Chiptunes & Old School Computer Music

Back in the days when PCs were not so common, and later on when you actually had a piece of separate hardware called a soundcard (or your PCs would be confined to pitiful beeps by the PC-speaker) music was different. The music of this era has a distinctive style and atmosphere, often a result of the hardware used.

Digital sampling was already used, but recording and storing entire tracks was impossible. When your entire hard-drive only had 40-100 MiBytes storage capacity music had to be created a different way: it was synthesized. Using small samples of sound and musical performance - often preloaded onto a ROM chip on your sound-card - music was created note-by-note. Before that, on the Commodore 64 and later Amiga even the notes themselves had to be created in-situ, using the hardware of a specialized chip.

Let's listen to some examples:

C64 chiptune - Ocean Loader


Tracker music - Crusader No Remorese, Regret


Tracker music - One Must Fall 2097


SNES - Super Castlevania, Main Theme


MIDI - System Shock, Intro (also comparision of how it sounded on various systems)


MIDI - Terra Nova


XG MIDI music, using an extended MIDI set


...and last a good softsynth alternative to Microsoft's GS MIDI:
Yamaha Softsynth S-YXG50

Now post some of your own! Relive your childhood.

EDIT: some "late" entries. MIDI/Tracker music was used even when true digital (sampled) music was already available:

MIDI - Unreal Tournament!


MIDI - Deus EX

Awesome thread. Nice, easy to understand explanation, great examples. I think this music has something that the mainstream music of today cannot offer. The atmosphere, perhaps. I like the whole Deus Ex soundtrack, the main theme is amazing.

Some of my favourites:
Ninja Warrior


The Legend of Kage


Jurrasic Park


Pokemon Red/Blue


Also thanks for the Yamaha Synthsoft, will definitely try it.

Pokemon Gold/Silver; The Final Battle:Lance Theme



Scott Pilgrim Soundtrack "Threshold 8-bit"



Robopon Title Screen

Let's add another classic, Turricane!

8 bit dubstep hows that even possible

Excision & Datsik - 8-Bit Hero

Swiv theme, for the win

When you say Turrican, I say Supper Turrican!
This is my favourite piece from the series:

...and another classic, this game even had a Jukebox mode:

Tyrian - Main (Tyrian) Theme


Tyrian - Camais


Tyrian - Asteroid Dance

donkey kong country 2 - stickerbush symphony

Another post, another great classic:

TFX - Intro (MIDI)


Barbarian (SID)


Betrayal at Krondor - Intro(MIDI)
This game already had a CD soundtrack, however most people bought the floppy version.

...and another one:

Extra Credits made a video about video game music:
http://penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/video-game-music

They are one of the few reviewers/talking heads out there, who really 'GET', game design and make compelling, coherent arguments about what good game design is. Music is part of that.

Given the time of the year, here's some old-school tracker music to put you in a festive mood:



PS: GOG now has this game and its sequel on sale for $2.9 each.

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...and here's a classic that should've been posted long ago: