Game music that resembles other music

[BetaWolf47]

Does anyone know any video game music that highly resembles other music, gaming or not? I know Mega Man music sounds like a lot of oldies music, such as the level select for Mega Man 1 sounding like bits of a Journey song.

There's also Bionic Commando (NES) and The Last Ninja 3 (C64)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqZE4ERq4EY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-pgh5yYti4
It's probably just coincidence, but 0:10 of the Bionic Commando music sounds really close to 0:11 of The Last Ninja 3 music.

[Casati]

As they say, Hydlide music sounds like Indiana Jones driving an ice cream truck.

Starship Hector has same music as RoboWarrior.

[lookfun78]

Tetris gameboy theme song is a remake of "Korobeiniki," a 19th century Russian folk song about the burgeoning love between a peddler and a peasant girl.

[Jorpho]

Is this inspired by my recent post in this other thread..?
http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=73045

There's the infamous comparison of Sonic 3's music and Michael Jackson's work, of course. And Hylide's brazen theft of Indiana Jones.

[Dangerboy]

Mass Effect 1 has a 2 tracks that have the same opening notes / chords / sounds (or 99.8% close to it) as two Depeche Mode songs. I mean like, you could mistake one for the other.

[VACRMH]

I have 2, both from Kraftwerk. I can't seem to remember the exact songs that they remind me of though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHNUQOhEkAo 30 seconds in reminds me of a track from Final Fantasy VII

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgwHRK4n-rY Reminds me of...I want to say Star Ocean? Maybe 2?

[kafa111]

california games sounds like louie louie
well california games theme IS louie louie

[Kitsune Sniper]

Tetris gameboy theme song is a remake of "Korobeiniki," a 19th century Russian folk song about the burgeoning love between a peddler and a peasant girl.

Er, I thought Tetris used Russian folk music to begin with. It doesn't sound like it, it's supposed to be it.

[j1e]

The famous Chrono Trigger (Robo?) music that sounds like Rick Astley, the Rick Rolled song.

[DDCecil]

I think I've mentioned this before, but Dragon Warrior II overworld theme with all 3 party members alive and Little Nemo: The Dream Master Stage 1 both sound almost alike.

The second part of Flashman's theme (MM2) sounds like the theme song from the old Nickelodeon show Wild and Crazy Kids.

SMB3 Hammer Bros. theme = old "Everybody's Skippy Dippin'" commercial.

[kupomogli]

Castlevania 2 Belmont's Revenge "Road of Enemy" and Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne "Boss Appearance" sound like they have the exact same composition except SMT Nocturne's is slightly slower.

One of the Colossus themes on Shadow of the Colossus sounds like Star Wars.

[nemerodius]

The water levels on Super Mario Bros..sounds like a track off angel dust by faith no more. The track name escapes me though.

[Ro-J]

The opening piano piece of Muse's song Resistance has always reminded me of Mike Tyson's Punch Out. I almost opened a thread about this when the song was released but decided against it since It's probably just me. Right?

[Vlcice]

How about video game songs that sound like other video game songs? This Breath of Fire track:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8U5nxhxYf0

Sure sounds like this Chrono Trigger song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPjRTvMAptg

[Baloo]

The famous Chrono Trigger (Robo?) music that sounds like Rick Astley, the Rick Rolled song.

Wow, I've never heard that one before, that's pretty freakin' similar, haha!

[Jorpho]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHNUQOhEkAo 30 seconds in reminds me of a track from Final Fantasy VIIMy my, Anxious Heart, indeed. Mindblowing.

[MASTERWEEDO]

The opeing theme for Road Rash 3 is very similar to a Sublime song, the name of it escapes me at the moment.

[aryoshi]

I can't quite remember which Maverick's stage it was, but in Mega Man X3, there's part of a song that's almost exactly like Guns N' Roses' "My Michelle". I remember reading up on it and it was actually supposed to be intended, the composer was a major Gn'R fan. Awesome!

[ccovell]

Lionel Ritchie (ex-Commodores) with Running With the Night: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCKobejAUns

Jeroen Tel (on Commodore) with Cybernoid 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UoEqEbxra4


(needless to say, the C-64 was home to more pop-inspired songs than any other system.)

[TonyTheTiger]

Wild Arms has tunes that sound incredibly similar to Ennio Morricone. It's obviously not a coincidence.

The original beach invasion theme in Final Fantasy VIII that can be heard in the demo sounds nearly identical to the theme from The Rock. The similarity was enough for Square to change it in the final release.

Yun and Yang's stage in Street Fighter III: Third Strike sounds like James Bond.

[staxx]

Mark of the Wolves Rock Howard stage sounds like Robert Miles Children

[Edmond Dantes]

This page (http://www.mmhp.net/Appear/REM.html) lists a similarity between a Mega Man 1 level and an R.E.M. song

I heard a very similar tune... as the game over/"enter your initials" screen music in the Arcade and PS1 versions of Raiden. At least it starts out with a similar beat before becoming something completely different.

[mrpopsicleman]

The music in the first level of the Jelly Boy 2 prototype for the Super Famicom sounds a lot like Weird Al's "Dare to be Stupid".

Also, there are tons of songs that Kenji Yamamoto ripped off in both the Dragon Ball Z series and the video games. http://www.daizex.com/general/feature/yamamoto.shtml

And it may just be me, but I always thought parts of F-Zero's Mute City sounded similar to Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake's opening theme.

[PresidentLeever]

UN Squadrons Briefing tune sounds a lot like Chocolate Rain:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUojXOeg2F0&feature=related

Waterworld - Diving is similar to Signs of Life by Pink Floyd.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0H5YoFv09uQ

Arrow Flash - Opening:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31HhJGD8xCM&feature=related
Sounds like Hanging On by Kim Wilde:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNyRU0fKHAY

Edit:
Battle Squadron - Title Theme
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRfCWIK-nzM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBe8saier9A&feature=related

Kraftwerk - Das Model (0:34)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdZDhpkDziE

[Ackman]

IIRC Rock's music theme from Mark of the wolves sounds a hell of lot like Robert Miles Children, I think he should sue their pants off it's never too late.

[Kitsune Sniper]

The Back To The Future (NES) theme song sounds like Power Of Love by Huey Lewis and The News.

No, really!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdmZYJ_FeAQ

[buzz_n64]

The Back To The Future (NES) theme song sounds like Power Of Love by Huey Lewis and The News.

No, really!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdmZYJ_FeAQ

That's just nonsense, but if it really is. It's from the same damn movie the game is based off of, so I don't see what the big deal about it is.

Anyways that reminds me of this video :D
Super Mario Bros. (Coldplay Rips Off Mario)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PClMSoqr7Zo

[Damaramu]

Someone did a great compilation of songs that most likely (or definitely) influenced Yuzo Koshiro when he was composing the soundtracks for the Bare Knuckle series.

Most of you probably know this already:

Listen here! (http://youtu.be/OpntMeUjTmc?hd=1)

[Kitsune Sniper]

That's just nonsense, but if it really is. It's from the same damn movie the game is based off of, so I don't see what the big deal about it is.
... Because the version in the game sounds nothing like the original tune because it's been sped up until it was almost unrecognizable. That's why.


Someone did a great compilation of songs that most likely (or definitely) influenced Yuzo Koshiro when he was composing the soundtracks for the Bare Knuckle series.

Most of you probably know this already:

Listen here! (http://youtu.be/OpntMeUjTmc?hd=1)... Influenced? I always thought he just used the same pre-made samples and beats those artists used. :P

[klausien]

The map/item screen music from Light Crusader on Genesis is the exact same arpeggio as the short music interlude at the beginning of Silent Sorrow In Empty Boats from the Genesis album The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway. It's in a different key, and the other parts of the song are different, but being a huge fan of the album, it jumped right out at me the first time I heard it. I'm not sure this is intentional, but the Roger Dean lettering and fact that there is a sword is named the Relayer does not discount other possible intentional prog rock references. It is also conspicuously absent from the OST.

Light Crusader
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpvqoAUTvqE
Best version I could find . Sorry it's so short.

Silent Sorrow In Empty Boats
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARTBss53pQk#t=0m17s

Also, though ever so slightly OT, the PC Engine and NES versions of Batman, though totally different games, share some music. Both are Sunsoft of course, so it isn't a big surprise. It's still cool.

NES:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlGDKfgz4fA

PC Engine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v2uEKh60As#t=2m59s

[Sparkster]

The water levels on Super Mario Bros..sounds like a track off angel dust by faith no more. The track name escapes me though.

I always thought that the opening to Silver Surfer (NES) sounded a lot like the bridge to Midlife Crisis.

Other than that, I hear snippets of Christmas tunes in both Dragon Warrior IV and Final Fantasy IV.

[djshok]

I always thought the music in Genesis' Sub Terrania sounds like the industrial band Skinny Puppy.

Sub Terrania level 2 music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbmXkyiHqvY

Skinny Puppy - Assimilate
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vARK3Ayo2Hg

[SpaceHarrier]

I noticed a similarity between the password screen from Mega Man X and a Bob Dylan song when I was a teenager..

Mega Man X - Password
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od4r0OirYfU

Bob Dylan - I Want You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iBLMZjltu4

and now I am old.

[Johnny_Boy]

The first NES TMNT game's title screen music sounds awfully close to Queen's Stone Cold Crazy. Almost the same basic riff.

[burn_654]

Let's see the ones I can remember...

Deep Purple's 'April' has several sections that sound like the Zelda intro and overworld. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-EJ9dQ5BmA I'm pretty sure Koji Kondo noted he enjoyed their music.

Megaman 1 Elecman sounds like R.E.M....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WMShXIcvsE

The beginning of the main 'town' riff of Custom Robo Arena sounds like Power Rangers to me (when they would return to a scene and have a music tag): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k38OXUMrcnY#t=0m45s (I linked the actual Custom Robo song as fewer people know it.)

One-Winged Angel from FF7 still reminds me of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring...but more in influence. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyLHlFa2nFI


Nice find on the Dylan -> Megaman X!

[Ryudo]

Hello new here. Always noticed the similarity between Ninja Gaiden
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUg6gmC-MmQ


Romeo & Juliet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTdjHvmGcz8

[PresidentLeever]

MGS main theme is pretty much a ripoff of Sviridov - The Snowstorm:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JL4JXEv-RY

[Battlehork]

A number of the tracks in Doom sound like various metal songs: http://kotaku.com/123365/doom-music-actually-metal-songs

[j_factor]

The water levels on Super Mario Bros..sounds like a track off angel dust by faith no more. The track name escapes me though.

That would be "RV". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilIDkkD0jIg

[Kirbysuperstar]

I've got two.

Parappa the Rapper - Instructor Mooselini's Car Lesson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoqllL8Vl6o

Sounds like

Can - Turtles Have Short Legs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxGaC4wzt50

No More Heroes: Desperate Struggle - Skelter Helter (SLING SHOT on the OST)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hrsQU8fuBs

Sounds like

Smashing Pumpkins - Cherub Rock
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-KE9lvU810&ob=av2e

[Ryudo]

This shows how many games in the 80's-90's took many songs and used them in games. Sonic ripped everything off @_@
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrbBydaKG1k

[SpaceHarrier]

Recently I was watching a movie on tv called Mr. North (1988). A recurring symphonic theme played throughout the movie, and sounded eerily similar to the Chocobo theme (FF 2 on up). Unfortunately I can't seem to find a youtube clip of the movie with the theme in it..

The other day I was watching a video Satoshi Matrix made, highlighting inconsistencies in sound quality on some Nintendo clone and he highlighted a track from the NES game Power Blade.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUqJQl1epIs

I'm a fan of flamenco nuevo, so it sounded immediately familiar to me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4knRZOi79E

[drthielegood]

The tune from the 2600 game Vanguard sounds quite a bit like the Hawkmen attack theme from the Flash Gordon movie. I wonder why they didn't just use that tune in the ACTUAL Flash Gordon 2600 game.

[kedawa]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned The King of Fighters '94 brazil stage BGM.
It starts out exactly like Surprise, You're Dead by Faith no More.

[GarrettCRW]

Kenji Yamamoto's "habit" of ripping off Western music in Dragon Ball extended into a number of modern Dragon Ball games, including the Budokai series for the previous generation of consoles.

[SonicBoom]

ClanOfTheGrayWolf Made a video showing alot of those in the 16 Bit Era.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrbBydaKG1k&feature=channel_video_title
Hope this helps.

[SonicBoom]

This shows how many games in the 80's-90's took many songs and used them in games. Sonic ripped everything off @_@
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrbBydaKG1k

I Didn't even notice someone else had posted it.

[Atari 5200]

http://saltnpepaoilocean.ytmnd.com/

Just listen...

[NayusDante]

Only songs I can think of offhand are from Mega Man. It's definitely a recurring theme in the series.

Mega Man 2's Quick Man Stage:
http://youtu.be/U-uZF2rE7dQ

Sounds like Stevie B's "Spring Love":
http://youtu.be/U-uZF2rE7dQ


Mega Man 10's Wily Stage 5 (melody at 0:27):
http://youtu.be/TfsZOT8KG44

Sounds like Madonna's "La Isla Bonita":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMVougGT7xI

[NayusDante]

This one's not quite as big...

Super Metroid's Upper Brinstar Theme (synth at 1:05):
http://youtu.be/IbcZmaus6g0

Sounds like Barrett Strong's "Money (That's What I Want)" (backing chorus):
http://youtu.be/0uqCocIh3_o

[markusman64ds]

This page on tvtropes has a bunch.

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheJimmyHartVersion

[NayusDante]

Mega Man 4's Last Boss Theme:
http://youtu.be/k_cPhSHjtZM

Sounds like
Chicago's "25 or 6 to 4":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLiuMkGCOC4

[Astrosmash]

A small part of the Fever track in Dr. Mario has a main melody that's almost a dead-ringer for the Winter Long section of "Autumn" by Strawbs.

The part from 0:28-0:41
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CB1fFeb1n8

And the part starting at 5:28 through the song's end
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxwM25CnhY4

[Yago]

There is not a single song from within Modern Warfare 3 that does not remind me of a movie. Everything from Transformers, Battle Los Angeles and the Bourne movies. No joke, it all sounds the same.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccjliss934A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mbGwpRo0Dw&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?src_vid=dFXx5_jGIlI&feature=iv&annotation_id=annotation_55864&v=x9H4rcTD38I

[The Shawn]

Doom 3 intro screen song sounds just like Tool-Lateralas

[Ryudo]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2_tmKUoAiM

Sound familliar? Click to see
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7o32Mau8QE

[Miss Boris Yeltsin]

Awesome thread.

One that's haunted me for a decade now is the excellent song from the first stage of Super Double Dragon:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uz4u5op0_TQ

Whose opening riff sounds, at least to my ears, remarkably similar to the closing guitar/piano riff in Frank Zappa's "Andy":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xTynHGqxcQ#t=309s

I bought this up to a few videogame music fans and Zappa fans, and suffice be it to say that they did not quite share my level of enthusiasm. :)

[CapnCrunch53]

Found a cool one today. My retro 386DX machine that I built has gotten me interested in old PC audio hardware, so I was listening to audio comparisons on various games and stumbled across the opening theme for Space Quest 4. There's a part of the song that seems to be almost directly lifted from the old Battlestar Galactica theme. I'll like to the parts of the songs I'm talking about:

Space Quest 4 - Opening Theme (Roland MT-32) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XDyMejNQsM#t=2m06s) (2:06 to 2:15)
Battlestar Galactica - Main Theme (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHp9oZPqs8E#t=0m49s) (0:49 to 0:59)

EDIT: It's worth noting that in the Roland MT-32 version, the last note of the part I'm talking about is lower than the Battlestar theme, but in the Adlib version it sounds like the same note as the BSG theme. Here's the Adlib version for comparison.
Space Quest 4 - Opening Theme (Adlib) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XDyMejNQsM#t=0m44s) (0:44 to 0:53)

[SpaceHarrier]

Only songs I can think of offhand are from Mega Man. It's definitely a recurring theme in the series.

Mega Man 2's Quick Man Stage:
http://youtu.be/U-uZF2rE7dQ

Sounds like Stevie B's "Spring Love":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-oUb4F2wfk



HOLY CRAP that's amazing!

[Gunstar Hero]

Bio Metal (SNES) music really sounds like some 90's movie... Space Jam perhaps?

[Gunstar Hero]

Sounds like
Chicago's "25 or 6 to 4":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLiuMkGCOC4

Wow sorry to be off topic but does anyone else notice that Green Day must have totally ripped off the beginning of this song?

See what I mean? @_@
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elnRbeNsNRk

[Lady Jaye]

The theme to Moon Patrol sounds like the riff in the song Since When by 54-40 (I've known that for years but forgot which song it was, and in my mind it was by the Tragically Hip...).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBOKWCpwGfM


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKiyR5KaXOw

[BricatSegaFan]

I can't quite remember which Maverick's stage it was, but in Mega Man X3, there's part of a song that's almost exactly like Guns N' Roses' "My Michelle". I remember reading up on it and it was actually supposed to be intended, the composer was a major Gn'R fan. Awesome!

Neon tiger

[CelticJobber]

Parts of the Dolphin Park music from Wave Race 64 sounds a hell of alot like the Mary Tyler Moore Show's theme:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3qbEGVIthI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiW3pyMdp3w

[hellraiser]

I'm surprised no ones mentioned this

Contra hard corps character select music resembles" I like big butts" by sir mix a lot.

Check if you don't believe me! Lol

[RulerStabInTheEye27]

/////

[rbudrick]

HOLY CRAP that's amazing!

Holy crap indeed! That's insane! What year that come out?

I remember hearing there were quite a few parts of Earthbound, or maybe it was Mother 3 that didn't allow it to be ported over here due to Beatles references and some other stuff, but I'm too lazy to find the link.

Level 2-1, 2-2, and 2-3 of Kid Icarus for the NES has a clip of some (I think) US Revolutionary War tune I've never been able to quite put my finger on. Fast forward to 2:07 here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSr_kJqcar4

Can anyone tell me what that is? I've noticed it since I was 8 years old.

-Rob

[101011]

Just For Laughs theme - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_aXOZso8Lk

Pac-man intermission - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH-MlcbJ__E

[norkusa]

I always thought Smile.dk's 'Butterfly' from Dance Dance Revolution sounded a lot like the chorus from Die Antwoord's 'Enter The Ninja:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV2fMmIl4wE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cegdR0GiJl4&ob=av3e


Found out later that Die Antwoord admitted to ripping it off. Go figure.

[j_factor]

Everyone knows by now that Michael Jackson's "Stranger in Moscow" is awfully similar in certain ways to Sonic 3's end credits music. Recently I noticed Daft Punk's "Superheroes" also has some similarity. Not the whole song, just a certain part.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CC89P1x7uwU&t=02m24s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55rtX4wCJPM&t=00m44s

[TascoDLX]

Level 2-1, 2-2, and 2-3 of Kid Icarus for the NES has a clip of some (I think) US Revolutionary War tune I've never been able to quite put my finger on. Fast forward to 2:07 here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSr_kJqcar4

Can anyone tell me what that is? I've noticed it since I was 8 years old.
It's called "The Girl I Left Behind Me". Twas an Irish folk song adopted by the US, but more like War of 1812 (not that I know much about History).

[rbudrick]

It's called "The Girl I Left Behind Me". Twas an Irish folk song adopted by the US, but more like War of 1812 (not that I know much about History).

Thanks, Tasco! 26 year-old mystery solved!

-Rob

[Kitsune Sniper]

Bio Metal (SNES) music really sounds like some 90's movie... Space Jam perhaps?

The reason it sounds like a 90's movie is because the soundtrack was adapted from 2 Unlimited's "Get Ready!", a.k.a. that album with the two songs everyone in the 90's used in sport arenas.

[jb143]

I remember someone on here was making an RPG once and needed music and I was one of the ones suggesting finding some classical music that fits the theme. So many people were saying that it was a bad idea because to be taken seriously, games should have completely original music. Seems that's never been true.

[Aswald]

The opening theme in Vanguard sounds like opening titles music from "Star Trek: The Motion Picture."