Music of SEGA: 8-Bit Boops
Rock out With Your Pixels Out
Welcome to SEGA Extra, the blast processing powered Substack that covers the parts of SEGA’s story that literally didn’t appear in the history book.
Throughout their history, SEGA has produced some of the best video game soundtracks to grace the gaming publics’ ears. So impressive are they, they have been performed by live orchestras, and musicians have created endless covers and remixes of many SEGA tracks.
In this series of articles, I thought it’d be fun to take a look at some of SEGA’s best music from each gaming generation. I hope you enjoy the selection below, and please share your own favourites in the comments!
For this inaugural edition of Music of SEGA, we’ll be looking at SEGA’s entries into the third generation of video games, the Mark III, Master System, Master System II and Game Gear.1
Alex Kidd in Miracle World
Due to it being built into consoles for several years, Alex Kidd in Miracle World became synonymous with the Master System. Often seen as SEGA’s first attempt at competing with Mario (although the truth is a little more complicated), Alex was SEGA’s mascot until a certain blue hedgehog appeared on the scene. Full of bright colours and cute characters (as cute as a bloke with a fist for a head can be), Alex Kidd in Miracle World is a fun, if challenging, adventure. This sense of fun and whimsy is apparent right from the game’s title screen, thanks to composer Tokuhiko Uwabo’s wonderful theme track.
Asterix
Based upon the hugely successful French comic of the same name, Asterix sees you controlling the titular Gaul and his best friend Obelix as they travel across Europe to Rome in order to rescue the druid Getafix. The game translates the witty humour and wonderful illustrations of the source material perfectly, resulting in one of the best platformers not only on the Master System, but throughout the third generation. The music, composed by Takayuki Nakamura, wonderfully compliments the game’s visuals with fun, cheerful tunes. While there is a lot of good in the score, here I’ve chosen to showcase the Swamp track.
Fantasy Zone
Starring the cutest space ship ever, the adorable Opa-Opa, Fantasy Zone is a gorgeous shump that is one of SEGA’s most fondly remembered early releases. Players are tasked with flying through brightly-colored worlds while dispatching rather cute enemies in order to help Opa-Opa save the titular Fantasy Zone from invasion. Originally released for arcades, the game was ported to a huge number of systems, including, of course, SEGA’s 8-bit platforms. Some wonderfully charming music was composed by Hiroshi Kawaguchi to go along with the pew-pew action, and one can’t help but tap their foot while listening. Just check out this track from the game’s second level, Keep on the Best.
Master of Darkness
Set in the gloomy streets of London, SEGA’s answer to Castelvania is a dark and moody game and its music reflects this wonderfully. Dripping with as much atmosphere as the game’s graphics, Yoko Wada and Takashi Horiguchi created some truly haunting melodies to go along with the gothic sensibilities of the game. Reminiscent of Dance Macabre, the track that plays over the game’s story screens sets the perfect mood for the gothic adventure you’re about to embark upon.
Sonic The Hedgehog
Expect to see Sonic a lot in this series of articles. No matter what you might think of the various games in the Sonic series, the one aspect of each entry that is almost universally praised is its music. Given that Sonic’s 8-bit titles were very much their own beasts rather than simple ports of their 16-bit progenitors, it feels right to include this version of Sonic 1 here. Indeed, almost every track from every Sonic game could legitimately appear on a list such as this, but for this occasion I’ve decided to go with Yuzo Koshiro’s Bridge Zone. Listening to the track’s joyful boppiness you just can’t help but smile.
Bonus: Ghostbusters
As mentioned in my previous article about the game, one of the coolest aspects of David Crain’s Ghostbusters is the follow-the-bouncing-dot singalong to the classic Ray Parker Jr. theme song that graces the game’s main screen. This 8-bit rendition of the track plays throughout the game, and it’s an absolutely charming rendition. But then, what else would you expect from arguably one of the greatest songs ever written?
I hope you enjoyed this first entry in Music of SEGA. Please join me again in a few weeks for part two!
If you enjoyed this article, you might want to check out The History of SEGA, my book from Pen & Sword chronicling the history of one of gaming’s most influential companies. Now available for pre-order, you can all the info by hitting the button below.
I realise that technically the Game Gear was released during the fourth generation. However, as it’s 8-bit I’ve included it here with SEGA’s other 8-bit consoles for simplicity.
Great track selection, especially the Bridge Zone theme. I still get chills thinking about how it was performed by a full orchestra during Sonic's 30th Anniversary celebration. Growing up with the Master System, these tracks are a huge part of my childhood. Thanks for reviving those wonderful memories!