Topic: Wintertime is approaching. What are your favorite winter-esque themes?

[Phil]

I was thinking about doing a favorite winter area topic, but I'll save that for another day! Anyway, these can be winter-sounding themes or themes from winter areas of various games.

Freezeezy Peak - Banjo-Kazooie (N64)

With a setting that just exudes Christmas and winter charm, this song accentuates the fun of prancing around in the snow with its jaunty theme!

Ice Cave Chant - Donkey Kong Country (SNES)

A very catchy theme for a run and roll through an icy cavern, full of ropes and perilous jumps.

In A Snow-bound Land - Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong-Quest (SNES)

Did anyone else think it was Diddy Kong's Quest for the longest time? Anyway, this theme is a part of one of my favorite game soundtracks ever. Seldom a weak track, if any, on DKC2's phenomenal soundtrack.

Ice Cavern - Final Fantasy IX (PS1)

Heavily using xylophone at the beginning before adding some more dynamic instruments into the fold, this is a playful theme for the ice cave of Final Fantasy IX.

Cool Cool Mountain - Super Mario 64 (N64)

An alternate version of Super Mario 64's Slider theme, this peppy winter tune plays as you journey through the chilly worlds of Cool Cool Mountain and Snowman's Land.

Blizzard Buffalo - Mega Man X3 (SNES)

A driving bass line assists the main melody in Blizzard Buffalo's stage from Mega Man X3.

Frost Walrus 2 - Mega Man X4 (PS1, SAT)

Part two of Frost Walrus' stage presents players with a more melodic and uptempo take on the first part's theme.

Frost Man Stage - Mega Man 8 (PS1, SAT)

This is the Saturn version of Frost Man's theme from Mega Man 8. It generally plays while your ears are being bombarded with orders to jump, jump and slide, slide.

Ice Edge - Viewtiful Joe 2 (PS2, GCN)

Rather than talk about this track, I'd rather lament about Viewtiful Joe's absence in a leading role and say how much I hate Capcom.

Snowy Fields - Kirby's Epic Yarn (Wii)

Beautiful, bouncy, and bright, Snowy Fields definitely evokes memories of playing its snow-filled landscape during cold winter nights.

Frozen Factory Zone 1 - Sonic: Lost World (Wii U)

I love Tomoya Ohtani's compositions, and his work on Sonic: Lost World was brilliant and masterful. This and Snowball Waltz are great winter-themed pieces.


EDIT: Oops! My topic got posted by pressing enter apparently. Will update!
EDIT 2: All finished!


 

[Dasmos]

Phendrana Drifts is a glaring omission on your list.

[Triforce Hermit]

Freezyeezy Peak in Banjo-Kazooie: Never got everything in it. I loved the design and the music though.

Shadow Moses Island in MGS1: Love the game and there is snow. It counts.

Whatever the ice town in Tales of the Abyss was called: Can't remember off the top of my head the name.

[Phil]

Phendrana Drifts is a glaring omission on your list.

I definitely wanted to save some for other peeps. *nods* 

[Stogi]

This plays in the dark, deep ocean where I assume its cold. Not very cheery or winter-y, but so be it. It's good music.

[NWR_insanolord]

World 6 of Super Mario Bros. 3 is one of my favorite parts of that game. Fantastic level design.

[ClexYoshi]

you include FF9's ice cave, but no Esto Gaza?!?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9V4DvEbnoWc if any single piece of video game music ever made me want to curl up with some hot cocoa, this is probably it. it's very somber, and gives me the blues a bit, but I love it all the same.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4nP1Ggrm4Q Diamond Dust zone from the Saturn and PC versions of of Sonic 3D blast go all out with the calming synth, and even roll with Jingle Bell percussion!

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U72RFDp4AyA The N64 Bomberman games all have really good soundtracks, and although there are pieces I like more on the first Bomberman 64's soundtrack, This is still a fun and bouncy little ditty of a tune!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzpcyZvx-2A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWcfILNz_0s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3O9kzGRddY0 All three of these are EXCELENT icy themes brought to you buy the folks at inti-creates! Although High Speed Lift is my favorite of these three, all of them are excelent for different reasons, and the songs that stick out to me the most from the zero games outside of some of the mroe popular intro stage/special boss themes, etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAWQ-Aw81uk Speaking of Frost Man, here's the version of the stage theme from Frost Man's stage in the early prototype builds of Mega Man 8 that were unearthed. Double bonus for https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3KRQkMC9zs ! <3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GErbsnzJ1Mo Speaking of 8-bit stuff, while I don't like 1,001 spikes for being that sort of I Wanna Be the Guy style platformer, I do love the compositions of RushJet1 and how he layers sound to get a fullness out of the Konami VRC6 chip. Heck, I'd highly suggest going to http://rushjet1.bandcamp.com and getting his music ASAP! especially his Mega Man Remix albums.... mmmmmm...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFIn8fjnfd0 The music from the werehog end of Sonic Unleashed is all actually really awesome, ESPECIALLY the night time theme for Cool Edge! It has that tranquil feel with a drum beat to still drive you forward into the stupid battle theme whenever enemies show up!

there's probably some other stuff I'm forgetting, but I hope you all enjoy!

EDIT:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUCE8WK-TlI - I suppose there's this guy from the fun Mega Man 6 hack demo called Rockman 6 Innocent. apparently the game it's from it's a forest theme for a Hentai game, but I have trouble not associating this with a perilous and slippery place... which I imagine could be applied to certain places when you think of hentai, but we're not going there! >_>;;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAH7-oatv2E For being a game primarily of Remixes, I really love the Kirby's Canvas Curse OST. Rainbow Resort was already an icy aurora filled level, and this remix used for the stage Frozen Fantasy sells that even more. Speaking of which...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzROIaEItjQ There's a remix of the Shiver Star and Factory investigation stage themes from Kirby 64 in Canvas Curse, but I'll just use them here. if there's any single thing I like from Kirby 64, it's the soundtrack, which is just... awesome. <3 Miracle Matter is still one of my favorite boss themes of all time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2OWC5Hosv8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yStMqWTu-lw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPNgC3gBaq4 I brought this up when RFN was looking for new bumper music, but I feel this bears repeating; Michael Jackson ain't the only one who worked with Sega on the Sonic 3 OST and repurposed some of their music. >_>;;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20UxjntIpmU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCvYlD-S4DQ These are probably my two favorite wintery songs that have ever been in Rare games. nice and bouncey!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2A4iGLz-Lc and finally, to properly bookend my post here and bring the high octane energy down a notch... Icicle Inn from FF7 brings it back down to a more chill mood... that hot cocoa mood.

THere's others I could post here too, like the ice maze from Brave Fencer Musashi, anything from the Jazz Jackrabbit Holiday hare shareware episodes, some of the stuff used for icy areas in castlevania games, Sherbert Land/Frappe snowland from Mario Kart 64, the snowy level theme from Yoshi's story, and... I could go on and on and on, but I have to cut myself off. wintery level themes have such variety to them and I love them all...!

[Phil]

Awwwww yeaaaaah! ClexYoshi bringin' the goods! 

I'll definitely give these a listen when I'm free later tonight! Thanks for your contribution!

[ClexYoshi]

I'm glad to be of service, Phil.

[Triforce Hermit]

Also the snow town themes in Tales of Phantasia.

Town of Ary- Beautiful piece

Freezekill Chapel- I count it as a snow theme because, well, the town is full of snow and the maze is full of snow.

[Phil]

Also the snow town themes in Tales of Phantasia.

Town of Ary- Beautiful piece

Freezekill Chapel- I count it as a snow theme because, well, the town is full of snow and the maze is full of snow.

Lovely choices, Triforce Hermit! Speaking of music from Tales games, here's a favorite of mine from Tales of Symphonia, A Snow Light.

And nice picks, ClexYoshi, as well. Anyone who uses music from my favorite kart racer of all time (DKR) is ice cool in my book! Thanks to all who have posted examples or have just posted in general in this topic so far!

[ClexYoshi]

Thank you! I'm not usually the biggest fan of David Wise guy, but Donkey Kong Country has some seriously catchy stuff. All his games do, but yeah.

I suppose there's one more theme I should share that I kinda spaced out during my list.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbFO6rB0Rcw - This game's soundtrack is one of my favorites to listen to while I'm doing outdoor stuff during the winter. This and like... Ice Paradise from Sonic Advance 2. Heck, the wintery cityscape at night time is probably my favorite stage tropes in any video game... it's just something about seeing so much white being illuminated by a combination of lights made just to be festive and the lights of various buildings in the background with their usual lights. It's actually what makes Frost Man's stage probably my favorite in Mega Man 8 in spite of JUMP JUMP SLIDE SLIDE.

Really, thank you for this thread, Phil. I'm glad it picked up some semblance of steam.

[Mop it up]

No Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze yet?

http://youtu.be/YtMSyLdk0Q8 is epically awesome.

http://youtu.be/di6VFegOMfk is awesomely epic.