What are your favorite videogame songs on a solo instrument? Favorite melodies in videogame music?

[Plunder]

To explain if it's needed:

1. I'd like to know some of your all time favorite VG Music when performed on a solo instrument (share video or music link/file if you want). Most common instruments being Piano, Guitar, Violin, Viola, etc

2. What do you think are the best melodies from VG music. Just the melody without accompaniment, harmonies, or other parts to fill out bass/mids. Imagine the main simple melody being played solo to a large live audience. Would it still be impressive or moving enough to captivate?

My answers as of recent are -

1. All of the Skyrim Songs seem to translate amazingly to solo classical and acoustic guitar, An End Once and For All from the Mass effect 3 ending (Guitar or Piano), Eternity: Memories of Lightwaves (FF X-2, piano/guitar), and the Metroid NES Title Theme (Classical Guitar with harmonics)

Link to the last one is an arr. by Jonas L.

2. For singular melodies lately I've been really feeling:

Ballad of the Windfish from Link's Awakening
Aerith's Theme
Melodies of Life
Map Select Screen from Starfox SNES

 

[Doctor Wario]

Anything from Pokemon Black, mainly driftveil city or route 10.

 

[Lord Dio]

Well, I can't say any GaMetal remixes since a lot of those use guitar and piano, so
I forget who does it, but on youtube there'sa guitar version of Rocket Barrel from DK that I love, partially because I love the song to begin with.
Tsuko G does Kazoo versions of songs, my favorite is kazoo version of Strike the Earth from Shovel Knight.

 

[Doctor Wario]

Well, I can't say any GaMetal remixes since a lot of those use guitar and piano, so
I forget who does it, but on youtube there'sa guitar version of Rocket Barrel from DK that I love, partially because I love the song to begin with.
Tsuko G does Kazoo versions of songs, my favorite is kazoo version of Strike the Earth from Shovel Knight.

I watch his videos too! He makes some great covers.

 

[Lord Dio]

He does. I first discovered him through his covers of Masked Dedede and Gourmet Race, two of my favorite songs fro mgaming, and got hooked. I love his Undertale cover and the Mega Man Mega Medleys.

 

[Plunder]

Yea I've been learning a lot of Undertale songs on classical guitar and piano. The main theme, Fallen Down (reprise), Snowdin, Determination all translate so well solo. Forgot to mention Jib Jig from DKC 2, that song sounds so impressive and whimsical on Acoustic Guitar.

One of my all time favorite VGMs is Mt. Dedede from the original GB Kirby's Dreamland but you have to have the driving bass and percussion, so it loses a lot if you try it solo. Seems like a lot of Kirby songs are like that :/

 

[Spak]

I'll probably be able think of more later.

 

[Plunder]

Yea To Zanarkand seems to always be on the top of a lot of people lists. I think I've just heard it way too much so I really don't like playing it personally. Still though it's got a strong unique and memorable melody.

Somehow Aerith's Theme and Anxious Heart I don't get tired of, the Main theme of FF7 is beautiful as well.

Here's a re-arrange by Mitsuda himself of one of my favorite Guitar songs to play from Chrono Cross "Dimension Break" or "Bend of Time". It's pretty stunning orchestrated (especially with good headphones), but the original Solo guitar I still consider it top ten material. One of the most beautiful simple underrated tracks in VGs.

 

[Cardboardtubeknight]

 

[Spak]

Kingdom Hearts is partly because of nostalgia and partly because it's great, and I included World of Scattering Flowers from Bravely Default because it's one of the most emotional video game songs I know... At least the original orchestration is. I couldn't find a cover of it on YouTube with high quality audio (no background noise), so I had to do the robot playing it. I think the guy entering it into the software missed a couple notes, but it's mostly there (without human push and pull).

 

[Plunder]

I really liked the Kingdom Hearts tune on piano, it's like if the Game Of Thrones composer made a track for an upcoming Zelda game.

Bravely Default one was good too, seemed pretty similar to a lot of contemporary sad piano pieces.

 

[dezeray112]

To Zanarkand - Final Fantasy X
Searching for Friends - Final Fantasy VI - Final Fantasy Piano Opera VI/V/VI
Eternal Wind - Final Fantasy III - Final Fantasy Piano Opera I/II/III

 

[Plunder]

To Zanarkand - Final Fantasy X
Searching for Friends - Final Fantasy VI - Final Fantasy Piano Opera VI/V/VI
Eternal Wind - Final Fantasy III - Final Fantasy Piano Opera I/II/III

Nice I really liked Eternal Wind. I had never heard those collections before, there's a bit too much indulgent improving up and down the scales as filler for me but they all seem like beautiful compositions.

I feel like when they do that stuff it goes off the rails and bit and spoils the climax of the main melodies. I really like how the official collections for FF7 and 8 were handled. I don't really like much of 8's original tracks at all but the piano collections I adore, especially this overlooked one "silence and motion" compared to the original this is a masterpiece (so different), I used to love playing it.

 

[GonzaGears]

Spoiler: Dark Souls

If any song motivates me to learn to play the piano, it's this. It's one of the best songs I've ever heard and it really represents fire and the struggle between light and dark very well, just like the game in general. It's even better when you've played through the entire game listening to imposing, orchestrated pieces which evoke a sense of fear; and then you finally reach the final boss, for whom this theme plays.