Poll on video game music (FF specifically)

[Azukar]

This may have been done before, but I've been getting nostalgic listening to old Final Fantasy music, which prompted the question:

Which Final Fantasy game has the best music?

This question comes in two flavours. Which FF has the best music on its own merits, and which is the best compared with other FFs. For example, Phantom Train from FFVI is one of my favourites from any FF, but it doesn't stand up to the compositions of, say FFX by any means.

That said, my vote goes to Final Fantasy IX overall. It's the only FF I consistently return to on YouTube to listen to tracks.

[Blayze]

Mystic Quest. Something about the battle theme just calls to me.

[Indon]

I, too, would have to go with Mystic Quest. As a game, it wasn't exactly the most stellar FF, but the music was excellent, and I feel the battle theme was the best RPG battle theme I have ever heard, bar none. The boss music themes are also very good, as are many other pieces found in the game.

[Optimystik]

The Secret of Mana series, particularly Seiken Densetsu 3, have the best RPG music ever in my opinion. To this day I imagine Rolling Cradle when fighting a ninja death squad in any game, High Tension Wire for any mid-air fight, or Nuclear Fusion for... well, any fight at all.

[Hunter Noventa]

There's good music spread through all of them especially once you get to 4,6,7,8 and 10. 12's music was good but the feel was a little off. However, most of my favorite FF tunes come from 6, 7, and Tactics.

[hustlertwo]

Tactics and 7 stand out the most for me. Six is close behind.

[Fri]

I don't even like FF that much, but I can't shake one song off my head.

It's this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q9aeVt-aK8), FF 5' s opening song.

[The Dark Fiddler]

I'm telling you, I'm not a huge fan on Final Fantasy. There's good games, but I don't go out of my way to get them. Despite this, there's one song that sticks in my mind, even though I've never played the game its from.

One. Winged. Angel.

[Volug]

1WA had it's good parts, though the part where it gets all smooth and... Skippy? just doesn't get to me that well. Of course, the part afterwards makes up for it... Though definatly not one of my favorite boss themes after listening to it for awhile. I must admit when I first heard it, I got quite nervous (KH1) then proceeded to get my butt express mailed to me.

Nostalgia factors make me say FF1, since in my opinion, it has the best victory music as well as normal battle music. Though FF in general has highly exceptional music and I enjoy it all the same, I should probably get XII soundtrack sometime...

[Mr.Moron]

When you're asking a question about which "Final Fantasy" game had the best anything, the answer is always Tactics.

EDIT: Except "Best Translation".

[Assassin89]

I feel that the music from IV, V, and VI are the highest in my opinion.

VI has the best music in my opinion. Why? The opera scene, the battle themes, all of the character themes, etc.

[Surrealistik]

Is this a serious question?

FF6 obviously.

[afroakuma]

but it doesn't stand up to the compositions of, say FFX by any means.

FFX? One of the biggest examples of overall decline in FF music composition?

FFX is when many of the songs began to consistently trend to retreading the same melody over and over and dare call themselves something else. FFVI has consistent and strong variation in its soundtrack, and most of the songs are far catchier than many from modern soundtracks. That's not to say that FFX did not have a few standout tracks, but in general the soundtrack as a whole is weaker. Three composers can do that to you.

FFMQ had a surprisingly strong soundtrack for what it was, and most of the tracks are both simple and extremely enjoyable.

FFIV had some of the most "classic" RPG tunes, including some that I would identify instantly with the series (Within The Giant, Red Wings).

FFV had plenty of good tracks, although a couple were definitely skippable.

FFXII has some real highlights, but suffers even moreso from the "same melody, different arrangement" problem that showed up in FFX.

[Tyracus]

Hmm... If I had to go with a favorite Final Fantasy for music I'd have really think between 6 and 9 (I'm limiting to the # games because otherwise it get too crazy).

FF6 had death on a snowfield/Terra, Dancing Mad, Celes' theme, Save Them, Decisive Battle, Forever Rachel (such a sad piece), Aria de Mezzo (Opera scene is likely the top favorite scene for me in FF), The Fierce Battle (Atma Weapon Boss music), Epitaph, and the classic that should be in any Final Fantasy game, the Prelude.

FF 9 has You are Not Alone, Loss of Me, Protecting my Devotion, Passing Sorrow, Final Battle, Ipsen's Heritage, Terra (not to be confused with the song from 6), Bran Bal, the Village Without Souls, and Hunter's Chance.

That's not to say that the others don't have merit, FF4 has the soft spot of being the first Final Fantasy game I beat (FF1 was the first I played for like 20-30 minutes) but there are several songs I love there. Theme of Love and Rydia's theme take the cake but Melody of Lute, Golbeza Clad in Dark, The Dreadful Battle, and Cry in Sorrow are nice as well.

A few others through the series are Aerith's theme (7), J-E-N-O-V-A (7), Sending a Dream into the Universe (7), Liberi Fatali (8), The Landing (8), The Man with the Machine Gun (8), The Oath (8), Eyes on Me (8), Auron's Theme (10), Suteki Da Ne (10), Someday the Dream Will End (10). Sadly, 11 and 12 haven't impressed me overmuch on the music end of things.

[Jorgo Mono]

I would say IX, if only the music didn't bring back memories of how awful the game was.

[hustlertwo]

When you're asking a question about which "Final Fantasy" game had the best anything, the answer is always Tactics.

EDIT: Except "Best Translation".

True indeed. But at least the PSP version fixed that.

[littlebottom]

ok, simply put, "one-winged angel" thank you and good bye... no but seriously, that and aeris's theme (aerith for those americans out there) were absolutely epic and the others didnt let down either, so ff7 for me, thank you. i put both;

one-winged angel
aeris' theme

forward for the poll... if there even is a poll, which there doesnt seem to be so, in that case...

ONEWINGEDANGEL IZDABEST!.... :smallredface:

(i can also play bothe onewinged angel and aeris' theme on piano :smallbiggrin:, cuz i rule)

[RyuseiDate]

... it's ironic. Mystic Quest is one of the most bland FF games yet indeed has one of the best OSTs...

I'd say Tactics and VI follow closelly on the music dept.

[Nano]

Eyes On Me made me cry the first time I heard it.

Yeah, I'm a sap.

[hustlertwo]

I never got the Mystic Quest music love. yes, it is far and away the best part of that miserable game (not that the competition was very fierce), but I don't feel it is really superior to what you find from other entries in the series. Aside from isolated tracks (like one of the boss battle tunes from 4, I don't remember the name but it's the same one they use for the Culex battle in Super Mario RPG), I don't think the overall soundtracks for FF games really got great until 6.

[afroakuma]

True indeed. But at least the PSP version fixed that.

Ehh... half and half. Dialogue vastly improved, names rendered dismally. I'm sorry, but I have a very hard time taking "Folmarv Tengille," "Argath Thadalfus" and "Barich Fendsor" seriously as antagonists. Vormav is just a cooler, eviller name; poor Algus sounds like someone attacked his birth certificate with a lisp, etc. etc.

Not to mention changing Draclau to "Delacroix." One is an anagram of a famous badness, the other is a gun-standard French name. I get the stylistic choice, but players are familiar with the old names. I'm just glad they spared Wiegraf.


I never got the Mystic Quest music love. yes, it is far and away the best part of that miserable game (not that the competition was very fierce), but I don't feel it is really superior to what you find from other entries in the series.

Superior? No; but it stands its own in a field crowded with heavies. All three battle themes, as well as most of the main dungeon themes, a relaxing town theme and a simple, basic yet heroic main theme. For a "Gaiden" entry into the series, there was a surprising lot of quality in there to enjoy.

[hustlertwo]

Yeah, I was none too fond of Balbaneth, Argath, or the other names that sounded like they were being spoken by a person with a lisp. I don't know if those were supposed to be the original translations or not, but if so, they should have left well enough alone. But it was a small price to pay to remove that first-grade translation.

As for MQ, I played it beginning to end, but I can't think of any piece that really left any sort of lasting impression on me.

[afroakuma]

As for MQ, I played it beginning to end, but I can't think of any piece that really left any sort of lasting impression on me.

Really? Normally Doom Tower and the final battle music are seen as standouts.