNES bass is absolutely fantastic once again, and pretty much every Maverick theme is phenomenal. But even the non-gameplay themes are great, like the main themes for X and Zero, the title screen, and even the freaking password screen music!
Highlights: Opening Stage is still one of my favorite pieces of music in the series, it's a truly iconic theme that really gets your blood pumping. However, I also have to give praise to the beautiful and dramatic Sigma Stage 2, which might even be better in some aspects.
5/5 Stars
Mega Man X2: Coming off the heels of the incredible first game's soundtrack, X2 feels like a bit of a let-down by comparison. The tracks are short and a lot more simple, and the general vibe of the soundtrack feels oddly relaxing a lot of the time. I still won't say the music in this game is bad, there are a lot of great tracks and high points, but it's as if the composers knew they couldn't top X's soundtrack and just didn't try. Also, for some reason the SNES MIDI guiltars don't sound quite as good as the ones in X, but they're still tolerable, unlike a certain other Mega Man X game that I have yet to talk about...
Highlights: X-Hunter Stage 1 is a pretty rocking theme that feels like it could fit into the first game's soundtrack perfectly... if it wasn't like barely a minute long, at least. Seriously, these songs are way too short.
3/5 Stars
Mega Man X3: This is the one bad Mega Man X soundtrack. Not just bad by Mega Man standards, it's straight-up bad. I don't want to fault the composer Kinuyo Yamashita too much, she did great work in Castlevania, but I don't think this was one of her better showings. The compositions are fine, if a bit short at times, but the real issue is the godawful instrumentation. The soundtrack uses these MIDI guitars that sound so much worse than the ones from X and X2, which still would have been fine in moderation. However, these guitars are used as the backbone for pretty much every song in the game, which not only makes them feel more homogenous and repetitive than they already are, but also makes for a soundtrack I felt physical pain listening to.
But wait, there's more. Because X3 also got a port to the Playstation and Saturn, where it got an entirely remastered soundtrack that's easier on the ears. While it does feel a bit weird seeing songs that were intended to be rock get turned into synth tracks more akin to MM8 or X4, this version of the soundtrack is loads better and helped me appreciate a lot of Yamashita's ambitious and complex compositions a lot more.
Highlights: No matter what the version, Gravity Beetle will always be one of the best songs in the X series. While it does still use X3's guitars, the melody is so strong and recognizable that it does bring this track up for me a lot. And while the PSX version isn't quite as rocking as the original, the instruments are a lot easier on the ears and I love the jazzy take it provides for this song.
SNES: 1/5 Stars
PSX: 4/5 Stars
Mega Man X4: X4's music starts an entirely new era of music for the Mega Man X games, switching from the SNES's instruments to a focus on synth and EDM, which is a shift I actually really liked. Dare I say the PS1 era is the absolute peak of not just the X soundtracks but the Mega Man franchise as a whole in terms of music. Mega Man X4 is particularly masterful because I think it has the most cohesive soundtrack out of the X games, blending some of the most adrenaline-pumping themes in the series with a haunting sense of melancholy that perfectly fits the game's story. Songs like Jet Stingray, Final Weapon 1, and Magma Dragoon do a really good job at getting your blood pumping, but my favorites tend to be the more sorrowful tracks like Iris, Cyber Peacock, and X's Opening Stage. X4 just has a vibe to it, and I think it inspired a lot of other indie composers because I can look back to some of my favorite soundtracks like Freedom Planet and Half-Genie Hero and feel that same exact vibe. Also, the basslines in some of these songs are immaculate.
Highlights: As mentioned above, my absolute favorite tracks are Iris and Cyber Peacock due to their melancholic tones. Iris's theme is especially worth noting since it does a lot of the heavy lifting to sell the emotion of a scene that kinda got ruined by the dub, and maintains the trend of tragic fights having amazing music (Iconoclasts & Freedom Planet being good examples),
5/5 Stars
Mega Man X5: X5 is a game with all of its effort put into that final stretch so that the series could go on out a high note, since it was initially intended to be the final Mega Man X game, and I'd say the same is true of the soundtrack. The whole score has this chilling sense of finality to it, like the haunting opening theme that reprises Variable X in glorious fashion, the several bleak-sounding themes like Grizzly Slash and Zero's Opening Stage, the fantastic remixes like Duff McWhalen and Rangda Bangda W, and pretty much the entirety of the endgame, a flawless streak of thrilling and emotional tracks that stand up as the best songs in the series. The whole soundtrack masterfully blends techno and rock together, making for the perfect example of what made the PS1 era of Mega Man X so fantastic. It's also worth noting that this was the first Mega Man game that Naoto Tanaka helped compose. Along with Yamaguchi, he's my personal favorite Mega Man composer and he made a ton of my favorite songs in the series (Sigma 1st, X Vs Zero, Primrose from X8, all of X6's soundtrack).
Highlights: X Vs Zero is my favorite song in not just the X series, but the entire Mega Man franchise. It really sells just how big and important this fight between the series' two main protagonists is. It's high-octane, exciting, emotionally charged, and just plain fun to listen to. I also love Zero Stage 2 for not just being fantastic rave music but quite possibly the inspiration for Reisen's theme from Touhou.
5/5 Stars
Mega Man X6: X6 may not be a very good game but its soundtrack easily one of the best in all of Mega Man. Naoto Tanaka pretty much took the reins on this one, composing the whole score and nailing every single track. Genre-wise, it's a lot like X5's soundtrack but a lot more atmospheric and synth-heavy, almost giving off an 80s vibe with its wailing guitar riffs. It runs the gamut from incredibly calm tracks like the Opening Stage and the hardest rock ever in songs like Blaze Heatnix. Not to mention Ground Scaravich's theme which is basically just the Bomberman Hero soundtrack, as well as the fact that the X Vs Zero theme returns in this game making for a damn near perfect soundtrack.
Highlights: This game has two for me. First, there's Commander Yammark's theme, which is so uncharacteristically calm for a Mega Man game but absolutely works. It has that odd PS1 vibe and the instruments used here are so distinct and pleasant to listen to (those background chords especially, holy crap). On the complete opposite side of the spectrum, there's Infinity Mijinion's theme which is one of the most rocking and intense themes in the series, a theme so epic many have compared it to The Final Countdown. The range of X6's soundtrack is just insane.
5/5 Stars
Mega Man X7: X7 kickstarts the final era of Mega Man X music by switching genres one last time to full-on rock. While the game is once again not that great, I really like X7's soundtrack for its dark and industrial vibe. It's basically Mega Man's attempt at the Shadow The Hedgehog soundtrack, which is great because I really like that soundtrack. While I feel like the soundtrack sticking to the same style means X7's music can feel a bit repetitive (not unlike 11's soundtrack), I still think the general level of quality for these tracks is pretty high and I love the dramatic and operatic tone of some of these songs.
Highlights: In terms of gameplay tracks, Decisive Battle is my favorite song and one of my favorite boss themes in the series. It's a lot different from the rest of the songs in the game but it's incredibly energetic and catchy. However, I also have to single out Code Crush for being my favorite vocal track in the series and capturing the whole vibe of X7's music perfectly. I love the slow piano opening that eventually abrupts into this really menacing rock theme, it's fantastic!
4/5 Stars
Mega Man X8: I'm a big fan of X8's unique mystical-looking 2.5D presentation (which honestly gives me Klonoa vibes), so some of my favorite tracks in the game are the ones ended up being the songs like Primose, Booster Forest, and Lumine's 1st theme that feel really ethereal and unlike anything we've seen in the series. Unfortunately, those songs are few and far between, with much of X8's soundtrack being fairly standard buttrock. Whereas X7 is like Shadow's music, X8 is like Sonic's music, though without anywhere near the same amount of charm and energy as Jun Senoue's stuff. And while I said X7's music can feel a bit repetitive, this is way more of an issue here. Still, I don't really find any of X8's tracks bad per se, and I think one area where the soundtrack excels is in the high-tempo boss themes. Vs Boss, Vs Sigma, Vs Vile, and both Lumine themes are fantastic and rank as some of the best boss themes in the whole series. I also like how this is the only game in the series to have multiple themes for some of its stages. It's always a nice touch when games do that, and makes for one of the largest Mega Man soundtracks to date.
Highlights: Primrose is my favorite theme in Mega Man X8 despite being the most unconventional and unfitting track in the game. I love how, for one of the few times in the game, the guitar is placed in the background of the song. Instead, we have all these weird sitar and chime instruments that make the soundtrack feel so ethereal, and the melody is incredibly complex and catchy. Once again, it feels like Mega Man's take on a Klonoa song, and that will always be a good thing in my book. Also, Jakob is a pretty phenomenal piece of music as well, deservedly the most beloved song in the game.
3/5 Stars
My ranking of the Mega Man X soundtracks is:
- X5
- X4
- X6
- X
- X3 (PSX)
- X7
- X8
- X2
- Literally anything
- X3 (SNES)
Finally, I wanted to do the Zero and ZX games. Gameplay-wise, I think these are the best in the series, and their soundtracks are pretty fantastic too:
Mega Man Zero: While definitely the weakest of the bunch, I still really enjoy Zero's soundtrack for what it is. It feels like your standard peppy GBA soundtrack in a lot of ways, but with a bit of an edge to it, and that gives Zero 1 a charming vibe that helps it stand out a bit. Songs like Hell Plant, Intermission, and Enemy Hall are super catchy and memorable, and while definitely not the focus here, tracks like Express UG and Crash do still provide the rock/techno you'd want from the series. There are also plenty of fairly bland and forgettable songs like Resistance and Deadzone, as well as most of the cutscene themes, but the high points are high enough that I ultimately came away liking this one.
Highlight: While my favorite song in Zero is technically the reprise of Zero's theme, the original song that stuck out the most to me was Scorching Desert. It's a really great desert theme that sounds menacing and dark, though with a bit of hope. It also happens to have the "Koopa's Road" chords which always make for a great song.
3/5 Stars
Mega Man Zero 2: Zero 2's soundtrack is absolutely fantastic and a huge improvement on the first. It goes for a more heavy rock style, and sounds shockingly great. Despite the limitations of the GBA's soundchip, the composers were able to pull off some really complex tracks that really blew me away. The first half of the game is especially fantastic in terms of music, between tracks like the iconic Departure, Ice Brain, Gravity, Sand Triangle, Power Born, and the remix of Neo Arcadia. However, the second half of the game is a bit weak in terms of music, in my opinion. It has its great tracks like Silver Wolf, Cool Hearted Fellow, and the credits theme, but either the melodies just weren't as strong or the novelty of the GBA's MIDI guitar wore off. Still, that first half really does have some of the best music on the system.
Highlight: While most may say Departure (and that song is definitely great), Ice Brain was really the track that stuck out to me the most. It's such a chill track with a catchy melody and ice-y synth, and it all sounds fantastic. Also, Gravity is basically the Kashmir riff and that's awesome.
4/5 Stars
Mega Man Zero 3: Zero 3's soundtrack is really just more of the previous game's rock style, so there isn't that much I can say that hasn't already been said. Personally, I don't think Zero 3's music reaches the same high points as Zero 2's, but it does make sure to save all of its best stuff for the end this time around. From Cold Smile onward, the music in Zero 3 really takes a big bump in quality, peaking in the endgame. It's also worth noting that the game also has a bunch of remixes, mostly used during the part where Zero returns to old stages. Outside of the Infiltration remix, however, I found most of them to be inferior to the original, which was a bit disappointing.
Highlight: Zero 3's final boss isn't just the high point of the game in terms of visuals, story, gameplay, and difficulty, it's also the high point in terms of its soundtrack! The one-two punch of the grandiose and dramatic Judgement Day and the fast-paced and energetic Cannonball makes for one of the peaks of the Zero series as far as the music goes.
4/5 Stars
Mega Man Zero 4: So, Mega Man Zero 4's music kind of has an X3 problem where the soundfont chosen for the game just doesn't sound great on its original hardware. The MIDI guitars used in many of Zero 4's songs sound off, and really seem to strain the GBA. Thankfully, though, there are many official remixes of all the Zero games, including the DS remasters as well as the Remastered Tracks, Mythos, and Resonnent Vie albums, so there are many ways to listen to Zero 4's music as intended, which is good because composition-wise, this is hands down the best soundtrack in the Zero series and it's not even close. Where Zero 2 had a rough second half and Zero 3 had a rough first half, Zero 4's music is consistently strong across the board. The music in Zero 4 has a melancholy vibe befitting the sheer finality of this game, while simultaneously maintaining the heavy rock style that the last two games had. Zero 4 also happens to have one of my new favorite leitmotifs in any video game soundtrack ever, used in songs like Esperanto and Holy Land. It's so haunting and bittersweet, I love it!
Highlight: Look, Falling Down is a phenomenal piece of music and one of the best tracks ever made for the GBA... but Esperanto though. It's epic, it's dramatic, it's hopeful, it's bittersweet, it's beautiful, it's haunting, it's easily the best song in the Zero series and one of my favorite themes in the whole franchise.
Original GBA Version: 4/5 Stars? 4.5/5?
Literally every other version: 5/5 Stars
Mega Man ZX: Mega Man ZX's soundtrack is absolutely phenomenal, easily one of the best in the franchise. You can tell that Inti Creates' composers were excited to get to work with better sound hardware with the DS because ZX's soundtrack is nothing but absolute bangers from start to finish. ZX goes for a techno sound with its heavy use of synth, and there's so much energy in every single track. ZX's music is so happy and fun to listen to, it's hard to really say much more other than it's just really good. Please listen to the ZX soundtrack if you haven't already, it's super overlooked.
Highlights: Green Grass Gradation is the obvious pick here, that opening level theme so good it blew me away when I first played ZX. However, my favorite song in ZX is actually Gauntlet. Not only is it a thrilling and energetic banger on its own, but the fact that it's likely going to be the last mission you play makes its reusal of the first mission theme's leitmotif feel all the more climactic and memorable.
5/5 Stars
Mega Man ZX Advent: ZX Advent has yet another really fantastic soundtrack, and dare I say, it could genuinely be better than its predecessor. Well, sort of. Composition-wise, ZX Advent's soundtrack is top-notch, running the gamet from banging techno to somber bits of atmosphere to fantastic ZX remixes. It definitely reaches higher highs than ZX's soundtrack for me. However, Advent's soundtrack sounds a lot more compressed in-game than ZX's did, meaning some of the songs don't quite pack the same punch. It took listening to the cleaner Tunes remixes for me to really appreciate a lot of these songs. Still, even with that compression concern, ZX Advent still has one of my favorite soundtracks on the DS. As much as I love the Zero games, the ZX duology completely blows them out of the water in terms of music.
Highlights: Bullet Drive is flat-out one of my favorite themes in the series. It's so climactic, energetic, and thrilling, and the ZX Tunes version is even better. But of course, I also can't go without highlighting that godly remix of Trap Phantasm from ZX.
5/5 Stars
Here's my ranking of the Zero/ZX soundtracks:
- Mega Man ZX Advent (Tunes version)
- Mega Man ZX
- Mega Man ZX Advent (Original)
- Mega Man Zero 4
- Mega Man Zero 2
- Mega Man Zero 3
- Mega Man Zero
So to cap it off, here's my Top 10 Mega Man soundtracks out of them all:
- Mega Man X5
- Mega Man 3
- Mega Man X4
- Mega Man ZX/Advent
- Mega Man X6
- Mega Man 5
- Mega Man X
- Mega Man 8
- Mega Man Zero 4
- Mega Man 9
No comments:
Post a Comment