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2023 hasn’t just been a banger year for quality video game releases — it’s also been a bloomin’ good year for video game music.
At Nintendo Life, we usually give video game soundtracks a little shout-out in our overall lists, but this year, we want to do things a bit differently, because frankly, there’s just too much good music out there to squeeze it into one section of another list, right?
We’ve chosen 16 — or 14, with two special selections — of the finest musical medleys on Nintendo Switch. From RPGs to classic 2D platformers, and heavy rock to sweeping orchestras, there’s something for everyone. And even if you don’t love the game, you might just love the music. We’ve largely stayed away from ports for this list, with one exception, but we’ll give some others a special mention at the end.
Have a look at our picks below, and then make sure you choose your favourite soundtrack of 2023 in our poll at the end.
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo
Super Mario Bros. Wonder is 2D Mario back on top form — and that includes its wonderfully eclectic soundtrack. From the very first trailer and the acoustic guitar cheerfully strumming away, we knew the music would capture the charm and weirdness of Wonder perfectly. Each “World” has its own theme or selection of instruments that feels quite different from previous 2D Mario music while also evoking that nostalgic “fun” that we all felt growing up and playing Mario.
Recommended tracks: ‘Athletic Theme‘, ‘Piranha Plants on Parade’, ‘Petal Isles’, ‘Shining Falls’
Publisher: Team Reptile / Developer: Team Reptile
It’s only right that Bomb Rush Cyberfunk, which was heavily inspired by Jet Set Radio, is on this list. A handful of independent musicians joined with Jet Set composer Hideki Naganuma to curate a fresh and funky sound for this skating adventure game that oozes style and charisma. Notable names include 2 Mello, GRRL, Knxwledge, and KiloWatts, creating a soundtrack that is going to be on our summer playlist for years to come.
Recommended tracks: ‘I Wanna Kno‘, ‘Condensed Milk’, ‘Feel The Funk (Computer Love)’, ‘GET ENUF’
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Publisher: Sabotage / Developer: Sabotage
If you’ve played The Messenger, then you shouldn’t be surprised to see Sea of Stars sail onto this list. Eric Brown has established himself as a retro-style master, but while Sea of Stars’ music certainly evokes the classics with its epic boss music, catching overworld themes, and chirpy town themes. Music embodies so much of Sea of Stars — to the point that there’s an entire CD’s worth of cover songs by the in-game pirate musicians. Even without Yasunori Mitsuda’s wonderful contributions, Sea of Stars would sit comfortably as one of the best soundtracks of 2023.
Recommended tracks: ‘Trials in the Mist‘, ‘Encounter Elite!’, ‘Serenade of Respite (Night)’, ‘Volcanic Pursit’
Publisher: Humble Bundle / Developer: Summerfall Studios
What a novel concept for a role-playing visual novel — a musical! — and it works tremendously. We shouldn’t be shocked because Austin Wintory (composer of Journey) stands at the conductor’s podium, and Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical is proof that the musical style can absolutely work as a video game. While the highlights of this Greek God-starring, Buffy: The Vampire Slayer-inspired musical are indeed the vocal tracks, there are plenty of beautiful, calming, and heartfelt instrumental songs to help tie the whole thing together in a cohesive way.
Recommended tracks: ‘Adrift‘, ‘Pan’s Garden‘, ‘Look into Me‘, ‘I Can Teach You‘
Publisher: Team17 / Developer: The Game Kitchen
Carlos Viola has once again taken our breath away with gorgeous flamenco-style guitars and sombre strings with Blasphemous 2‘s stunning soundtrack. And while Carlos builds on the style that made Blasphemous‘ soundtrack a hit, there’s a lot more variety this time around — more piano, more organ, more electric guitar, etc. The Game Kitchen’s in-house composer deserves more recognition for his stunning work on these two games (and The Last Door).
Recommended tracks: ‘Sobre Sus Costales‘, ‘Corona de Siete Azahares’, ‘Clavada’, ‘Lamentos de Arena’
Publisher: Raw Fury / Developer: Bytten Studio
Cassette Beasts is another game on this “best of” list where the game is firmly rooted in music — you transform into creatures by using a cassette, after all! Joel Baylis decided to embrace this in the game’s music, particularly the battle themes. Each battle song comes in two variations — one instrumental version, which plays in regular fights, and a vocal version, which kicks in when you and your companion’s Cassette Beasts fuse together. Some of the game’s most poignant moments go hand-in-hand with these lyrical moments, creating a British pop-punk soundtrack that will resonate with a whole generation of adults.
Recommended tracks: ‘Wherever We Are Now‘, ‘New Wirral (Night)‘, ‘Same Old Story‘, ‘Like Chimeras‘
Publisher: Square Enix / Developer: Square Enix
In this humble author’s opinion, Octopath Traveler II might just have the best soundtrack of the year. Yasunori Nishiki already blew us away in 2018 with his score for the first game, but somehow, he exceeded himself in Octopath Traveler II. The OST boasts a staggering 131 songs over six discs. While there are day and night themes for each area, and different variations of boss themes interwoven with character motifs, that help bolster that number, what’s truly amazing is the amount of variation on offer here. From jazz to rock opera to beautiful piano pieces, Octopath Traveler II’s music simply does not miss.
Recommended tracks: ‘Critical Clash II’, ‘Partitio, the Merchant‘, ‘Ku, Land of the Scarlet Sunset‘, ‘Octopath Traveler II (Main Theme)‘
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo
Yes, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom uses a lot of Breath of the Wild‘s music — which has proved controversial to some Zelda fans over the years. At the same time, Tears of the Kingdom listened to some of those criticisms and exploring Hyrule a second time around, you’ll notice there’s a lot more music to delight your ears. Zelda has always been a master at musical callbacks, and particular dungeon and boss themes play to that strength immensely. There’s also the beautifully weightless piano as you dive to the surface, the catchy theme of your base town, and all of those eerie sounds as you explore the Depths. Put it on a disc, Nintendo — now!
Recommended tracks: ‘Sky Islands’, ‘Colgera Battle’, ‘Water Temple’, ‘Flux Construct’