Since the advent of video games, sound and music have been an important part of the experience. From the iconic "blips" and "bloops" created by the sound chips in Pac-Man , to the meticulous composition methods of the legendary "Overworld" theme from Super Mario Brothers , music and sound hold a special place in video game history.
Heavier forms of music, primarily from the rock and metal genres, have been a constant in video games. Games like Doom , Quake , Unreal Tournament , Grand Theft Auto , and even Fortnite have incorporated rock and metal music into their gameplay.
A Brief Introduction to Video Game Music
The 1990s were a period of great technological advancement. Home computers were nearly ubiquitous, and the internet was in its infancy. Video games followed a similar trajectory: as consoles became a common household item, so did the technology needed to produce software for them. A decade earlier, home consoles were large and bulky, required a cartridge to play game software, and had very limited sound.
All of that changed when Nintendo entered the industry with the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) . For the purpose of this article, we will truncate the vast contributions of the NES and focus on one: it gave music composers a viable job as sound designers and video game composers.
Koji Kondo's "Overworld" theme from Super Mario Brothers is etched in video game history as the most recognizable melody in a game. All of this was achieved using only 4 channels of the Ricoh 2A03 (NES sound chip), which was very limited in terms of the sound capabilities it could handle.
Fast forward to the 90s, as sound chips developed, so did the ability to compose more complex and intricate music for games.
The 16-bit Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis had advanced sound chips that could carry recorded samples along with the traditional sounds they produced. This created a hybrid compositional technique in which source sampling and the use of electronic sounds blended together.
Then, all of that changed with the arrival of PlayStation (PSX) . Up to that point, games were still loaded onto cartridges with very little internal memory and relied on the console's sound chip to read the composition data stored on the cartridge (except for a few instances where a sound chip was also in the cartridge). The PSX's compact disc (CD) format meant it could store a lot of data, including music and videos. Composing music for the PSX, subsequent consoles, and the PC had never been easier.
Early Examples of Rock and Metal Music in Video Games
The earliest examples of rock and metal music in video games that I can recall are from the soundtrack of Mortal Kombat 2 for the Sega Genesis . The inclusion of the "Danger" variants of each stage's theme was a brilliant idea. Due to the nature of fighting games being a test of patience, entering a danger zone (less than 20% HP) meant that the match needed to be played at a different pace.
This approach was inspired by Street Fighter 2 (SF2) Mortal Kombat 2 's approach was to make the music heavier, adding psychological pressure to the players.
Gran Turismo , a popular racing simulation series for the PlayStation console line, included licensed music from major record label artists. The official soundtrack for Gran Turismo 2 , and some of the music included in the game itself, featured artists such as Filter ("Hey Man, Nice Shot"), Garbage ("I Think I'm Paranoid"), Hole ("Use Once and Destroy"), The Cardigans ("My Favorite Game"), and Creed ("Unforgiven").
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater skateboarding series . The first two games are considered groundbreaking due to the gameplay mechanics introduced and the soundtrack. For Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 , the soundtrack featured artists such as Primus, Dead Kennedys, The Ernies, Goldfinger (whose "Superman" became a meme not just for Tony Hawk fans), and Even Rude .
The second game in the series, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 , raised the bar by acquiring music licenses from artists such as Rage Against the Machine, Papa Roach , Millencolin , Powerman 5000 , and Anthrax . This trend continued in the main series and the Tony Hawk's Underground . However, the recent remake of the first two games included a diverse selection of music from other genres, along with the soundtrack from the game's original releases.
The Japanese fighting game series Guilty Gear also included rock and metal in its soundtrack. In fact, the game is heavily associated with the genre, so it's impossible to have a Guilty Gear game without at least one metal track. The series' music is composed by its creator, Daisuke Ishiwatari, and has several references to his musical influences. For example, the song "What do you fight for?" from Guilty Gear Strive intersperses a section of The Beatles' song "Come Together" in the first verse.
The release of Grand Theft Auto changed the landscape of video game soundtracks, as it introduced not only curated music from a specific genre, but also the concept of choosing which songs the game should play. Using the in-game radio while inside a car, players could select a radio station to tune into that matched their genres; drawing inspiration from the arcade racing game Outrun , where players choose a station containing a song that repeats throughout the race. This concept aligned well with the open-world nature of Grand Theft Auto .
Initially, the music for Grand Theft Auto was composed in-house by a trio of musicians known collectively as Da Shootaz . The game began using licensed music for the heavier tracks starting with Grand Theft Auto IV . This edition used music from Sepultura , The Smashing Pumpkins , Black Sabbath , Aerosmith , Deep Purple , AC/DC and Bon Jovi , among others. Perfect for farming your GTA V account .
This series also popularized the " custom soundtrack " by allowing players to place music files in the game's music folder to be played on a dedicated radio station.
Modern Examples of Rock and Metal Music in Video Games
It would be an understatement if I didn't mention the widespread impact of the Guitar Hero series and its numerous spin-offs. The game was designed to be the perfect fusion of video games, music, and education. Including licensed music, including the very elusive catalog of The Beatles, players could now have fun impersonating a musician. The company responsible for these games, Harmonix, would have a significant impact later on, as we will see in this article.
While we're on the subject of music education and video games, I'd like to add that the most underrated modern video game released is Ubisoft , Rocksmith . The game features the same mechanics as Guitar Hero , but the big difference is that players can actually learn the songs because the game requires a guitar or bass to be played. I played this game and the wide selection and progressive difficulty of the songs made me feel like a beginner. And that's considering I have over 20 years of musical experience!
Historically, action and first-person shooter games have featured rock and metal soundtracks. The soundtrack for Quake II was a stark contrast to the music Trent Reznor of the industrial-metal band Nine Inch Nails composed for Quake I. While Quake I was ambient, Quake II was heavy. Doom III also has a heavy soundtrack. Gears of War incorporated both ambient and heavy music. Unreal Tournament also featured rock and metal in its soundtrack, which I have fond memories of. One of the games in the Halo series had music composed by American guitar virtuoso Steve Vai.
Other video game genres also incorporate heavier sounds into their soundtracks or license music from artists on major record labels.
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy features music from the 1980s and includes artists such as Blondie, Tears for Fears, Europe, KISS, Iron Maiden, and Rainbow. Electronic Arts also has a history of including rock and metal music in its sports titles, from NBA Live to the FIFA series, and now FC 24. The same can be said of 2K Games for its NBA 2K series.
Epic Games' battle royale shooter, Fortnite, introduced Fortnite Festival as a separate game in the series. The concept of Fortnite Festival is similar to the games that Harmonix produced before Epic Games acquired the company. At the time of writing, the current season of Fortnite Festival includes music from the band Metallica. The six songs included in the game are guitar classics such as "Enter Sandman," "Fuel," "Ride the Lightning," "Master of Puppets," "The Unforgiven," and "Wherever I May Roam."
Epic Games' acquisition of Harmonix highlights the importance of music as a unique experience for gamers. While the Fortnite Festival has received some negative reviews, it still bridges the gap between music and video games. The concept is certainly a welcome addition to how music is incorporated into video games.
Rock and Metal-Adjacent Music in Video Games
Some games have clear rock and metal influences. Dark Souls, The Witcher, Path of Exile, Killing Floor 2 , and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance all have soundtracks that aren't strictly within the realms of rock and metal.
In the world of Path of Exile, the soundtrack distinctly sets the tone for its dark and menacing environments. While not directly venturing into the realms of rock or metal, the score, composed by Kamil Orman-Janowski , weaves a rich tapestry of atmospheric and orchestral elements that resonate well with the game's dark and mystical themes, as well as the complex and vital role of POE currency within the game's economy.
Street Fighter has also incorporated elements of heavy metal music into some of its soundtracks. For example, "Precious Heart" from Street Fighter EX plus alpha has a distinctly heavy sound, with guitars dominating half of the instrumentation. The fifth game in the main series, Street Fighter V, featured a heavy "djent" track for the game's main menu music. This can be changed to a softer track.
Music with darker moods, such as synthwave, can be considered a genre adjacent to rock. The mobile game PinOut features a synthwave soundtrack composed by Douglas Holmquist. Despite its danceable melodies, the music has a relatively dark sound.
The acclaimed action-RPG game Transistor features ambient rock and post-rock influences from its composer Darren Korb. "Old Friends" is a signature track from the game that showcases the melancholic sound of post-rock.
The Impact of Rock and Metal Music Inside (and Outside) Video Games
Rock and metal music has had a lasting impact on video games. Numerous companies have included them in their soundtracks, while composers continue to create music by fusing the sounds of these genres with their own style.
Outside of video games, musicians and bands tend to do covers or rearrangements of video game music. For example, the band Metroid Metal , whose covers of Metroid songs have been popular among fans. Super Mario Brothers also has heavier rearrangements done by bands. I remember from my younger days a parody of a song in the style of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit," but the lyrics were taken directly from the incorrect English translation of the opening scene of the classic Sega Genesis game, "Zero Wing," aptly titled "All Your Base Are Belong to Us."
Perhaps the most lasting impact of rock and metal music on video games is the fusion of traditional and electronic instruments to create a unique sound . While not exactly an example of video game music, the American chip-rock band Anamanaguchi has clearly stated that video games are one of their main inspirations. Making and playing music using guitars, drums, and Game Boys, the band has achieved crossover popularity between both heavy metal and video games. In fact, the entire "chiptune" movement is directly inspired by video game music.
Nintendo's Animal Crossing series featured rock arrangements of songs by its beloved singing dog, KK Slider: "KK Metal" and "KK Rock." The game also features a cat that dresses like a rock star (Katt). In New Horizons, the player can acquire musical instruments and "play" them.
I could list more, but the point is clear: rock and metal music in video games is an inseparable part of popular culture.