2023 wasn’t just a successful year for quality video game releases — it was also a good year for video game music.
At Nintendo Life, we usually give video game soundtracks a bit of praise in our overall lists, but this year we want to do things a little differently, because frankly, there’s too much good music to put in one section of another list, right?
We’ve selected 16 — or 14, with two special picks — of the best music combos on the Nintendo Switch. From RPGs to classic 2D platformers and heavy rock to world-class orchestras, there’s something for everyone. Even if you don’t like the game, you might like the music. We’ve mostly stayed away from ports for this list, with one exception, but we’ll make a special mention of a few others at the end.
Check out our picks below, then be sure to pick your favorite soundtrack of 2023 in our poll at the end.
Publisher: Nintendo / Programmer: Nintendo
Super Mario Bros. Wonder is 2D Mario back in top form — and that includes its beautifully eclectic soundtrack. From the very first trailer and the acoustic guitar happily strumming, we knew that the music would perfectly capture the charm and quirkiness of Wonder. Each “World” has its own theme or choice of instruments that feels quite different from previous 2D Mario music while also evoking that nostalgic “fun” we all felt growing up and playing Mario.
Recommended songs: ‘Athletic theme‘, ‘Piranha Plants on Parade’, ‘Petal Isles’, ‘Shining Falls’
Publisher: Team Reptile / Programmer: Team Reptile
It’s correct that Bomb Rush is Cyberfunk, which it was very inspired Jet Set Radio, is on this list. A handful of independent musicians joined Jet Set composer Hideki Naganuma to create a fresh and funky sound for this sliding adventure game that oozes style and charisma. Notable names include 2 Mello, GRRL, Knxwledge and KiloWatts, creating a soundtrack that will be on our summer playlist for years to come.
Recommended songs: ‘I want Kno‘, ‘Condensed Milk’, ‘Feel The Funk (Computer Love)’, ‘GET ENUF’
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Publisher: Sabotage / Programmer: Sabotage
If you’ve played The Messenger, then you shouldn’t be surprised to see Sea of Stars on this list. Eric Brown has established himself as a master of retro style, but while the music of Sea of Stars certainly evokes the classics with its epic boss music, catchy overworld themes and cheerful city themes. The music embodies so much of Sea of Stars — to the point that there’s an entire CD’s worth of covers of the game’s pirate musicians. Even without Yasunori Mitsuda’s wonderful contributions, Sea of Stars would sit comfortably as one of the best soundtracks of 2023.
Recommended songs: ‘Trials in the fog‘, ‘Encounter Elite!’, ‘Serenade of Respite (Night)’, ‘Volcanic Pursit’
Publisher: A modest package / Programmer: Summerfall Studios
What a new concept for a role-playing visual novel – a musical! — and it seems amazing. We shouldn’t be shocked as Austin Wintory (composer of Journey) is behind the conductor’s podium, and Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical is proof that the musical style absolutely can work as a video game. While the highlights of this Buffy: The Vampire Slayer inspired Greek God musical are indeed the vocal tracks, there are plenty of beautiful, soothing and heartfelt instrumentals that help tie the whole thing together in a cohesive way.
Recommended songs: ‘Get lost‘, ‘Pan’s garden‘, ‘Look at Me‘, ‘I can teach you‘
Publisher: Team17 / Programmer: Kitchen game
Carlos Viola once again took our breath away with beautiful flamenco-style guitars and gloomy strings on the stunning soundtrack of Blasphemous 2. And while Carlos builds on the style that made the Blasphemous soundtrack a hit, this time there’s a lot more variety — more piano, more organ, more electric guitars etc. The Game Kitchen’s in-house composer deserves more credit for his stunning work on these two games (and The Last Door).
Recommended songs: ‘About His Costales‘, ‘Crown of Seven Orange Blossoms’, ‘Clavada’, ‘Lamentos de Arena’
Publisher: Raw rage / Programmer: Exchange Studio
Cassette Beasts is another game on this “best of” list where the gameplay is firmly rooted in music — after all, you use a cassette to turn into creatures! Joel Baylis decided to embrace this in the game’s music, especially the fight themes. Each battle song comes in two variations — one instrumental version, which plays during regular battles, and a vocal version, which starts when you and your companion’s cassette beasts pair up. Some of the game’s most poignant moments go hand-in-hand with these lyrical moments, creating a British pop-punk soundtrack that will resonate with an entire generation of adults.
Recommended songs: ‘Wherever we are now‘, ‘New Wirral (night)‘, ‘Same old story‘, ‘Like Chimeras‘
Publisher: Square Enix / Programmer: Square Enix
In this humble author’s opinion, Octopath Traveler II might have just that the best soundtrack of the year. Yasunori Nishiki already wowed us in 2018 with his score for the first game, but he somehow outdid himself in Octopath Traveler II. The OST has more than a whopping 131 songs six discs. While there are daytime and nighttime themes for each area and different variations of boss themes interwoven with character motifs to help increase that number, what’s truly amazing is the amount of variation on offer here. From jazz to rock opera to beautiful piano pieces, Octopath Traveler II’s music simply doesn’t miss a beat.
Recommended songs: ‘Critical Conflict II’‘Partition, merchant‘, ‘Ku, Land of the Crimson Sunset‘, ‘Octopath Traveler II (main theme)‘
Publisher: Nintendo / Programmer: Nintendo
Yes, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom uses a lot of Breath of the Wild music — which has proven controversial to some Zelda fans over the years. At the same time, Tears of the Kingdom has heeded some of those criticisms, and exploring Hyrule a second time, you’ll notice that there’s a lot more music to delight your ears. Zelda has always been a master at musical callbacks, and certain dungeon and boss themes stand out exceptionally well with that power. There’s also a beautiful weightless piano as you dive to the surface, the catchy theme of your base city, and all those eerie sounds as you explore the depths. Put it on disc, Nintendo — now!
Recommended songs: ‘Sky Islands’, ‘Colgera Battle’, ‘Water Temple’, ‘Flux Construct’
