How do they make video game music?

I'm trying to get some video game soundtracks to listen to while I work. I can't type while people are singing so I thought I'd get some instumental stuff, then of course I thought video games.

I do not know the first thing about music, just that I like to listen to it. For the older systems, the ones without cd, how do they make the music? I'm assumming the can't use actual instruments. Do they use some kind of software?

Also can someone suggest some good video game soundtracks I can buy? Do they make the newer ones like Garou?

I suggest the silent hill 2 soundtrack. I own it.. cool indeed

Crissaegrim:
I do not know the first thing about music, just that I like to listen to it. For the older systems, the ones without cd, how do they make the music? I'm assumming the can't use actual instruments. Do they use some kind of software?

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earlier consoles had a built in synthesiser (usually FM synthesis), then later on they added the ability so play back low bandwidth samples in tandem with the synthesizer, and then on to the modern cd stuff. The saturn (and I'm guessing a few others) still had a synth onboard though so developers for the stv could save on cartridge space.

Any Final Fantasy, Chrono Cross, GGXX etc. should do you good.

Metal Gear Solid 2 by far.

Cave actually use modules (.mod .xm .it .s3m etc) for their arcade games. Happy to see those formats still in use!

I also remember an interview with Yuzo Koshiro where he stated that all his music back in the day was created via a Sony Keyboard, then somehow translated to the Sega GeneDrive/Megasis system.

God bless Yuzo and his magnificent samples.

get the ff7 sound track off ebay, its amazing

They make game music with instruments.

I don't know if soundtracks exist of these games, but if anything else, buy the games, and then burn yourself the soundtracks off of the disks. Those games are Lords of Thunder and Ai Co Aniki (Love-Super Big Brother) for the Turbo Duo/PC Engine CD. Excellent music!

For the Neo Geo, you can't go wrong with any of the Metal Slug soundtracks, and Magical Drop II and III have extraordinary tracks as well. Also, I'm particularly partial to King of the Monsters music in both parts 1 and 2. Check them out.

Also worth noting are some of Yuzo Kishiro's earlier works. Bare Knuckles/Streets of Rage 2 is worth the soundtracks, as is Ys Books I and II, and Super Shinobi/Revenge of Shinobi.

Wish I could answer your question about how soundtracks are made. As much as I appreciate a great soundtrack in a gme, it's something I never leanred a lot about. frown

Be like me back in high school and write a collection of midis to a floppy and jam away to them while working on whatever you're working

Im still looking for the Mother 2, or in US Earthbound for snes soundtrack.
can anyone help me out?

For newer soundtracks head over to <a href="http://www.cocoebiz.com." target="_blank">www.cocoebiz.com.</a> They have a lot of new and cool stuff (even Garou MOTW).