Sega's iconic Sonic the Hedgehog series has been around since 1991, and in the years since its initial release, it's held up as one of the longest-lasting franchises in video game history, regularly standing alongside Nintendo's Mario in terms of recognizability. There are well over a dozen Sonic games, and each one features a unique soundtrack. That begs the question: Which soundtrack is the best?
The Sonic the Hedgehog franchise has grown into new gameplay styles and found its way onto different platforms throughout its 30-year history. This wide variety often leads to heated debates among fans. Different players prefer different games, either because of their visual style, their design and mechanics, or other factors such as story and writing. The soundtracks also lend themselves toward debate. While musical taste is ultimately a matter of personal preference, some players have strong opinions one way or another.
The first few Sonic the Hedgehog titles arguably set the standard in terms of the series' music, but since then several genres and stylistic choices have been explored by a host of different composers, making it hard to cite just one definitive example of what music in the Sonic series ought to sound like. That said, some of the games do a better job of conveying the feel of the series than others. Here are a few of the Sonic games that feature the best and most engaging compositions of the franchise.
Sonic CD's soundtrack was one of the last to be put together by the original Sonic the Hedgehog composers. While there are a few filler tracks to be found, most of the melodies are clean and memorable, setting a good atmosphere for the game without distracting from the gameplay itself.
Although the gameplay of both Sonic Adventure titles is rather controversial among fans of the series, the soundtracks are regarded highly among a large number of long-time Sonic players. They maintain the quintessential Sonic feel while staying consistent, catchy, and covering a wide variety of styles. Though there are a few misses on the soundtrack, the hits are impressive.
Many fans think it's difficult to find better Sonic the Hedgehog games than the originals, and most would agree that's the case for the first two soundtracks as well. These games served to set the tone for the rest of the series moving forward in terms of both gameplay and sound, and the simple melodies and strong beats still hold up as an energetic backdrop to the games.
Sega's series saw something of a renaissance with the 2017 release of Sonic Mania. The soundtrack consists of rearranged pieces from other Sonic titles alongside some new material, taking advantage of nostalgia while still bringing in fresh elements. The composer of Sonic Mania's music, Tiago "Tee" Lopes, stated in an interview with PC Gamer that the score was initially meant to serve as a spiritual successor to Sonic CD's soundtrack, though as development continued, more inspiration was drawn from older Sonic the Hedgehog releases as well.
Source: PC Gamer
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June 10, 2021 at 12:35AM
