Every year, Game Wiki hosts polls for the best video game soundtracks, which many netizens who love Japanese game soundtracks vote. For me, I like to use this as reference to find songs and soundtracks that I’ve not listened to before. But also interesting to see how the list changes, especially when new gamers start to phase out other gamers and you start to see soundtracks skewing towards more recent versus past.
While the list is the Game Music Best 100 for 2010, I am only going to focus on the top 20.
PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS:
Falcom is always well-known for their game soundtracks, so it doesn’t surprise me that they dominated for a second straight year with “Eiyuu Densetsu: Sora no Kiseki” and the beautiful ballad “Hoshi no Arika”. For the most part, this is a solid list in the top 20 but my surprise was that Faye Wong’s “Eyes on Me” took 18th (considering it won best song of the year). But 2010 was a strong year for game music.
TOP 20:
- The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky – Hoshi no Arika (PC)
- namco X CAPCOM – A brave new world (PS2)
- Tales of Destiny – like a dream (PSX)
- FINAL FANTASY IX – Melodies of Life (PSX)
- LEGEND OF MANA – Song of MANA ~Ending Theme~ (PSX)
- Okami – Reset (PS2)
- (TIE) Wild Arms: 2nd Ignition – No matter what, you’re not alone (PSX) / Anubis: Zone of the Enders – Beyond the Bounds (PSX)
- –
- Sakura Wars – Apocalypse! Imperial Flower Brigade (Sega Saturn)
- Breath of Fire V: Dragon Quarter – Castle Imitation (PS2)
- City – One and Only (Sega Saturn/PSX)
- ‘ICO – ICO -You were there- (PS2)
- Chrono Cross – RADICAL DREAMERS ~Jewels that cannot be stolen~ (PSX)
- Ore no Shikabane wo Koete Yuke – Hana (PSX)
- Romancing Saga: Minstrel Song – minuet (PS2)
- The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd (Look Up at the Sky – Ending Version) (PC)
- Sakura Wars 3: Is Paris in Fire? – under the flag (Dreamcast)
- Final Fantasy VIII – Eyes on Me (PSX)
- AIR – Poetry of Birds (PC)
- persona 3 – your memory
