[asianexpress]

Is it just me, or is the music from SNES RPGs more memorable than any current day RPG music? I'm talking Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy (Kefka's laugh??) -- you don't hear music like this anymore.

Music, that when heard, makes you want to play the game or relive the memories.

[baddox]

Do you mean the timbre of the instruments (obviously limited by the SNES chips), or the compositions themselves? I think the technical limitations of those consoles meant that catchy melodies were extremely important.

With modern audio, stock music can be thrown in easily, and it will sound decent and give the "epic" or cinematic feel the game designers want. But you often don't get memorable themes and relentless catchy melodies.

That said, there is some great composition in modern games. The Halo series is an obvious mention, with several memorable orchestral and piano pieces. Indie games often get closer to the composition style of the older video games you mentioned.

[asianexpress]

I would say the compositions -- but perhaps it is due to the technical limitations as you mentioned. I can definitely say the compositions because I think they sound even more amazing in the hands of an orchestra, or in piano collections. Maybe I'm just a Nobuo Uematsu fan

I do agree that the Halo music is pretty good and memorable (especially the whole chanting monk deal).

[PeterInouye]

In some ways, both! The music definitely did have to work with the limitations of the SNES, but that audio chip (at the time) blew everything Sega had out of the water. I agree with asianexpress- Nobuo Uematsu is just awesome. But the sound of the trumpets on FFVI sounds so unique to the SNES too! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BPGle3hTWk&feature=relat...

[Fargren]

Get the OST from Bastion. It's new, awesome and memorable. I'd link to it but I don't have access to streaming sites from this computer.

[JonnieCache]

While I am willing to agree that it may have been objectively better in some ways, this effect is almost entirely down to the fact that we were kids then.

Every experience is so raw as a child, due to having had so few of them at that point. Therefore the memories feel more vivid.

[PeterInouye]

So true. The SNES audio chip just had such a distinct sound, and at the time it was better than the midi on my PC! Oh the hours I spent in FF III (or FF VI as we know it now)...