4 hours of N64 game music found on one Youtube video. I’ve time traveled 15 years.
It’s hard to express the feelings that come along when I hear music from N64 games. It immediately brings up memories of sitting in front of a TV holding my N64 controller “the wrong way”. In comparison to everyone I knew at the time, only Eric Lubowitz could stand up, and exceed, my abilities. I logged countless hours into many games but Goldeneye, Perfect Dark, Mario Kart, and Super Smash were my favorites.
Top 5 Tracks of N64 Music
Goldeneye – Train
Fucking Natalya. If you tried to beat the missions on 00 Agent in a certain amount of time, you’d know that Natalya was the bane of Bond’s existence. Anytime you had to replay a level 100 times (or more) to beat the time, you start to get infuriated by the music. The train was a nightmare because you had to laser off the trap door and then run away at the end with Natalya surviving.
Mario Golf – Toad Highlands
I’ve actually played this game more recently than I did as a kid. I was more of a fan of Hot Shots golf instead of Mario, although I dabbled in both. All the music on the courses is good but I like the chirping in the background on this one. It’s soothing and allows for a cool and collected round of 18.
Super Smash Brothers – Hyrule Castle Music
This was always my favorite track. It was just perfect battle music. KO’ing someone to moon when the music upticks was rewarding. It didn’t hurt that I felt that Hyrule Castle was the best level out of them all.
Mario Kart – Koopa Troopa Beach
I time trialed this board often. Making the jump 3 times to beat your best time was what this game was all about. You’d always be racing your ghost and that just made it more exciting. This is another game where if you weren’t orange e’ing all over the place, you aren’t that good.
Goldeneye – Facility
How to Unlock: Complete Facility on 00 Agent in 2:05 or less. The beginning of this track brings me right back to the vents. I swear I played this level 1,000 times. Maybe more. This has to be one of the hardest cheats to unlock of all time. I would argue that unless you could unlock this cheat, you weren’t a good Bond player and that eliminated 99% of the population. Strafing was the only way to do it and this is what separates the strong from the weak.
I was probably 5 at the time but I vividly remember watching you try to beat Faculty over, and over, and over again. It’s amazing how these songs bring you back.
You think hearing the music is bad every time you restart? Try PLAYING the music every time you restart. The beginning of songs in Guitar Hero when you’re trying to FC songs (full combo – noobs!) with the right star-path was dreadful. Honestly, imagine hearing Hit Me With Your Best Shot 60 times in an hour.
I would hit myself in the head with my best shot. I seriously hate that song.
Pat Benatar, Janis Joplin, and Joan Jett (I liked Bad Reputation) are my big 3 of hate for that era of music.
Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64) had some great tunes. Plus they made you play them in the game to advance to different checkpoints.
Agreed on the Zelda comment. I’m actually currently playing through ocarina of time