General Discussion

To elaborate, what video game songs probably didn't need to go as hard as they did?
(Obligatory spoiler warning for some games)

Some examples (in no particular order):

• Dirty and Beauty/Sullen Grace-Kirby Triple Deluxe. I understand it's the final boss's first form, but the last thing I would expect from a Kirby game is electric guitar and orchestra together.
• On that topic, a lot of Kirby boss music is epic, especially Dedede's themes and the final boss themes. Then again, there is some overlap in those categories.
• World's End Valentine-Omori. I don't know much about the game, but the boss songs in the OST are basically just: quirky bop, quirky but intense bop, electronic banger that sounds like it was ripped from Touhou imo, quirky bop.
• Natural Killer Cyborg-Mother 3. It's a more obscure Nintendo franchise. The game wasn't even officially localized outside of Japan. It's not even the penultimate boss. You've probably got a high-level attack that melts through the boss. But yet, the music is actual hard rock.
• Cassiopia's theme-Pokemon Scarlet/Violet. A lot of the music in this game is great for good reason (there needed to be something quality in this game pair), but Cassiopia's theme's intensity does not match her team. Everyone else with banger themes is fighting you for the fate of the surrounding island area. Cassiopia? She's out here in the middle of the night fighting you with her Eeveelution housepets, and it sounds like a rave.
• Hive Knight-Hollow Knight. I don't think I've really seen anyone acknowledge the Hive's existence, much less its single boss. Despite this, though, his theme is surprisingly good. I really like the marching army vibe combined with the bee buzzing as an instrument.

Feel free to share your own!

[quote name="FL1GHT0F87" date="2024-01-27 15:00:47" ] [LIST] [*]Dirty and Beauty/Sullen Grace-Kirby Triple Deluxe. I understand it's the final boss's first form, but the last thing I would expect from a Kirby game is electric guitar and orchestra together. [*]On that topic, a lot of Kirby boss music is epic, especially Dedede's themes and the final boss themes. Then again, there is some overlap in those categories. [/LIST] [/quote] I was actually surprised that you listed sectonia's theme first, bc I was thinking of the version of Crowned from...rainbow curse? I think? [EDIT: [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dA6NGChO1U]found it![/url]] there is ALSO electric guitar in there which is why I thought of it. ofc sectonias theme is also dope and I agree anyway my vote, its not even my personal favorite video game soundtrack, but [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTTILhzeTV4]Three Minutes Clapping[/url] is the lord of vgm honorable mentions: -[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRcEmrH9_RA]paper mario eurobeat[/url] -[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaN-_EDOgRs]I have never played a tales game but this slaps ngl[/url] edit: also [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhD135j4BNI]the daytime bamboo forest theme from monster hunter frontier.[/url] frontier music is something I generally consider it off the table as far as "unnecessarily hard" goes bc it is extremely amped up and dialed up to eleven on the Whole like not just in its music--but this one is like. there is no reason you should combine shamisen (? something like it), flute music, and a Saxophone like that but by god they did it

The Miitopia Final Boss theme goes hard for a friendship-based RPG starring Nintendo avatars that has you fighting an evil force that steals faces.

Since you mentioned Cassiopeia's theme, Pecharunt's battle theme gets me turnt. Never would have thought the battle theme for an evil peach would be so funky

The Tumbling from Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep goes way harder than it probably needed to and I love it. it's such a Vibe!
KH has a lot of epic battle themes in general but I especially love the kh3 Data Battle themes. 13th Dilemma (Saix) and Lord of the Castle are my favorites, but I also have to mention 13th Struggle (Luxord) for perfectly capturing the vibe of that fight.
Molgera's Theme from Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker goes surprisingly hard too. absolute jam.
Grimm and Nightmare King Grimm from Hollow Knight are also great, especially when played back-to-back. though I have to admit I like Man on the Internet's cover with vocals better than the original theme.
basically anything from Hades or Cult of the Lamb qualifies, lbr here.
Rufus Shinra's theme and The Whispers' theme from Final Fantasy 7 Remake are imo the best themes in that game, but that's a big ymmv because everyone seems to have a different favorite battle theme. Hell House is another really good one I see mentioned a lot.

This from Pokémon Typing Adventure.

The only game for the DS to support the keyboard that came with it. Only came in Japan and EU as well. Why does? Why does it go hard?

So I've been playing P5R and for the most part, the music DOES have to go as hard as it does. Everyone would have been disappointed if Rivers In The Desert wasn't such a banger. However, I feel like A Gentle Madman is an exception. They didn't need to compose something that went so absolutely hard, but they did. I can listen to this song for hours.

Also, I would like to shoutout Dark Crafter from Kirby Rainbow Curse. Dark Crafter is one of the more forgettable final bosses imo (it's competing with the likes of Drawcia, Magolor, and Sectonia here) but HAL didn't fail to deliver on its soundtrack.

Land of the Golden Sun by Jeremy Soule for Guild Wars: Nightfall.

has a 30 second buildup but fire island volcano from pokemon super mystery dungeon is one of my favorite tracks in pokemon ever and its the theme of a dungeon you visit in the middle of the story