Impressive VGM By Year: 1987
After Burner II (ARC, YM2151 w/ SegaPCM),X68K ver. (1989)* (upload fan stuff),After Burner I (ARC, YM2151 w/ SegaPCM)
This might be the first of Sega's OSTs to fully utliize the YM2151+SegaPCM combo, and it's probably also the first chiptune OST to feature sampled rhythm guitar. These sound great for the time and along with the more advanced FM instrumentation and sound design (three channel leads!), they helped make it one of the best sounding games of the 80s. The main inspiration for this game was likely the movie Top Gun's action scenes, and the music follows that mold with high energy rock tracks mixed with some tension-building intermission tracks, which capture the same late 80s vibe without ripping off any particular track.
The later X68K port couldn't quite replicate the original music (and sadly the melody version tracks aren't featured), but manages to still sound pretty good using FM-based guitars instead.
Super Hang-On (ARC, YM2151 w/ SegaPCM)
Final Lap (ARC, YM2151 w/ C140)
Namco's late 80s arcade games using YM2151+C140 are worth mentioning for similar reasons as Sega's, but the music here is generally more sample heavy and sometimes even sounds pretty much on-par with CD soundtracks of the late 80s-early 90s. The orchestral style of Valkyrie no Densetsu's (1989) and Starblade's (1991) OSTs, and the ambient electro/techno music in Solvalou (1991) also turned out to be more indicative of where game music would go later on, so honestly they had an edge over Sega there for a while.
The title theme is a great prog-like track with some nice arp modulation and a beautiful lead. Oddly enough there's a sudden switch in the middle to a mysterious, disorienting and lengthy second half. While it's pretty cool, if you want to ride that first wave a while longer then check out this guitar-based remix on YT: "Reyn vs Martin Galway - Wizball". The other songs consist of shorter, more atmospheric tracks that nonetheless feature some interesting soundwork, besides the highscore track which is a nice 80s pop ballad.
Thunder Blade (ARC, YM2151 w/ SegaPCM),X68K ver. (1990)
Lots of cool things happening here, both stylistically and technically. If the later Revenge of Shinobi can be described as Japanese folk music meeting american funk, rock and dance, then this is almost the opposite of that with contemporary electro/synth pop/synth prog with a more European flavor being blended with the folk, while the former is also being evolved into something new and strange in long and varied tracks conveying various moods as well as sometimes changing moods within the tracks themselves.
Technically, there's a bit of everything thrown in over the course of the OST, and nearly all of it is used in a tasteful manner. Arps, modulation, chorused leads and bass, echo and phaser effects, FM synth- and acid bass-like instruments (The Wilderness), emulated acoustic japanese instruments, muffled explosions/timpani (The Dungeons) and more.
Looking at negatives, there's not much percussion used and what's there tends to be on the weak/odd side. Some tracks also veer towards both high pitched leads and arpeggios which can get rather grating at times. These aspects would be improved for the sequels, as well as in the Amiga version (though that one does lose a bit of flavor here and there).
Space Harrier (X1, YM2151),X68K ver. (YM2151),Sega Mark 3 BIOS ver. (SMS FM+PSG)
This game was ported to a bunch of systems but here are the top tier versions soundtrack-wise. Looking at the main theme from each, The X1 version is a somewhat rare case of using the 8-bit noise effect of its chip to give the FM percussion more character, and also uses 2 channels for percussion so the loss of samples isn't as noticeable as you'd think. The instrumentation is also fleshed out a bit with some stereo as well as more pronounced phaser effects on the opening chords. However one channel is left unused and the bass isn't quite as good as the sampled one in the original.
The X68K version is very similar apart from the slightly different instrumentation, with a somewhat warmer bass and more of an organ sounding lead around a minute into it. The iconic break doesn't have a square wave lead here (your enjoyment may vary) and there are some edits to the tom fills.
The Japanese SMS version isn't actually from that port of the game but instead the BIOS screen which appears when turning on the console. I'm including it here since it's notable as the only example of OPLL+SN76489 being mixed for music on the system and sounds very good within those limitations. The last thing of note is the track Haya Oh, which is only in the SMS and X68K versions as far as I know.
Great example of a pure FM soundtrack featuring stereo mixing, chorus and echo effects, solid percussion and a variety of interesting leads such as the choir-like synth in the intro track. The style fluctuates between 80s pop/rock and prog rock, and songs are generally pretty long and varied for the time, sometimes including expressive and lengthy solos. While fitting well enough for a shooter these songs could also just as well have been put in an ARPG.
The Great Giana Sisters (C64, samples)
This early Hülsbeck OST is notable for having good use of various effects like the filter sweeps and the use of (relatively) great samples for percussion in the loader tune, which arguably sounds better than the later Amiga version of it. This was a few months before sampled percussion in NES games (Metal Gear AFAIK), but wasn't used in-game. The title track lends itself well to dance remixes and the loader tune sounds like an iconic alternate universe cartoon theme from the time - it's just a shame the best tracks don't play in-game. One nitpick is that the noise drums are kind of weak and odd sounding.
Crazy Cars (PC Speaker PWM)
Nemesis the Warlock (C64)(some stereo added)
Mutants is notable for similar reasons as Giana Sisters, though there are fewer tracks here and no samples. The main track is rather long and varied synth prog with great sound design, and IIRC uses two harmonies in one channel on the arpeggio. More complex drums might've been nice though. On a side note, watching gameplay footage there's an sfx in there which could've served as a pretty good techno-style kick if edited. Mildly interesting!
Amegas shows off the potential for great contemporary synth pop/electro tracks on the Amiga in its one title track, which would've been a nice surprise if you had only heard previous Amiga games at the time of its release. Alas there's no music playing in-game.
F-1 Spirit: The Way to Formula-1 (MSX SCC)
Nemesis 2/Gradius 2 (MSX SCC)
Here we get a nice bass drum sample used in-game, fitting in like the chip came with it and giving it an edge over many other NES games of the time. Furthermore there are fade outs on the enemy encounter tracks (which is a minor feat when you can't change the volume of the triangle wave and the volume resolution of the other channels is low), some neat single channel echo effects and some chorused leads. Stylistically it's an appropriate mix of tension, drama and adventure, which had been done before but not with this theme AFAIK. One negative here though is that "Operation Intrude N313 ~ Theme of Tara" from the MSX version is missing, one of the longer tracks and also a track that became associated with the series. It was later referenced in Snatcher and MGS's VR Missions.
Ys: The Vanished Omen/Ys I: Ancient Ys Vanished (PC-88, OPN)
Set a new standard for OPN/YM2203 music outside of arcades by having the SSG/PSG part of the chip handle most percussion and backing harmonies so that the FM could be more fleshed out - perhaps the most noticeable example is in the double channel chorused instruments used for some massive sounding basslines and vaguely choir-like sounds. This is a pretty long and varied soundtrack for the time as well.
Shadowland/Yokai Douchuuki (ARC, YM2151)
While this is a solid pure FM OST for the time with great use of stereo, it's more notable for Kawada's use of LFO effects to create wind sounds, ghostly howls, voice-like leads, a massive japanese bell sound, and some other strange sounds that make for a fun listen. Stylistically it's a mix of japanese folk with a sometimes comedic tone and, unexpectedly, mambo! (Track 11). On the downside, the percussion is somewhat lacking, there could've been more use of echo/reverb and there are some rather harsh instruments in the mix.
Victory Run/Victory Run: Eikou no 13,000KM (PCE)
This is a good early showcase for the PC Engine's 6 channel wavetable synth, featuring a variety of nice timbres, chorus, echo, full stereo and decent-ish noise drums. JJ & Jeff from the same year has a bit of an edge when comparing the drums I suppose, but sounds a bit more dry and twangy otherwise.
Arumana no Kiseki/Miracle of Almana (FDS)
Shinra Bansho (PC-88VA, OPNA)
This seems to be the first proper use of the OPNA chip in a game and some of the tracks sound great for the time. The default OPNA drum samples seem to be mixed with PSG noise, there's some use of stereo, echo effects (although these are a bit rough due to a lack of detuning on the echo channel), nice piano used in tracks 02 and 08 and some unusual modulated instruments in tracks 05 and 06. On the downside the guitar-like instruments are kind of bad (they're also overused) and most of the tracks lack the polish of tracks 02, 09 and 14 (PSG harmony is neglected for several tracks). I couldn't find any footage so I'm not sure how well the OST fits the game.
If you're looking for a pure YM2151/OPM sound one of the best early examples is Bullet (ARC, 1987) by Sega, as it features stereo mixing, some creative FM percussion (using LFO or perhaps DT2 effects) and smoother leads than in their previous FM-only games all at once. Stylistically this OST is quite close to Alien Syndrome and Altered Beast.
My next PC-88 pick for this year would be Sorcerian, which had a few more sfx and a longer OST but was released about half a year later than Ys. These soundtracks helped establish Falcom as a big name on the JP RPG scene and you can probably hear some stylistic similarities to later games here.
Offshore Warrior (PC Speaker PWM)
Notable for its solid guitar samples along with punchy PSG drums and otherwise quality sound design.
Robo Warrior/Bomber King (NES)
JJ & Jeff/Kato-Chan & Ken-Chan (PCE)
Alien Syndrome (ARC, YM2151),SMS ver. (FM)(some distortion),X68K ver. (1992)
SDI: Strategic Defense Initiative (ARC, YM2151)
Bangkok Knights (C64)
Rebound (Atari 8-bit, Homebrew)
Legacy of the Wizard/Dragon Slayer IV (NES),MSX ver. (PSG)
Phantasy Star (SMS FM/YM2413)
Miracle Warriors: Seal of the Dark Lord (SMS FM)
Esper Dream (FDS)(no wavetable?)
Golvellius (MSX PSG, some different tracks)(added stereo)
Notable in part for its variety - the game features unique themes for its eight different bosses, three overworld themes, as well as for each type of NPC encounter. Some tracks like the ending theme are relatively long as well at about a minute's length. And pretty much all of them are great! Some of the boss tracks were replaced with more fitting tracks for later versions and (some of) the previous tracks used elsewhere in those games, and the first overworld track was also replaced.
Return of the Mutant Camels (C64)
Ultima III: Exodus (NES)(different)
Road Blasters/RoadBlasters (ARC, YM2151)(added reverb (?) & filtering),Alternate(in-game)
This game actually features some basic synthesized speech in shops (though not while music is playing), and good but not extraordinary sounding OPN music. The OPNA ver. only uses that chip properly for a couple of tracks for some reason, but they do sound quite good, if a bit dry.
Psycho Soldier (ARC, OPL+Y8950, w/ sampled vocals)
The main theme is one of the first chiptune tracks with sampled vocals featured in a game (I believe the lyrics are chopped up into many smaller samples as if you listen closely you can hear a bit of a pop between them). The backing FM synth track here is pretty average OPL fare though and so is the rest of the OST.
King's Quest (A2GS/Apple IIGS)
Castlevania II: Simon's Quest/Dracula II: Noroi no Fuuin (FDS)
Exciting Basket (FDS)
Otocky (FDS)(in-game)
Notable for being partially user generated (the player has basic control over the main lead melody during the levels). The game is an early, rudimentary rhythm game/shoot 'em up hybrid.
Ajax (ARC, YM2151),X68K ver. (1989)
Yume Koujou: Doki Doki Panic (FDS) & Super Mario Bros. 2/SMB2 (NES, 1988)
Gradius (X68K, YM2151)- loud!
Exciting Billiard (FDS)(songs based onRack 'em Up (ARC, 1987))
Wonder Boy in Monster Land (SMS FM),ARC ver. (SN76496 at 4 MHz+SN76496 at 2 MHz)
Famicom Mukashi Banashi: Shin Onigashima (FDS)(Pt. 1 & 2)
Sea Strike (A2GS)- streaming audio? find hq
Global Defense/SDI (SMS FM)(added stereo)
Rush'n Attack/Green Beret (NES)(different)
Touch Down Fever (ARC, YM3526/OPL)
Space Quest I (A2GS)- find hq
This revered series is off to a pretty strong start here with an eclectic mix of styles and unique themes for each level as well as two different boss themes.Fire Man has a latin (salsa?) flavor, Cut Man sounds kind of russian and like old anime music, and Guts Man like an old spy movie or something. Select, Bomb Man and Ice Man sound new wave-ish, Elec Man like the Journey song and Space Harrier theme combined (the latter being mostly synth pop) and Wily 1 like 80s hard rock/metal with some classical elements in the mid section. Sound design is solid but doesn't impress like some of Konami's OSTs from the same year or various later Capcom games, with kind of dry and stiff sounding instrumentation and mostly weak percussion lacking a kick drum (Fire Man's theme does use the noise channel in an interesting way though and the triangle channel toms became strongly associated with the series). Sadly there's also no intro or title theme, something the series became known for having great songs for starting with MM2, but the ending theme on the other hand is quite fleshed out at 1m30s+ and varied instrumentation.
Thunder Blade (SMS FM)(added stereo)
Winter Games (A2GS)(in-game)
Enduro Racer (C64)(remixed)
Cavern Cobra (A2GS)- streaming audio? find hq
Chinou Game Series 2: Super Boy Allan (FDS)
Dragon Slayer 2: Xanadu (MSX PSG)(added stereo)
After Burner (SMS FM)(added stereo)
Monte Carlo (A2GS)- streaming audio? find hq
Fantasy Zone II (SMS FM)(added stereo)
Treasure of the Usas (MSX PSG),SCC ver. homebrew (2018)
Double Dribble (ARC, sampled/vocoder vocals)
Guerrilla War/Guevara (ARC, OPL+Y8950)
Thexder (A2GS)(in-game)
Dirty Pair: Project Eden (Wavetable for SFX only, FDS)
World Games (A2GS)- loud
Family Composer (FDS)(in-game)
