[2026] Many classic tracks! A compilation of nostalgic Japanese video game music
From the era when chiptunes echoed to the time game music earned the artistry to be performed by full orchestras.
When we think back to those days playing on the Famicom, Super Famicom, and PlayStation, the excitement of the time comes flooding back with the melodies, doesn’t it? The countless adventures we dove into, controller in hand, were brought to life by unforgettable game BGM.
In this article, we’ve carefully selected nostalgic game music born from the Showa era through the mid-2000s.
From works lauded overseas as art to tracks with a devoted cult following, immerse yourself in the full allure of game soundtracks!
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[2026] Many Iconic Tracks Appear! A Compilation of Nostalgic Japanese Video Game Music (21–30)
Evergreen WindUematsu Nobuo
Characterized by the light, buoyant rhythms and warm melodies typical of Celtic music, this piece is beloved as BGM that plays on in-game shop screens and the like.
The refreshing sound woven by folk instruments such as tin whistle, fiddle, and accordion wonderfully captures the bustle and lived-in feel of a port town in a skybound world.
Included on the album “GRANBLUE FANTASY ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK” and later performed live, it has become one of Granblue’s signature popular tracks.
It’s perfect music for taking a breather in the midst of an adventure.
Dragon Quest V: Overture Marchsugiyama kouichi
This is the famous Dragon Quest “Overture.” The arrangement differs with each entry in the series, and in the fifth installment, the overture has a particularly strong orchestral feel, resulting in a richly weighty sound.
Its expansive, world-opening tone makes it perfect for signaling the start of the game, and when the opening begins, it heightens your excitement to dive in even more.
It’s truly one of those pieces that deserves to be called the quintessential opening!
[2026] Many classic tracks appear! A roundup of nostalgic Japanese video game music (31–40)
Chrono TriggerMitsuda Yasunori
The main theme of Chrono Trigger.
You can hear it in the opening, and from the very beginning it delivers an outstanding sense of speed and impact—it’s incredibly cool.
The song contains a dramatic arc, with developments that never get boring and evoke the life of the protagonist Crono, the fate awaiting him, the adventures, and the story to come.
It’s a true main theme, famous for its high level of completion.
Gran TurismoAndo Masahiro
Consumer game consoles advanced into 3D with Sony’s PlayStation and Sega’s Saturn, becoming explosively popular as next-generation systems.
One of the highlights of 3D was racing games, and the BGM for Gran Turismo was handled by Masahiro Andoh of T-SQUARE.
Fivefold Demon Towersugiyama kouichi
This is a piece you can hear in Dragon Quest X.
It’s the BGM that plays in the game’s Japanese-style region, the Eltona Continent, at majestic towers and ancient shrines.
The charm of this track lies in how it expresses the ethereal aesthetic of gagaku using only Western orchestral instruments—for example, rendering the koto with a harp and the hichiriki with an oboe.
It beautifully fuses the tension of exploring the tower interiors with a mysterious atmosphere.
It’s a rare, Japanese-flavored work in the Dragon Quest series—be sure to give it a listen.
The Lost Worldsugiyama kouichi
A beautiful piece that plays while you explore the past in Dragon Quest VII.
Its somewhat wistful woodwind melody seems to tell the story of landscapes from a lost era and the breath of the people who truly lived there.
It was also used in the world called “False Lendersia” in the online game Dragon Quest X, and became a topic of conversation for how perfectly it matched that setting.
It’s one of those masterpieces you’ll want to listen to when you quietly feel like reflecting.
Robo’s ThemeMitsuda Yasunori
The theme song of Robo, a character from Chrono Trigger.
It’s a refreshing and bright piece that conveys the polite, humble, and earnest nature of Robo—a robot you meet in a ruined future—along with his mechanical movements and the spirited vibe of a wholesome young man.
It features a rhythmic, upbeat feel and a catchy, memorable melody.