My Top 10 Favorite Retro Konami Soundtracks
Konami manuals from the SNES era. In my opinion, some of the best Konami soundtracks are from this era.
I've mentioned in other articles that I loved Konami games since young for their fantastic music. I've also published two lists on Konami soundtracks, one for Castlevania and one for Gradius.
This time, I'd be listing my all-time favorite Konami compositions. All hail from the pre-2000 era; in other words, before video game music went ambient and atmospheric in creative directions.
So that I don't flood the list with just Castlevania and Gradius entries, I'd be following the "Mojo Top 10" rule. One game per franchise. Or in this case, one soundtrack per Konami franchise.
(This list is not in any ranking of preference)
1. Heart of Fire (Castlevania)
Simon Belmont is the most prominent character in the picture above. And so I'd start with his series.
While there are many other great Castlevania soundtracks, “Heart of Fire” remains my all-time favorite because it’s so intense and gripping, and because I took so long to reach the associated stage in the first NES Castlevania game in the 1980s. (In other words, it still feels like a trophy to me)
It was also an early taste of what video game music would eventually evolve into. Not just repetitive, cheesy jingles, but proper compositions with structure, phrasing, and creative modulations.
Today, I still listen to “Heart of Fire” regularly; I’m very fond of the remixed versions too. If you haven't, please check out the creative re-arrangements of Castlevania and other Konami soundtracks on YouTube. The magic of many franchises is well alive there. The energy and mood of these classic titles are also well-preserved.
2. Overheat (Gradius II)
When I wrote my Gradius soundtrack list, I had difficulties explaining why I a huge fan of “Overheat.” That problem continues here.
But let me try again. This time, I'd say, I love “Overheat” so much simply because it’s so intense. So spirited and determined too, for that bright light at the end of the road.
If you've ever played Gradius II, you'd know that “Overheat” was used in the penultimate stage. The one where you have to enter overdrive mode to survive all the high-speed maneuvers before preparing for the most intense fight of the game.
The melody seems to say, keep your chin up! You're nearly at the end! At the same time, there's also a very slight sensation of regret. Oh no, I'm not making sense, am I? I'd leave you to listen to the fantastic soundtrack yourself and decide what it’s all about.
3. Base 1 (Contra)
Most gamers, I suspect, would pick the jungle theme if asked to state their favorite Contra soundtrack. That is indeed a great opening, but I have always felt that the stage 2 soundtrack has much more kick in it.
The emphatic first beats just correspond so well with the action, yes? Especially when coordinated with the punctuated 3D progression of the stage. And the introduction. So gritty. Does it not invoke a picture of commandos Bill and Lance chewing on grass, coldly examining the alien base before them before spitting out the boluses and sprinting forth?
Purple alien blood splatters everywhere. Earth's saviors don't even break a sweat while doing it. And the music loops and loops.
4. Mother (Axelay)
Axelay was way ahead of its time, one reason being its decision to go partially 3D. It was also one of the most challenging SNES shooters ever. Throughout the game, you don't get to upgrade your weapons. Even after you hit the final stages, you get no more than a few measly options added to your arsenal.
Axelay, as expected of a Konami SNES title, had superb music too! Many soundtracks from which are worthy challengers to Gradius ones for the title of “top Konami SNES soundtracks.”
“Mother,” from the third stage, is particularly memorable. The jungle drums and melancholic undertones are so apt for the emphatic design of that stage. Stage 3 was incidentally, also my favourite Axelay stage. I never fail to bob to the tune, when flying through that mysterious stage.
5. Stage Theme for Distant Past (Hi No Tori)
To share, when I first played it, I didn't know that Hi No Tori (火の鳥) was based on an acclaimed, highly philosophical manga. I just thought it was a very colorful Japanese-themed game, with incredibly catchy stage music.
Out of all the soundtracks, my favorite is this one for the prehistorical levels. The best way I could describe this composition is that it's so infectiously optimistic. It's exactly the way one should be, when on that kind of time-crossing adventure.
By the way, Hi No Tori was my tenth NES game and my fourth Konami adventure. With it, I was convinced that Konami soundtracks were the best among its peers. This very quickly made me a lifelong fan of Konami games.
6. The Goonies R Good Enough (The Goonies)
This is the odd one on the list. “The Goonies R Good Enough” is not an original Konami composition. Rather, it’s the title song for the movie the game was based on. (Cyndi Lauper sang it)
For me, it was also another harbinger of what video game music would one day become. It would go beyond being just digital beeps and shrills, and be recognized as a proper music genre.
With no offense to Cyndi, I even prefer this 8-bit version over the vocal version. It just feels, what’s the right word, more fun? Of course, this also makes all the subterranean exploration in the game so much more atmospheric. So much more memorable too.
7: Hokkaido (Ganbare Goemon 2)
Ganbare Goemon was renamed Mythical Ninja in Western markets. Unfortunately, it didn't do as well as other Konami exports too. Maybe it was just too quirky and weird. Or maybe It required too much understanding of Japanese culture to enjoy. Personally, I also disliked the later SNES episodes that incorporated giant robot fights and outer space exploration. These pseudo sci-fi elements felt very divorced from the earlier games, which featured strictly medieval Japanese settings.
As for “Hokkaido,” this spirited tune hails from the NES days of the 80s, when Ganbare Goemon was still decisively medieval Japanese in feel and touch. It's very bubbly. It's also extremely catchy. In fact, it’s so catchy that I still hum it a lot when traveling alone in Japan.
By the way, the Ganbare Goemon franchise is for some reason, utterly abandoned by Konami. I do hope that it returns someday. It would be splendid to see those exotic Japanese settings rendered with today's graphic technology.
8. Go! Getsu Fuuma! (Getsu Fuuma Den)
I mentioned Getsu Fuuma Den (月風魔伝) in a article about retro games I'm hoping for remakes. What I didn't highlight in that list was that Getsu Fumma Den was also one of the most expensive NES games when it first came out. It was promoted as being exceptionally rich in content.
The game certainly didn't disappoint; it was one of the best NES titles I’ve ever played. The music was equally satisfying, even if there weren't that many soundtracks.
For this list, I picked the one that most gamers would agree to be the top “Fuuma song.” The overworld theme. It has such a poignant touch to it, don't you agree? An elegantly oriental and sophisticated feel too.
If you like this, do check out the final boss theme and other Konami soundtracks from this game. The overworld and final boss themes were, by the way, featured decades later in the last stage of Castlevania: Harmony of Despair.
9. Space Hit Parade (Gokujou Parodius)
My opinion is that the Parodius series is something that you either love or hate. It revels in absurdity. In some episodes, it gets downright sleazy too. For example, in one notable boss fight, you fly your ship between a dancer's legs, and ...
Excuse me.
For me, I enjoyed the Parodius games for their cheery gameplay and their creative medleys. Every Parodius game arranges famous classical or folk compositions into medleys, then modernizes them by adding disco or funky beats.
In the case of “Space Hit Parade,” don't you agree that it's such a refreshing take on popular children's rhymes? Bet you never thought “Mary Had a Little Lamb” could be the BGM for an intense space dogfight.
Bet you also didn't expect it to be so catchy and upbeat, and superbly appropriate too.
10. Moai Head's Theme (Wai Wai World)
Wai Wai World was a celebration for Konami. It compiled their best-selling titles for a drawn-out adventure that incorporated both platforming and space shooting. Naturally, the most famous Konami soundtracks were also prominently featured. “Vampire Killer,” the original “Gambare Goemon Theme,” etc.
Not every track in Wai Wai World was from older titles though. “Moai Head's Theme” was a notable original. A very peculiar one too. Definitely not a composition you'd expect for the final hero to be rescued/recruited.
I mean, when you listen to it, doesn't it sound more appropriate as an ending song? When all the heroes are dancing on the beach in celebration? It's so utterly ebullient.
Perhaps Konami wanted to complete the joke they were pulling with the Moai Head hero. It's like, he's literally a Moai head. He has no arms too, and attacks by bonking his forehead against enemies.
Yup. You can imagine my HUH?!?! when I first encountered him and his associated tune. A big HUH, as I uncontrollably swayed to this breezy and sunny tune. Subsequently, deeply falling in love with the music too.
© 2016 Ced Yong
