Recommended video game music: compelling masterpieces and popular tracks you’ll want to listen to.

Dragon — MizuchiŌshima Hiroyuki

Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin OST – Ryū — Mizuchi — (Profane Deity) – Extended

An awe-inspiring final battle theme woven from the resonance of taiko drums and a driving, high-speed rhythm.

It’s the climactic track from the 2020 Japan-inspired action RPG “Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin,” composed by Hiroyuki Oshima.

Powerful performances on traditional Japanese instruments intertwine with modern arrangements to conjure a mythic world.

The tense, dramatic sound that underscores the game’s peak moments makes it perfect for boosting your motivation.

Beast Ganon BattleKataoka Mao

Beast Ganon Battle

This is a piece woven from grand piano and rugged strings.

Composed by Nintendo’s Mao Katoaka, it’s the track that colored the final boss battle in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and is included on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Original Soundtrack.

With its dynamic development, the piece is highly effective at stoking the player’s fighting spirit.

It fully conveys, through music, the climactic showdown fought on horseback.

Perfect for when you want to fire yourself up!

Boss Battle 2Nishiki Yasutomo

Boss Battle 2

This is a battle theme notable for its powerful horn section and rich string sonorities.

Composed by Yasunori Nishiki, it was used for mid-boss battles in the RPG OCTOPATH TRAVELER.

It underscored key turning points in the stories of the eight protagonists, including Ophilia and Cyrus.

The brisk rhythm and an arrangement that strategically employs electric guitar and drums create a mix of tension and exhilaration.

In addition to appearing on the OCTOPATH TRAVELER Original Soundtrack, an alternate arrangement can be enjoyed on the album OCTOPATH TRAVELER Arrangements -Break & Boost-.

Prince Mash Battle!Sekigawa Yoshito, Komai Kazuki, Isobe Fumihiro

[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Remake] Prince Mush Battle [BGM/Gameplay Video]

A dynamic and dramatic track starring electric guitar and drums.

Created by Yoshito Sekigawa, Kazuki Komai, and Fumihiro Isobe, it was produced as background music for an additional secret boss battle in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door on Nintendo Switch.

Its progressive metal-style, fiery performance brilliantly sets the stage for an epic showdown.

A must-listen for gamers seeking a heated battle.

New Battle!!!Hiramatsu Kenji

Xenoblade 3: A New Tale — [new battle!!]

An orchestral piece where fiery fighting spirit blazes! Composed by Kenji Hiramatsu, this is the battle-scene BGM from Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed.

Its youthful sound arrangement shines as drums and guitar inject dynamism into the majestic resonance of strings and brass.

Carrying on the lineage of the series’ standard battle themes, its passionate sonic character ramps up the tension! Highly recommended when you want to boost your motivation!

Winged HopeKexin Wang

[Honkai: Star Rail] EP "Hope with Wings"

This piece is striking for its grand melody, as if spreading its wings and soaring into the open sky.

Composed by Wang Kexin, it was used in the climactic scene of the Penacony arc in Honkai: Star Rail.

The fusion of orchestral and rock soundscapes, layered with Chevy’s clear, translucent vocals, creates an overwhelming sense of immersion.

It’s an inspiring battle theme that enriches a weighty story where fate and order—and the wishes of the people—intertwine.

Title ThemeTim Follin

FC: Solstice – Opening

The title track from the Famicom game “Solstice,” developed by a British game company.

Despite being on the Famicom, it attempted 3D representation, and both the visuals and music made me marvel at the high level of technical skill from an overseas manufacturer.

This, too, was created using only the Famicom’s built-in sound source, a feat of craftsmanship that makes it hard to believe it was expressed with such limited audio resources.