Exclusive: Memorable & Iconic Game Sounds
What makes a sound memorable? Maybe it’s unique or maybe it’s constant repetition. Whatever it is there are reasons why we remember sounds and why they live on to form nostalgia. I was curious about game sounds in particular. There are a good bunch of sounds that everyone seems to recall as either “iconic”, “memorable” or “classic”.
In my research it appears that most people start listing sounds from the 90′s back. A few popular examples are from Pac-Man, Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda. Most people that don’t even play video games can list a good portion of them and probably even mimic the way they sound. But what about modern sounds? Why have they been lacking lately, or have they? Is it something as simple as our childhood hanging onto these older sounds and not being influenced as much by more recent titles? In a day and age where games are becoming more like Hollywood blockbuster films, the sound pallet for these games has adjusted as well. Could this be a factor? Could more resources produce less creativity? What sounds will the children of today remember twenty years from now?
Below you will find a list of what the readers and I consider “memorable” and “iconic” sounds. I encourage you to leave you opinions and favorites in the comments section below.
A↔D • E↔H • I↔M • N↔R • S↔V • W↔Z
Angry Birds
Bioshock
Castlevania
Doom
Duck Hunt
Dog Laughing At Poor Performance
Final Fantasy (VII)
Half-Life
Combine Soldier Radio Communications
Halo
Mega Man
Metal Gear Solid
Getting Caught By An Enemy “!”
Microsoft Xbox 360 Console
Achievement Unlocked Notification
Mortal Kombat
Pac-Man
Punch-Out
Shadow of the Colossus
Silent Hill
Splinter Cell
Night Vision Goggles Activated
Sonic The Hedgehog
Super Mario Bros.
The Legend of Zelda
Taking Damage (The Adventures of Link)
How about the alarm from Goldeneye? I’ve noticed it recently in a few TV shows.
Hah, this one!?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-ixz4ltmck
That’s a good one.
Awesome post. Brings back some (sound) memories. Especially Super Mario had some of the coolest and most innovative sounds at the time, I think.
Because I’m still on my Mass Effect kick, I’ve got to say the Geth! There are so many different races in Mass Effect, but the Geth are instantly recognizable by their sound.
Love this round-up!
Here’s a article I wrote on the subject on:
The significance of establishing pleasure in the sonification of emotionally driven sound effects. Shadow of The Colossus – A Sonification Case Study.
http://blog.lostchocolatelab.com/2006/07/shadow-of-colossus-sonification-case.html
Keep this cooking, it’s a great resource!
-lcl
Fantastic collection, thanks!
One think I noticed – almost all these sound effects have some sort of pitch-shifting element. I’ve been noticing this everywhere since I saw an interview with the How to Train Your Dragon sound team (http://soundworkscollection.com/howtotrainyourdragonpanel). They mentioned that when they need a sound to stand out in a busy soundscape, they just make it slide up or down in pitch. Apparently we’re naturally attuned to these sliding-pitch sounds. Could explain why the Halo shield recharge and the Splinter Cell night vision stand out among the modern games.
Also, a quick funny story. I was in a gas station and heard the Sonic coin collect noise. I kept looking around for a Genesis or something…turns out it was the sound effect for their cash register!
Charlie @ soundlounge
@Charlie – I really enjoyed that SoundWorks video. I think it offered some of the most valuable information throughout the series. You’re right about most of these sounds too, a lot of them do have pitch bend elements!