Once a series of beeps and boops on 8-bit systems, video game music now has its own category on Spotify, and many fans listen exclusively to game OSTs. The music of a video game is among the biggest artistic components, with different versions of the same game sometimes featuring different soundtracks to circumvent copyright disputes.
Of course, that isn’t the only reason for a game to have an alternate soundtrack. In the case of remasters and remakes, alternate soundtracks let fans experience the original audio. It might just be that the studio was extra passionate and made a new soundtrack simply as a creative exercise. Here are some of the most notable games with alternate soundtracks.
8
Guilty Gear X2 Reload
Guilty Gear X2 Reload boasts a gorgeous heavy metal soundtrack on its own, and the game is replete with references to rock’n’roll. The game had a highly acclaimed OST composed by Daisuke Ishiwatari and Koichi Seiyama in its international editions.
The Korean version, on the other hand, had its own music. Composed by Shin Hae Chul of the band NEXT, Guilty Gear X2 Reload’s Korean soundtrack was considered to be inferior to the original but still of high quality as far as alternate soundtracks go. If you like Guilty Gear music, you shouldn’t leave this album out.
Guilty Gear X2 has multiple iterations: this Korean soundtrack is exclusive to Reload.
7
Ys Memoire: The Oath In Felghana
Ys Memoire: The Oath In Felghana is a game 35 years in the making. It’s a remake of a remaster, based on a title originally released in 1990. The game allows you to switch soundtracks between the modern remaster, or the original versions arranged for the PC-88 and X68000 home computers.
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Music is one of the most important aspects of an Ys game, and the soundtrack to Felghana proves that the series always had its finger on the pulse even before orchestral soundtracks became a thing. The MIDI instrumentations are stellar.
6
Doom
Doom and heavy metal have always been inextricably linked, ever since the first game’s MIDI music evoked songs by Metallica, Slayer, and AC/DC. Bobby Price’s compositions were stellar and remain iconic to this day, but the PS1 and Saturn versions removed them entirely.
Instead, these home console launches opted for a more subdued and ambient horror-themed BGM by Aubrey Hodges. This alternate soundtrack completely changes the vibe of the game, establishing it as the 16-bit sequence of scares Id Software originally envisioned.
5
Sigil
If John Carmack was the brains behind Id Software, John Romero was its heart: he knew how to turn up the coolness factor of a game while still harbouring respectable level design skills. When Romero announced he was making a mega wad for Doom, anticipation was high. Speculation was meticulous. And Buckethead was in the recording booth.
Sigil has two great soundtracks: one by guitar maestro Buckethead – entirely orchestral, taking advantage of modern hardware. The other one is by James Paddock, consisting of more ambient MIDI tracks.
James Paddock’s soundtrack is included with the free version of the game, but Buckethead’s soundtrack must be purchased from Romero’s website.
4
Sonic CD
Perhaps the most famous case of alternate soundtracks, Sonic CD boasted two catchy sets of background music for its different regions. The Japanese and European editions came with techno soundtracks that appealed to 90s tastes, while the American one was a little more rock’n’roll.
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For Sonic’s dedicated fanbase, the alternate American soundtrack was just gravy. It featured the song Sonic Boom: featuring ethereal vocals, a breezy beat, and hard rock guitar licks, it became one of the most beloved themes in the blue blur’s history.
Sonic Boom was not originally performed by Sonic’s house band of the 2000s, Crush 40, but was later covered by them. A version appears on the Driving Through Forever album.
3
Gran Turismo
Gran Turismo is the PS1’s biggest commercial success. At over ten million units sold, it brought together both the casual and hardcore fanbase with its realistic-for-the-time graphics and smooth racing simulation gameplay The game took five years to develop.
At that time, it was granted two different soundtracks: the Japanese one was a typical video game score, more mellow and with jazz influences, while the American one had licensed songs by bands like Garbage and Manic Street Preachers. The change in soundtrack led to two very different gaming experiences, but as the sales charts proved, both were enjoyable.
2
Ecco the Dolphin
After the massive success of the Genesis console, Sega was constantly plagued by decisions that boiled down to being in the right place at the wrong time. The studio was moving in the right direction with its introduction of the CD-ROM format but on the wrong console. The Sega CD as a peripheral had little to offer compared to the PlayStation as a console.
Nevertheless, Ecco the Dolphin received an alternate soundtrack in its Sega CD version. Scrapping the original tracks from the Genesis launch entirely, Spencer Nilsen wrote a new score that would take advantage of one of the biggest video game trends of the 90s: CD audio. The Sega CD may not be remembered fondly, but Ecco the Dolphin deserves to be.
1
Tekken 3
Tekken 3 is ahead of its time: the game’s production values seem far too high for the humble PS1. The graphics are incredible, the sound effects are punchy, the gameplay sublime, and Namco went the extra mile to craft an entirely separate soundtrack for the home console launch.
The PS1 version of Tekken 3 lets you choose between the music written for the console version, or the original arcade arrangement. The arcade music is ethereal and evocative, being mellow without compromising its atmosphere. The console soundtrack, on the other hand, is downright ferocious. Tekken 3 doesn’t have one of the best and most memorable soundtracks of any fighting game: it has two of them.
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