There are many reasons why we love video games. Some of us enjoy the stories told in RPGs, while others like the creative freedoms that titles like Minecraft offer. For fans of video slots, it’s the variety of themes and the long list of casinos that offer incentives to new players that make them so enticing.
But an often underrated factor helps many players fall in love with the titles that they play — music.
Music is a powerful tool, which is why it’s used in everything from making us more productive to encouraging us to buy more in shops. It’s even used in the medical industry to treat certain conditions as music has been proven to have certain effects on our brains and our moods.
It is no wonder then, that music is featured in video games to do more than just fill the silence. Over the years, developers have found incredibly creative ways to feature everything from short MIDI melodies to legendary rock ballads in their titles, using these tracks to set the scene, match the pace of the gameplay, and even provide audible clues to players.
Of course, not all implementations are as effective or interesting as each other. Some stand out as being particularly novel, engaging, and even exciting. Here are some examples of uses that fall into this latter categorisation.
Radio Stations — Grand Theft Auto
All games have background music, but few manage to integrate it as well as Rockstar Games has done with its Grand Theft Auto series.
Right from the original release in 1997, Grand Theft Auto has offered players a choice of backing tracks. This gives them the freedom to change the vibe of the game and to match their mood at the time.
But these songs aren’t available all the time. They only become available when players enter a vehicle.
Once inside, they can hit a button on their controller or keyboard and the game will cycle through the playlists, creating the sense that they’re listening to a radio station. That’s not all, though, because the songs on the playlists are interspersed with the ramblings of a DJ who talks about things in the game.
In more recent releases, the radio station element has been extended further with breaking news bulletins interrupting the music to describe events that were recently perpetrated by the player.
Countdown Timer — Mario
Mario is one of the best-known video game series and characters ever created. His trademark moustache, hat, and overalls are instantly recognisable, as are his friends and enemies like Princess Peach, Yoshi, and the Koopa Troopers.
Another element of the game that is instantly recognisable is its upbeat cheery music.
Whether it’s a Mario platformer or Mario Kart, the music is consistent and instantly recognisable.
The way that Nintendo uses this iconic Mario music to signal important elements of the game is also consistent. In the platform titles, a loud jingle interrupts the normal melody before the tempo is stepped up a gear when the time limit drops below 100 seconds.
This same approach is used in Mario Kart, with the music increasing in pace as the player enters the final lap.
Guitar Hero
While the other examples are of music being used to enhance video games, Guitar Hero puts the songs in centre stage.
Following a similar format to the dance mat games of the 1990s and early 2000s, Guitar Hero challenges players to press buttons on a specially-designed controller to the rhythm of the songs.
This controller is shaped like a guitar, with four buttons on the neck where one of the frets would normally be. Each one is coloured differently, corresponding with the lights that appear on the screen.
Guitar Hero was so successful that it spawned a series of sequels and later evolved to include drums for when you wanted the full rock and roll experience. There was even a portable version that connected to the Nintendo DS, meaning you could rock out wherever you went.
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