Wednesday, 10 January 2018

Classical music in video games

Featuring the likes of Mussorgsky, Bach, Rossini, Mozart, Beethoven et al, pixels take a break from bosses, stealth kills, exploration etc etc to bask in the cultural limelight.

Ultimate resource caters for every generation and detailing specific format and/or circumstances is at my discretion.

Arcade

Mario. Bros - Eine Kleine Nachtmusik - Mozart
Phoenix - Für Elise - Beethoven
Street Fighter II (Ken's ending) - Mendelssohn - Wedding March
Gyruss - Toccata and Fugue in D Minor - J.S. Bach
Lazarian - Ode to Joy - Beethoven and William Tell Overture - Rossini
Dragon's Lair II: Time Warp - Symphony No. 5 in C Minor - Beethoven

Sexy Parodius

Symphony No. 5, 1st Movement - Beethoven
Habanera aria (from Carmen) - Georges Bizet
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik - Mozart
Turkish March - Mozart
Flight of the Bumblebee - Korsakov
Can-can (from Orpheus in the Underworld) - Jacques Offenbach
Messiah Part II "Hallelujah Chorus" - Handel
Für Elise - Beethoven

Roadrunner

Sabre Dance - Aram Khachaturian
Thunder and Lightning Polka - Johann Strauss II
Flight of the Bumblebee - Korsakov
William Tell Overture - Rossini

Neo Geo

Power Instinct Matrimelee - Wedding March - Mendelssohn
Fatal Fury 2, Fatal Fury Special and Real Bout Fatal Fury Special - Requiem Dies Irae - Mozart (Krauser's stage)
The King of Fighters 2003 - Revolutionary Etude - Chopin

8 bits

NES

Crash 'n the Boys: Street Challenge - Spring (Four Seasons) - Vivaldi and Toccata and Fugue in D Minor - J.S. Bach
Wild Gunman - Funeral March - Chopin
Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde - Wedding March - Mendelssohn
The Adventures of Captain Comic - Sonata in A major - Mozart
Tetris - Les Toreadors (from Carmen Suite No. 1) - Georges Bizet
Final Fantasy - Swan Lake ballet - Tchaikovsky
The Battle of Olympus - Toccata and Fugue in D Minor - J.S. Bach
Tetris - French suite No. 3 in B Minor - J.S. Bach

Dr. Franken on Game Boy uses J.S. Bach's The Well Tempered Clavier in C for title screen music and Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata for gameplay.

Home computers

Kane (C64) - William Tell Overture - Rossini
Kane II (C64) - Light Cavalry Overture - Franz von Suppé
Winter Games - Waltz of the Flowers - Tchaikovsky
Dark Castle - Toccata and Fugue in D Minor - J.S. Bach
Mr. Freeze - Air (Suite No. 3 in D major) - J.S. Bach
Moon Alert (Spectrum) - Ride of the Valkyries - Wagner
Sabre Wulf - Prelude in C from the Well Tempered Clavier Book 1 - Bach
Manic Miner - Blue Danube - Johann Strauss II (title screen) and In the Hall of the Mountain King - Edvard Grieg (in-game)
The Birds and the Bees - Flight of the Bumblebee - Korsakov
The Birds and the Bees II: Antics - Toccata and Fugue in D Minor - J.S. Bach
Rockman (Spectrum) - Eine Kleine Nachtmusik - Mozart
Jet Set Willy - Moonlight Sonata - Beethoven (title screen)
Dragon's Den (C64) - In the Hall of the Mountain King - Edvard Grieg and William Tell Overture - Rossini
Mermaid Madness (C64) - Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy - Tchaikovsky
Spiky Harold (Spectrum) - Flight of the Bumblebee - Korsakov (title screen)
Sanxion (C64) - Montagues and Capulets (Suite 2 from Romeo and Juliet) - Prokofiev
Bride of Frankenstein - Toccata and Fugue in D Minor - J.S. Bach
Black Hawk (C64) - Ride of the Valkyries - Wagner
Gemstone Warrior - Prelude in C from the Well Tempered Clavier Book 1 - J.S. Bach
Geoff Capes Strongman - Blue Danube - Johann Strauss II
Dynamite Dan and Dynamite Dan II - Turkish March - Mozart
The Castles of Doctor Creep (C64) - Hungarian Dance No. 5 - Johannes Brahms
Elite - Blue Danube - Johann Strauss II
Protector II (C64) - Solfeggietto in C Minor - C.P.E. Bach
Gunship - Ride of the Valkyries - Wagner
Shamus (C64) - Funeral March of a Marionette - Charles Gounod
Hero of the Golden Talisman - Toccata and Fugue in D Minor - J.S. Bach
Survivor (C64) - Ride of the Valkyries - Wagner
Head over Heels (C64) - Piano Sonata in C - Mozart and Blue Danube - Johann Strauss II

Friday the 13th (C64)

Wedding March - Mendelssohn
Sleepers and Awake! - J.S. Bach
Toccata and Fugue in D Minor - J.S. Bach

Foxx Fights Back (C64)

Les Toreadors (from Carmen Suite No. 1) - Georges Bizet
In the Hall of the Mountain King - Edvard Grieg
Hungarian Dance No. 5 - Johannes Brahms

16 bits

Home computers and consoles

Ring: The Legend of Nibelungen (DOS) - Siegfried's Funeral March - Wagner
First Samurai (Amiga) - Messiah Part II "Hallelujah Chorus" - Handel
Second Samurai (Amiga) - Carmina Burana O Fortuna - Carl Orff
Loom - Swan Lake ballet - Tchaikovsky
Horror Zombies From the Crypt (Amiga) - Dance of the Knights (from Romeo and Juliet) - Prokofiev
Earthworm Jim - Night on Bald Mountain - Modest Mussorgsky
Earthworm Jim 2 - Moonlight Sonata (3rd movement) - Beethoven
Weird Dreams (Amiga) - Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy - Tchaicovsky
King Arthur's World (SNES) - Ride of the Valkyries - Wagner
Alone in the Dark - Waltz in A-flat major Opus 69 No. 1 - Chopin and Danse Macabre - Camille Saint Saëns
Alone in the Dark 2 - The Flying Dutchman - Wagner

Frontier: Elite II (Amiga)

Baba Yaga - Modest Mussorgsky
In The Hall of the Mountain King - Edvard Grieg
Night on Bald Mountain and The Great Gates of Kiev - Modest Mussorgsky
Ride of the Valkyries - Wagner
Blue Danube - Johann Strauss II

Lemmings (Amiga)

Turkish March - Mozart
Dance of the Reed Flutes and Miniature Overture - Tchaikovsky
Can-can (from Orpheus in the Underworld) - Jacques Offenbach

Fantasia (Mega Drive)

Toccata and Fugue in D Minor - J.S. Bach
The Sorcerer's Apprentice - Paul Dukas
Dance of the Hours - Amilcare Ponchielli

Sid Meier's Cilvization series (particularly IV), is packed with Bach, Dvořák, Brahms, Mozart and lashings of Beethoven.

Parodius series

MSX

Concerto for Piano No. 1 - Tchaikovsky
Moonlight Sonata (3rd movement) - Beethoven
In the Hall of the Mountain King - Edvard Grieg
Fantaisie-Impromptu - Chopin
Symphony No. 9 (4th Movement from the New World) - Antonín Dvořák
Swan Lake Suite - Tchaicovsky
Ride of the Valkyries - Wagner
5th Symphony, 1st Movement - Beethoven
Les Toreadors (from Carmen Suite No. 1) - Georges Bizet
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 - Franz Liszt
Symphony No. 9, 4th Movement - Beethoven
Flight of the Bumblebee - Korsakov

(SNES/Super Famicom)

Da!

Flight of the Bumblebee - Korsakov
Waltz of the Sugar Plum Fairy (from the Nutcracker suite) - Tchaikovsky
In the Hall of the Mountain King - Edvard Grieg
William Tell Overture - Rossini
Sabre Dance - Aram Khachaturian
Can-can (from Orpheus in the Underworld) - Jacques Offenbach
Hungarian Dance No. 5 - Johannes Brahms
Pictures at an Exhibition - Modest Mussorgsky

Gokujou Parodius

Turkish March - Mozart
William Tell Overture - Rossini
Flight of the Bumblebee - Korsakov
Ride of the Valkyries - Wagner
Symphony No. 9 (4th Movement from the New World) - Antonín Dvořák

Jikkyōu Oshasberi Parodius

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, 1st Movement - Mozart
Minuet in G - J.S. Bach
Flight of the Bumblebee - Korsakov
Arabesque - Claude Debussy

Miscellany

Asura's Wrath - Symphony No. 9 in E Minor (1st Movement from the New World) - Antonín Dvořák
Point Blank (PS1) - William Tell Overture - Rossini
Megaman Legends (PS1) - Air (Suite No. 3 in D major) - J.S. Bach and Waltz of the Flowers - Tchaicovsky
Hitman: Blood Money - Ave Maria - Schubert
Bioshock Infinite - Requiem in D Minor - Mozart
Donkey Konga - Turkish March - Mozart
Donkey Konga 2 - Minute Waltz - Chopin
Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars - Can-can (from Orpheus in the Underworld) - Jacques Offenbach
D2 (Dreamcast) - Turkish March - Mozart
Haunting Ground - Liebestraume Notturno No. 3 - Franz Liszt
Clock Tower 3 - Fantaisie-Impromptu - Chopin
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for All (GBA) - Toccata and Fugue in D Minor - J.S. Bach
Grand Theft Auto V - Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy - Tchaikovsky
Colony Wars: Vengeance - Hebrides Overture "Fingal's Cave" - Mendelssohn
Bioshock Infinite - Canon in D major - Pachelbel
Kingdom Hearts - Night on Bald Mountain - Modest Mussorgsky
World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade (DOS) - Nocturne in C Sharp Minor - Chopin
Portal 2 - Little Prelude in C Minor - J.S. Bach
Wolfenstein: The New Order - Für Elise - Beethoven
Deathsmiles - Toccata and Fugue in D Minor - J.S. Bach
Dracula Unleashed (Mega CD) - Carmina Burana O Fortuna - Carl Orff
Return to Castle Wolfenstein - Moonlight Sonata and Für Elise- Beethoven

Little King's Story (Wii) and Mad Maestro (PS2) are dominated by classical porn.

When it comes to music, Catherine can be a literal Nightmare.

To name a few:

Revolutionary Etude - Chopin
Symphony No. 9 in E Minor (1st Movement from the New World) - Antonín Dvořák
Funeral March - Chopin
Polovtsian Dances - Alexander Borodin
Messiah Part II "Hallelujah Chorus" - Handel

Figure skating at Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii) has you twirling and dancing to the tune of:

Swan Lake and Waltz of the Flowers - Tchaikovsky
Fantaise-Impromptu - Chopin
Spring (Four Seasons) - Vivaldi
Ave Maria - Schubert
Skater's Waltz - Emile Waldteufel

Crash: Twinsanity

Flight of the Bumblebee - Korsakov
Blue Danube - Johann Strauss II
Hebrides Overture "Fingal's Cave" - Mendelssohn

Jill, and after practicing in Chris's scenario, Rebecca, both famously play the Moonlight Sonata in whichever version of Resident Evil.

Others to use Beethoven's signature piece are Return to Castle Wolfenstein and the more obscure Echo Night: Beyond.

Return Fire

Flight of the Bumblebee - Korsakov
The Planets - Mars, the Bringer of War - Gustav Holst
Ride of the Valkyries - Wagner
In the Hall of the Mountain King - Edvard Grieg
Requiem Dies Irae - Verdi

Eternal Sonata is set inside a world dreamed up by Chopin during composer's final hours.

Unsurprisingly, Tristesse, Heroic, Raindrops, Grande Valse, Brillante, Fantaisie-Impromptu, Nocturne and Revolution are courtesy of the great man himself.

Sherlock Holmes: Secret of the Silver Earring (Wii)

Humoresque - Antonín Dvořák
Violin Sonata - Edvard Grieg
Souvenir d'un lieu cher, Op 42 - Tchaikovsky
Piano Quartet in E flat major, Op 47 - Robert Schumann

Just a few more before I'm done.

The Evil Within - Air (Suite No. 3 in D major) - J.S. Bach

When Sebastian approaches safe area, both original and far superior sequel use Claude Debussy's Clair de Lune (from Suite Bergamasque).

Slow burning but totally absorbing, I don't know many who didn't like Until Dawn.

During Dr. Hill's therapy sessions, ears are treated to the eloquence of Goldberg Variations and while taking a bath, Sam listens to Cello Suite No. 1 in G major, blissfully unaware that Josh is not far away.

Who said video games weren't educational?

Ha ha ha!

No comments:

Post a Comment

Copyright © 2012-2024 Nukes and Knives™ All rights reserved.