I Jabber Even More About Music

So I make no secret of the fact I love background music. Doesn't matter from where, video games, anime, or movies, but I get way more into the instrumental background soundtracks than I ever do any piece of music with lyrics. And more than any other kind of background music I love battle themes! I'll be talking about various themes that I like, constructing little Top 5 lists on and off here, and the topic I'm starting with here are my Top 5 favorite video game battle theme's you've never heard! These are themes that have stuck in my head for years after I've heard them, but are from less well known games than the big names like Final Fantasy, Elder Scrolls, ect.

Why am I doing this? Because It's 1:30AM and bored.

#5: Battle vs. Onikage (Tenchu: Stealth Assassins)

Tenchu Stealth Assassins was an old PS1 game that was one of the first games I ran into that really emphasized sneaking, which made sense because you were playing a ninja. As a result you rarely got into fights, and when you did they tended to be deadly affairs. One of the main bad guys, Onikage, was a freaky, violent bastard who liked to kick you in your face multiple times and stun lock you so you couldn't freakin' dodge! He was a pain to fight, but damned if I didn't mind it because I was so juiced up for the fight with this awesome, fast paced tune.

#4: Bhaalspawn Battle (Baldur's Gate 2: Throne of Bhaal)

Baldur's Gate was a hell of an epic crpg saga, the thing that actually got me hooked on the notion of getting into DnD before I even really knew what it was. There are a lot of good background battle tracks for the series as a whole, but the one that takes the cake for me is this one, which plays in the final chapter during any of your battles with the Bhaalspawn. It is just captures the feel of a desperate and epic-scale battle versus foes that are basically demigods.

#3 Battle Theme 3 (Shining Force 2)

Shining Force 2 was the first rpg I played as a child. I was nowhere near good enough to actually beat the game until years later, but I never forgot this sweeping piece of music. It carries a strong note of high adventure and action while there are a lot of good themes from the game this is the one that always comes to mind when I think back to those early days of gaming and my first experience with a world of swords and sorcery.

#2 Bombardment 1 (Skies of Arcadia)

A lot of jrpgs have airships. Few of them put in well executed, fun as hell battle system for their airships. Skies of Arcadia was a gem of a jrpg for those who ever got to play it, and out of all its themes the one that stuck with me the most, which still to this days plays in my head every time I look up at a clear blue sky and imagine flying an awesome airship into battle is Bombardment 1, the them that plays for the first half of airship battles in the game. It defines swashbuckling aerial combat to me and I could listen to it for hours.

#1 Battle with the Wanted (Metal Saga)

It's strange, I liked Metal Saga, but considered it a fairly average game if not for its cool post-apocalypitc setting where you use tanks to hunt giant occtapi and flying buses. It was an odd game. But damn if it didn't have one of the most memory boss themes I have ever heard. There may be boss themes from better known games I consider better, but none as completely mind infecting as this amazingly quick frantic theme. It gets into my brain and sets up shop and will not leave! Its repetitive as hell but as addicting as popcorn. This is the popcorn of battle themes. You don't know why you're eating it, it has no nutritional value, but you just can't stop!

So, there's my Top 5 battle themes you've never heard of. What's next? Not sure. Top 5 anime power up themes? Top 5 themes that make me want to cry like a mewling child? Top 5 themes that you always hear in movie trailers? We'll see.