Soundtrack Spotlight is a weekly CFD! feature devoted to all things VGM. Every week we celebrate the best in game music, highlight new releases and forgotten tracks, and bring you the best in auditory awesomeness.
Having trouble saying goodbye to the games of 2010? Then take an aural walk down recent-memory lane with us as we cup our ears and take in the dulcet tones of this year’s best VGM.
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After Burner Climax (XBLA, PSN)
Album: After Burner Climax Soundtrack
Composed by: Keisuke Tsukahara, Masanori Takeuchi, Fumio Ito, Hiroshi Kawaguchi
Arranged by: Hiroshi Kawaguchi
Volcanic Islands
Great River Valley
Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)
Album: Super Mario Galaxy 2 Original Soundtrack
Composed by: Mahito Yokota, Ryo Nagamatsu, Koji Kondo
Arranged by: Mahito Yokota, Shigetoshi Gohara
Performed by: Mario Galaxy Orchestra
Fleet Glide Galaxy
World Map Progress
World Map Theme 2
World Map Theme 5
Golden Sun: Dark Dawn (DS)
Composed by: Motoi Sakuraba
Djinn Tutorial
Battle! [Formidable Enemy]
Donkey Kong Country Returns (Wii)
Composed by: Kenji Yamamoto, Minako Hamano, Masaru Tajima, Shinji Ushiroda,Daisuke Matsuoka
DK Island Swing Returns
Aquatic Ambience Returns
Super Meat Boy (PC, XBLA, Mac)
Album: Super Meat Boy! Soundtrack
Composed by: Danny Baranowsky
Arranged by: Mattias Häggström Gerdt, George “Android-Music” Dziov, Inverse Phase, C418, Josh Whelchel
Performed by: George “Android-Music” Dziov, Josh Whelchel, Melinda Hershey, Logan Antelman, Peter Trentacoste, Mattias Häggström Gerdt
Betus Blues (Chapter 2 – Haunted Hospital)
Hot Damned (Chapter 4 – Hell!)
The Battle of Lil’ Slugger (Forest Boss Theme)
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm (PC, Mac)
Album: World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Soundtrack
Composed by: Russell Brower, Derek Duke, Glenn Stafford, David Arkenstone, Neal Acree, Jason Hayes
Performed by: Northwest Sinfonia Orchestra, Laurie Ann Haus, Susan Craig Winsberg
Castaways
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (PSP)
Album: Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker Original Soundtrack
Composed by: Akihiro Honda, Nobuko Toda, Kazuma Jinnouchi, Jeremy Soule, Norihiko Hibino, Yoshitaka Suzuki, Todd Haberman, Takahiro Izutani
Performed by: Donna Burke, Takeo Kajiwara, Akihiro Honda, Uchu Yoshida Strings, Hanna Kondo, Minako Takizawa, Hideyuki Ono, Nana Mizuki, Masahiro Muta, Michitaro Shimamoto
Marshland
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game (XBLA, PSN)
Album: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game Original Soundtrack
Composed and performed by: Anamanaguchi
Another Winter
Limbo (XBLA)
Composed by: Martin Stig Andersen
Machine Gun Tranquility
Trauma Team (Wii)
Composed by: Atsushi Kitajoh, Ryota Koduka, Shoji Meguro
Main Theme
Dark Void (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
Album: Dark Void Original Video Game Score
Composed by: Bear McCreary
Theme From Dark Void
Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty (PC, Mac)
Album: Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty Soundtrack
Composed by: Glenn Stafford, Derek Duke, Russell Brower, Neal Acree, Cris Velasco, Sascha Dikiciyan
Wings Of Liberty
Public Enemy
Heaven’s Devils
BioShock 2 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
Album: Sounds From the Lighthouse: Official BioShock 2 Score
Composed by: Garry Schyman
Destroying the Lobby
Red Dead Redemption (Xbox 360, PS3)
Album: Red Dead Redemption Original Soundtrack
Composed by: Bill Elm, Woody Jackson, José González, Jamie Lidell, Ashtar Command, William Elliot Whitmore
Triggernometry
Exodus In America
Already Dead
Far Away
Deadman’s Gun
Bayonetta (Xbox 360, PS3)
Album: Bayonetta Original Soundtrack
Composed by: Masami Ueda
Fly Me To The Moon (Infinite Climax Mix)
After Burner (Infinite Climax Mix)
Let’s Dance, Boys!
Sonic Colors (Wii)
Album: Sonic Colors Original Soundtrack: ViViD SOUND x HYBRiD COLORS
Composed by: Kenichi Tokoi, Tomoya Ohtani, Fumie Kumatani, Mariko Nanba, Hideaki Kobayashi
Sweet Mountain Act 1
Starlight Carnival Act 3
Planet Wisp Act 1
Mafia II (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
Album: Mafia II Orchestral Score
Composed by: Matus Siroky, Adam Kuruc
Performed by: Prague FILMharmonic Orchestra
Main Theme
Picross 3D (DS)
Composed by: Yasumasa Yamada
Collections
Mega Man 10 (PSN, XBLA, Wii Shop)
Album: Mega Man 10 Original Soundtrack
Composed by: Ippo Yamada, Ryo Kawakami, Hiroki Isogai, Yu Shimoda, Manami Matsumae, Yasuaki Fujita, Minae Fujii, Mari Yamaguchi, Yuko Takehara, Makoto Tomozawa, Akari Kaida and Shusaku Uchiyama
Nitro Rider (Nitro Man Stage)
Comic Jumper (XBLA)
Composed by: Matt Chaney
Benny Battle (Silver Age)
8-bit Hero (Manga)
Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
Album: Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood Original Game Soundtrack
Composed by: Jesper Kyd
The Brotherhood Escapes
Desmond Miles
3D Dot Game Heroes (PS3)
Album: 3D Dot Game Heroes Original Soundtrack
Composed by: Shinji Hosoe, Ayako Saso, Yousuke Yasui, Shoichiro Sakamoto, Teruo Taniguchi, Takahiro Eguchi, Norihiro Hurukawa
Main Theme
Rejakku Village
Go to the Wilderness
Nier (Xbox 360, PS3)
Album: NieR Gestalt & Replicant Original Soundtrack
Composed by: Keiichi Okabe, Kakeru Ishihama, Keigo Hoashi, Takafumi Nishimura
Snow in Summer
Dispossession / Pluck Ver.
Yonah / Pluck Ver. 1
Kirby’s Epic Yarn (Wii)
Composed by: Tomoya Tomita
Title
Dusk Dunes
Pac-Man Championship Edition DX (XBLA, PSN)
Album: Pac-Man Championship Edition DX Original Soundtrack
Composed by: Taku Inoue, Toshio Kai, Akitaka Tohyama, Hiroshi Okubo, Hiroyuki Kawada, Junko Ozawa
Pac Rainbow
Valkyria Chronicles II (PSP)
Album: Valkyria Chronicles II Original Soundtrack
Composed by: Hitoshi Sakimoto
Arranged by: Hitoshi Sakimoto, Nicole Brady, Kimihiro Abe, Noriyuki Kamikura, Yoshimi Kudo, Azusa Chiba
Performed by: Czech Film Orchestra, Azusa Chiba
Valkyria Chronicles II Main Theme
Winter in Lanseal
Heavy Rain (PS3)
Album: Heavy Rain Original Video Game Score
Composed by: Norman Corbeil
Ethan Mars’ Main Theme
Tron: Evolution (PC, Xbox 360, PS3, DS, PSP)
Album: Tron: Evolution Original Soundtrack
Composed by: Cris Velasco, Sascha Dikiciyan, Kevin Manthei
The Tron Codex
Mass Effect 2 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
Album: Mass Effect 2: Original Videogame Score
Composed by: Jack Wall, Sam Hulick, David Kates, Jimmy Hinson, Brian DiDomenico
The Illusive Man
The Normandy Reborn
Reflections
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (Xbox 360, PS3)
Composed by: Óscar Araujo
Belmont’s Theme
Just Cause 2 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
Album: Just Cause 2 – Music to Blow S**t Up By
Composed by: Mats Lundgren, Anders Ehlin
Just Cause 2 Main Theme
Cave Story (PC, Mac, DSiWare, Wii Shop)
Composed by: Daisuke “Pixel” Amaya
Gestation
Plant
Title Theme
Arc Rise Fantasia (Wii)
Album: Arc Rise Fantasia Original Soundtrack
Composed by: Yasunori Mitsuda, Shunsuke Tsuchiya, Yuki Harada, Yui Makino, Yoko Shimomura
A Signpost in the Shades of Trees
The Northernmost of the Empire, Topazion
Great Legacy
The Prayer of Noire
Final Fantasy XIII (Xbox 360, PS3)
Album: Final Fantasy XIII Original Soundtrack
Composed by: Masashi Hamauzu
The Hanging Edge
Blinded By Light
Halo: Reach (Xbox 360)
Album: Halo: Reach Original Soundtrack
Composed by: Martin O’Donnell, Michael Salvatori, C Paul Johnson, Stan LePard, Ivan Ives
Overture
Epilogue
Final Fight: Double Impact (PSN, XBLA)
Album: Final Fight: Double Impact Remixed Soundtrack
Composed by: Simon Viklund, Yoshihiro Sakaguchi, Manami Matsumae
Arranged by: Simon Viklund
End Credits
Level 2-1
Ys Seven (PSP)
Album: Ys Seven Original Soundtrack
Composed by: Hayato Sonoda, Takahiro Unisuga, Saki Momiyama, Masanori Osaki
Mother Earth Altago
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Have any selections to suggest? Drop ‘em in the comments, and tune in for more Soundtrack Spotlight in 2011!
