It’s winter and I know we are all tired of it. But! I thought it would be fun to listen to some of the songs that winter inspired for the gaming soundtracks! You know, that small portion of the game where there’s snow, you are on a mountain and wind blows or something? I asked my SO, that I call Berry, to tell me his favourites, because I know we didn’t remotely play the same games when we were younger as he’s older than me. And if we played the same games, it didn’t mark us the same way. It is fun to see, without even knowing each other’s pick that we don’t even have one similar or in the same game.

Hello hello, many thanks to Cookie to extend the invitation and asking for a contribution for my part for this little Top 5. It has been delayed (by my fault since I forgot, like, eight times, to send my explanations and descriptions of the songs I have chosen ‘^_^) but it is finally here, when the cold is still upon us, and I am so sore of all of this snow plowing… Without further ado, (In blue) here’s Berry’s list of 5 “Chilliest” songs in video games.

So without more introduction here is our on top of the head top chilliest songs!

 

Cookie

The Legend of Zelda : Twilight Princess – Snowpeak Ruins

This song feel mysterious, cold and slightly scary at times. This songs goes from warming to cold gloom. The rooms in this mansion, outside from the ones where the Yetis live, are cold and broken. Ice covers a lot of the abandoned rooms and the courtyard is so filled with snow that Link walk slower, making you easier to hit. Those elements mixed with this cold and shadowy song gives me chills.

 

Berry

Super Smash Bros Brawl – Ice climbers Theme

Chosen because it is a classic of video games more than really being a big part of my gaming experience. When I was a kid, I had this game for my NES and I was TERRIBLE at it. Usually getting to the “Bonus stage” and falling off the screen. My sister would sometimes play with me and it would be even worse, staying in the bottom 4 rows of the first stage. The music theme, however, is still a classic to hear and Nintendo’s new renditions in different Super Smash Brothers have made this theme quite enjoyable for me (even if I couldn’t play Popo and Nina for the life of me…). A solid fifth place for the iconic “Chill” theme from my childhood.

 

Cookie

Crash Bash – Snow Bash

Hearing this song makes me think a little of Christmas with its soft tingling throughout. You cannot help yourself from nodding or dancing a little to this song. If you can’t remember this song, you haven’t played enough crash bash. This is the level where there is a penguin in the middle sleeping, and if you wake him up but hitting him or throwing a crate on him he unleashes his fury and goes back to sleep. Don’t get into that penguins way!

 

Berry

Final Fantasy 9 – Ice Cavern theme

My first Final Fantasy, one of the only ones I’ve completed and the one that threw me off my chair when I first booted it with its glorious cinematic introduction and perfectly rendered graphics, Final Fantasy 9 has an awesome story and a solid cast of characters. Nobuo Uematsu’s usual musical touch is there, but it was really one of my first times noticing him at all. So, naturally, I had to honor the game by placing it on my list. For all the praise I could give the game, however, this song can’t fare really better than number 4. Another post theme could have “You’re not alone!” or “Gulug Volcano” as strong contenders for the first place, but the Ice Cavern is far from my favorite place in the game and, while it has a good theme, I won’t listen to it for longer than the time spent in there.

 

Cookie

Final Fantasy 10 – Servants of the Mountain/ People of the North

This song is played on Mt. Gagazet while on Yuna’s pilgrimage. On this mountain, Kimahri will face the Ronso brothers to regain a little honor. The music vibrates with emotion and it’s perfect for this part of the game. The Ronso have thick fur, so the cold doesn’t bother them on this mountain. Once you pass them, you will continue on the path until you reach the higher part of Mt. Gagazet, where ice is predominant and everything seems like it glitters. This song makes this part so much more magical.

 

Berry

Super Mario 64 – Snow Mountain

Mama Penguin and her cry-baby. Anyone else hearing it cry as you drag it along the slopes and down the mountain ? This game was my first on the N64, and the first few levels hosts so much good memories for me that this jolly theme brings warmth to my heart, even if it’s chilly. Only thing I’ll add there is “damn that snow slide with the penguin… it was so HARD !”.

 

Cookie

Final Fantasy 7 – Buried in the snow

While this song has a soothing chime, the rhythm that breaks this melodious minimalist song is perfect for a cold theme. You hear this song while you are chasing Sephiroth and passing through Icicle Inn, the only way to the crater where the mean Sephiroth is. For those who never got that far, Icicle Inn is a small town far up North that’s a sky center. Snow is every where and the town has a Christmas vibes. This town is so up North that it seems that it is frozen in time and that the trouble of the world doesn’t reach it. You go through Icicle Inn with a mission that just got even more important for you and with everything you went through this song works perfectly.

 

Berry

Paper Mario 64 – Over shiver mountain

The crystal king’s palace in Shiver Mountains. One of the latest parts in the original Paper Mario, in one of the last chapter. An eerie song that makes you feel uneasy while wandering through the crystal palace and solve the puzzles while fighting the snow ennemies. Just the right kind of chilly there, that leads to a great boss battle. I love that game for so many reasons : the paper appearance makes its graphics still look nice today, the story is fun and entertaining, the leveling system is good, the characters are loveable and the enemies are mostly funny. An overall excellent RPG hopping on the Mario train, as this theme song can testify.

 

Cookie

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Wind guide you

Skyrim is a chilly place. Most of the right side of the upper map is covered in snow, and at the bottom left you have forests of Northern trees. The weather always seem chilly and a little cold. So relaxing, this song brings back so much good memories. Follow me: You are walking towards your destination, a mountain is up ahead in your vision. Lift your head to the sky, the sun is slowly going into slumber for the stars to shine in this peaceful night. And you are there, in the middle of a snowy forest with nothing else than your goal, this song and the sun settling. Just perfect.

 

Berry

Legend of Mana – Memory of running

Now, when I was asked to think about five cold-related songs, this one popped into my brain and wouldn’t come out.That game must be my favorite RPG on the PS1 for the combat, the crafting we can do, the customization of all the techniques that we can use and all the weapons that we can find and one of the most interesting story in my opinion. All the quests that we can do for all the characters in this game, it’s so awesome. There is character development… I dunno, take Elazul, that starts by hating you with all his Jumi core and by the end, if you sided with him all along, he trusts you and is one of your best bros… take Pearl that starts by being in her dreams and unaware of her surrounding for the most part of the game until she finds the courage to fight in her… Niccolo, Larc, Daena, Professor Bomb… I could go on and on all day on this game, and this theme shows that. Not as iconic as “Domina”, but pretty close in terms of atmosphere on this game. Number one, without hesitation, for me.

See you all another time ! ^-^

 

I listened to his choices only when I started doing this post and I must say they are quite nice! How did you like our picks? What are your favorites?