Nintendo Music Game Soundtracks We Desperately Need
We're in love with Nintendo Music, but these are the game soundtracks we're most eager to get in the new streaming app (and in our ears).
Posted a month ago
Thanks to the release of Nintendo Music, Nintendo’s new soundtrack-streaming app for Switch online subscribers, the years of scouring YouTube for high-quality recordings of the Big N’s musical library may finally be coming to an end – but that golden era isn’t here quite yet. While Nintendo Music is a welcome delight, its starting catalog is anything but complete. So while we’re bopping along to K.K. Slider’s greatest hits, here are the game soundtracks we’re desperate to delight our ears with through Nintendo Music.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
©Nintendo
Fire Emblem: Engage may have been the most recent entry in the tactical RPG series, but Three Houses is where our hearts still firmly reside. That’s thanks in no small part to the majestic score of composers Takeru Kanazaki, Hiroki Morishita, and Rei Kondoh. Tracks like The Apex of the World, Between Heaven and Earth, and the operatic God-Shattering Star delivered impeccable gravitas and battle atmospheres – and serve as fantastic D&D playlists to boot. Heck, even the basic battle theme of Fodlan Winds is an absolute banger. Here’s hoping that when the soundtrack does arrive there’s some separation between the Rain and Thunder variants of many tracks.
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD
Nintendo’s giant, banana-hoarding ape has some excellent old-school representation in Nintendo Music’s opening offerings. But with DK currently straightening his tie for the release of Donkey Kong Country Returns HD in early 2025, it's the perfect chance to add the updated Wii U game's delightfully mellow but uplifting score. It riffs on and rethinks classic tracks from the original DK Country, setting up the perfect comparison playlist. And while we're at it, why not get sequel Tropical Freeze in the mix as well? The big guy's newer outings are well worth a place in the party.
Super Mario 3D World (+ Bowser’s Fury)
©Nintendo
The Wii U’s Super Mario 3D World wasn’t just memorable for for its adorably fuzzy cat variants of Mario’s cast. It also delivered a jazz and big band soundtrack suffused with piano, playful bass, and so much sassy saxophone that our feet were involuntarily tapping from Super Bell Hill right through to the final credits. Our ankles are so sore we’ve barely been able to walk since.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
©Nintendo
Nintendo Music has launched with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s soundtrack included, but few would deny that Tears of the Kingdom surpassed its predecessor dramatically in terms of memorable tracks. The boss battle themes – in particular, the Colgera boss theme – weaved in elements and leitmotifs from past games elegantly, perfectly tugging on the nostalgia heartstrings of older gamers. It’s an inevitable addition, sure, but sooner rather than later, please Nintendo!
Super Mario World 2: 6 Golden Coins
A scant two Game Boy games lie lonely in Nintendo Music’s catalog at launch. That may be double the GameCube and Game Boy Advance’s humble offerings, but it’s still far from enough for such a legendary, medium-shaping device. Super Mario World 2: 6 Golden Coins' score, featuring such classic tracks as Space Zone Stage 2, is a fine place to begin building an 8-bit audial celebration worthy of the Game Boy.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
©Nintendo
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate already includes a feature which turns your Nintendo Switch into a music player. So really, half the work has already been done. But given Smash Ultimate draws from a colossal catalog of games – some which lie beyond the walls of Nintendo’s realm – we’re not sure if it’ll be a go-to choice for Nintendo Music’s game-based organization. Here’s hoping its plethora of tracks does make it in some form, however, as Smash-exclusive tracks like the percussion-driven Star Wolf Assault theme, soothing Bramble Blast, and spicy Gerudo Valley remix would be sorely missed otherwise.
The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Special Orchestra
Okay, so this one isn’t a single game, but the orchestral compilation released alongside Skyward Sword for The Legend of Zelda’s 25th anniversary contains some of the series’ best ever mixes and renditions. The Wind Waker Symphonic Movement is a sheer delight, and the dramatic reinterpretation of Gerudo Valley is sure to raise goosebumps. It’s tantamount to a crime to leave this set without an official digital home.
To utilize Nintendo Music, you'll need to ensure you're a subscriber to Nintendo Switch Online. Learn more about the service and what it offers in our explainer here.
