10 Best Video Game Soundtracks From The 2000s

Summary

• Y2K video game soundtracks showcased higher quality and creativity, with iconic music across various genres.
• Notable games like Pokémon: Platinum, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, and Sonic Adventure 2 featured unique soundtracks that enhanced their gameplay experiences.
• The World Ends With You and Silent Hill 2 offered distinct soundtracks that reflected their modern Japanese and psychological horror settings, respectively.

With the turn of the millennia, we got the best video game generation that has held the test of time, perfecting 3D graphics. Many games ooze with creativity, vibrancy, and higher-quality soundtracks. Although past video game soundtracks had limited sound chips, it's through these limitations that producers flexed their creativity, creating iconic music.

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As technology advanced, we got software that could handle more data, giving us soundtracks with higher quality and clarity. The instruments and vocals sounded as they should. We will look at popular video game soundtracks that captured Y2K's vibe and sound, ranging from rock to electronic genres.

10 Pokémon: Platinum Version (Gen 4)

Composer(s)

Platform(s)

Launch Year

Junichi Masuda, Go Ichinose, Hitomi Satō

Nintendo DS

2008

Released in the latter part of the 2000s, Pokémon Platinum evolved its music from its third-gen counterparts. Although not as advanced as the home consoles of the time, the Nintendo DS proved capable of various genres, often simulating instruments well with the DS's unique sound chip.

Many of the tracks found in Platinum had layers of instruments and a higher BPM, which creates an EDM or Electronic genre feel for each piece of music. A few notable tracks are the Lake themes, Eterna Forrest, Dialga/Palkia Battle, and Cythia's Battle Theme.

9 Metroid Prime 2: Echoes

Composer(s)

Platform(s)

Launch Year

Kenji Yamamoto

GameCube, Wii,Wii U

2004

In the 2000s, a popular aesthetic many games turned to was the dark aesthetic, where colors began to be muted shades of color and serious narratives. The Metroid series always had a dark atmosphere regarding its story, environment, and soundtrack, but with Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, this tone was dialed up further.

Many tracks include melancholy themes accompanied by synth flutes and a choir. Prime 2' seethes dark and ominous tones that align with the Aether and the main antagonist, Dark Samus. A few notable tracks are Title Theme, Torvus Bog, Vs. Dark Samus, and Journey to Agon.

8 Sonic Adventure 2

Composer(s)

Platform(s)

Launch Year

Jun Senoue, Tomoya Ohtani, Fumie Kumatani, Kenichi Tokoi

Dreamcast, GameCube, PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

2001

Sonic Adventure 2 had various genres in its soundtrack, fitting for the multiple characters you played. From Sonic's Rock to Knuckle's Hip-Hop to Shadow's Dark Techno, Adventure 2 had a little something for everyone. Adventure 2's title theme, Live and Learn by Crush 40, is still iconic and used in various Sonic materials today.

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A first for the mainline series was including lyrics within the stages themselves, giving context to the characters' feelings in their current predicaments. Notable tracks include City Escape, A Ghost's Pumpkin Soup, Radical Highway, Bright Sound, and Space Trip Steps.

7 The Legend Of Zelda: Wind Waker

Composer(s)

Platform(s)

Launch Year

Koji Kondo, Kenta Nagata, Hajime Wakai, Toru Minegishi

GameCube, Wii U

2002

Beginning its life hated and ridiculed for its cartoon art style, The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker has since gone on to become one of the most beloved in the series. A big factor was its soundtrack, a step above Ocarina of Time due to its use of flutes and violins, which fit its sea swashbuckling theme.

Every piece of music in Wind Waker is cheery and full of life, reflecting its lighter tone compared to past Zelda games. A few tracks that stand out are Title Theme, Dragon Roost Island, and The Great Sea.​​​​​, which are some of the best songs made by Koji Kondo.

6 Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2

Composer(s)

Platform(s)

Launch Year

Kenji Yamamoto, Takanori Arima

PlayStation 2,Wii

2006

Throughout the 2000s, many Dragon Ball games were available on many platforms. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 was one of the best anime fighters during this era. This free-roaming arena fighter emphasized the anime's high-speed action backed by its amazing soundtrack.

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One of the best soundtracks in the series, Tenkaichi 2, had a variety of music genres that fit perfectly with every moment, which included Rock, Electronic, and Techno. Some iconic tracks include Gatebreaker, Lonesome Wind, Mind Space, and Dark Half.

5 The World Ends With You

Composer(s)

Platform(s)

Launch Year

Takeharu Ishimoto

Nintendo DS, Switch, iOS

2007

One of the more unique games for the Nintendo DS, The World Ends With You, was an action RPG that used two screens to control two characters simultaneously during combat. Rather than opting out for a fantasy setting, Square-Enix created a world that reflected a modern Japanese setting that focused on the fashion city of Shibuya.

The World Ends With You's soundtrack reflects its trendy city setting by incorporating hip-hop, punk, EDM, and techno beats that were impressive for the Nintendo DS and were among the best video game soundtracks ever. Great tracks include Twister, Long Dream, Calling, and Someday.

4 Silent Hill 2

Composer(s)

Platform(s)

Launch Year

Akira Yamaoka

PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox, Xbox 360, PC

2001

With a remake on the way, Silent Hill 2 has stood the test of time through its characters, themes, and soundtrack. It stood out from other survival-horror games and even from its first entry by displaying psychological horror through its characters. Its soundtrack reflects the ordinary lives of a mortal while a dark void looms in the background.

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Silent Hill 2's soundtrack combines alternative rock elements with a touch of dark ambient, creating a beautifully horrific sound. This legendary soundtrack includes the Theme Of Laura, Promise, Ashes and Ghost, Alone In The Town, and The Day of Night.

3 Kingdom Hearts 2

Composer(s)

Platform(s)

Launch Year

Yoko Shimomura

PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Switch

2005

From the start screen of Kingdom Hearts 2, a beautiful rendition of the first game's intro music reflects its series origins derived from the Final Fantasy series. Many of the tracks included reflect Disney's influence through its whimsical tracks.

Although heavily inspired by Disney soundtracks, Kingdom Hearts 2 gives itself identity through its battle music. An intense soundtrack that ups the tempo and adds a faster BPM. Many iconic songs include Fragments Of Sorrow, Vim and Vigor, and Sanctuary.

2 Tekken 4

Composer(s)

Platform(s)

Launch Year

Satoru Kōsaki, Yū Miyake, AJURIKA, Keiki Kobayashi, Hiroshi Okubo

Arcade, PlayStation 2

2001

From its beginning, Tekken 4 got a bad reputation for changing most elements that made the series famous. As the series headed towards darker and grounded themes, so did its soundtrack. While still containing techno, Tekken 4's many composers worked together to bring Frankenstein's creation of EDM, jazz, rock, and synthwave.

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Many tracks included distorted and robotic vocals that gave a sense of dread through technology, a common theme in the early 2000s. Some of the bangers Tekken included were Building, Beach, Laboratory, and A Fist For A Fist.

1 Jet Set Radio

Composer(s)

Platform(s)

Launch Year

Hideki Naganuma, Richard Jacques, Tomonori Sawada

Dreamcast, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation Vita, PC, iOS, Android

2000

Heavily inspired by 1980s hip-hop, Jet Set Radio wore its influences of playing as a rollerbladed graffiti group whose sole purpose is to paint the city, beat rival gangs, and listen to their headphones and radio all day.

Music is the main focal point in Jet Set Radio, and the reason why there are roller-bladed gangs in Tokyo is through a DJ named Professor K. Many of the hip-hop tracks include funky beats and vocal samples. In contrast, the rock tracks fit perfectly with its roller-bladed aesthetic. Popular tracks include Magical Girl, Let Mom Sleep, That's Enough, and Miller Ball Breakers.

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