Consider this one a twofer, as I honestly think both the Japanese and American soundtracks are equally as good! While I think the upbeat tracks in the Japanese OST fit the game's visuals more, the American soundtrack's renditions are so varied and interesting that they're just as valid too.

Fave Standout: Quartz Quadrant Present (JPN), Tidal Tempest Present (USA)

Listen. I do not get where the SoR3 soundtrack hate came from, but it's gotta end by now. Absolutely an amazing set of compositions, changing exactly what could be defined as game music in the same way SoR2 did basically a year or two before.

Fave Standout: Bulldozer

I can't tell if this is specifically an unsung soundtrack, but people definitely don't talk enough about how good the NiGHTS soundtrack is. Some really energetic tunes and also a sign of things to come for future SEGA soundtracks.

Fave Standout: Nights and Reala: Theme of a Tragic Revenge

This is one I surprisingly discovered much later than I had hoped. I never owned Wave Race when I was younger, so in the past couple of years I've only begun to learn how much of a bop its cheerful tone and tunes are.

Fave Standout: Dolphin Park

Both Sega Rally Championship games have great music, but Rally 2's stands out a tad bit more. It's got a bit more personality, makes itself a bit more dated but also stands itself out of the crowd more for it. Always a fun listen.

Fave Standout: MNF?

Another N64 classic that escaped me until recently, Bomberman Hero's soundtrack is just incredible. This is one that I've gone to multiple times, while barely even touching the game itself. Also probably wins the award for "soundtrack that breaks any expectations you had for it going in".

Fave Standout: redial

If you couldn't tell from this list, I like my 90s vocal tracks, which Sonic R has in spades. It's such a lovely relaxing listen that it alone has gotten me to replay an incredibly mediocre game at least 3 times.

Fave Standout: Number One

Magical Tetris Challenge is a wild fucking Tetris game for multiple reasons, but "imagine Tetris, with groovy music by Capcom's premiere arcade/early MvC composer" is my favorite. Masato Kouda never fails.

Fave Standout: Versus Donald

This isn't a ranked list, but also R4 is easily in my top 3 video game soundtracks of all time. There is no contest. There is no debate. Nearly every composer on the soundtrack is bring above their A game, to put out some of the greatest sounds to be outputted by a game console. Just incredible.

Fave Standout: Move Me

One of the first video games I can remember singing along the lyrics too. I get people really love "Live and Learn" a ton, but I've always enjoyed all the vocal character themes from this more. Both on a musical and emotional level.

Fave Standout: It Doesn't Matter

I enjoy the character select for Third Strike just as much as anyone else, but the rest of the soundtrack is just as great. The trilogy of SF3 games had a lot of great standouts as a whole, but I always found this iteration's jazzy but tense beats to edge out New Generation's and Second Impact's a bit more.

Fave Standout: China Vox

Really, any Tekken can mostly go in here - Tekken 7 almost took this spot - but TTT1's songs are such a far cry from the rest of the series that it loops back into being its own fun thing again. It also, once again, does some interesting twists of expectations of what a fighting game soundtrack should be that I just love. Bonus tip to listen to some of the remix albums Namco put out around this time too - the Tekken 3 remix album is an absolute highlight.

Fave Standout: Yoshimitsu

Chrono Cross will always be my first go-to for the quintessential JRPG soundtrack, speaking as someone with very little JRPG experience. There's nary a "bad" track on its huge soundtrack, but there's plenty of awe-inspiring tunes to be found.

Fave Standout: Chrono Cross -Scars of Time-

A game that I wish redefined its genre more than it ended up doing, Gitaroo Man's approach to the rhythm genre is so fucking rad. Parappa the Rapper's innovation should be valued, but this gets everything that game does right. It also has one of my favorite acoustic versions to a song ever, so incredibly sincere.

Fave Standout: The Legendary Theme (Acoustic)

Such a fun soundtrack, back to front. Katamari Damacy as a whole is a game that just cannot be emulated by any other, but its soundtrack helps only make it stand above the rest even more.

Fave Standout: The Wonderful Stars Walk is Wonderful

The original Outrun has a great setlist on its own, but it's always impressive when a sequel brings out amazing remixes and a great set of original tracks of its own too. The vocals on the originals are cheesy but that's absolutely the vibe you want going into this game.

Fave Standout: Night Bird

Melty Blood was the thing that really got me into fighting games, after being sorta into them from the MvC1/2 days. Each title has had a great soundtrack backing it too, but this one in particular gets me nostalgic about the older pre-GGPO days too.

Fave Standout: Beat from "Melty Blood"

I absolutely could have tossed a ton of Sonic soundtracks on here (and have), but this is absolutely the one thing I feel everyone should give a listen. Sonic Runners is such an underrated soundtrack. Incredibly precise in how distilled its upbeat energy is, but still insanely listenable for multiple repeat sessions. Absolutely one that deserves to be considered a classic.

Fave Standout: Spring Emotions

Such a soothing game all around, only uplifted by its melodies. Even with the game's short runtime, it's stuck with me completely for years.

Fave Standout: Somewhere in the Woods

SoR4 had pretty big footsteps to fill from the prior three games, but it delivered pretty damn well. All the guest tracks are super good, but the tracks spread out through the stages by Oliver Deriviere are just as great.

Fave Standout: Estel: Round 1