Let's start this off weird, with a tribute to my favorite tracks from NES games.  Might seem like an odd choice if you don't know me, but music and video games are both very important to me, so it's only natural that the nexus of the two would be a key interest.
The NES in particular interests me, as it was the first game system we had that I could consider "mine" (we had an Atari 2600, which I did play, but that was the parents' deal).  I spent a large amount of time with it, and enjoyed the sound to the point where I, at one point in middle school, professed that my future career would be to make Nintendo music.  While that never happened, as it turns out that I have little in the way of talent for making music (despite a fair bit of time playing around in Famitracker), my enjoyment of listening to game music never decreased.  So here's a selection of what I consider to be the best of the best in NES tunes.  I did limit myself to one track per franchise, for the sake of variety, and do keep in mind that these are in no particular order, other than the one I happened to write them in.

Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers - Zone J

The first Capcom track, this one always struck me as a bit out of place, but especially remarkable.  In a game that is, for the most part, light-hearted, the music for the final stage suddenly takes on a sense of gravity, working with a sudden spike in difficulty to give the game a surprisingly tense end.  It's also catchy as hell, which will be a recurring theme as we move on.

Crystalis - Fields

Crystalis had a great soundtrack all around, covering a lot of themes, but man, did it kill it with the overworld theme.  Back in the heyday of level grinding, I heard so much of this track that would end up humming it at school.

Journey to Silius - Stage 1

The first of two on this list, Sunsoft games in the NES era were amazing when it came to music.  They put a lot of emphasis on emulating drum tracks, as well as using the NES's ability to play (very small) waveform samples to create some very cool instrumentation.

Batman - Stage 4

The second Sunsoft game, and a much better representation of the focus on drum tracks.  If it seems like I'm focusing on this, it's because it was by far an anomaly in terms of NES sound design.  The composers had to be very clever to get it to sound right, and they did.

Megaman 2 - Wily 1

When I think of NES music, and I'd wager when most people do, the first thing to spring to mind is Megaman 2.  With a stellar soundtrack in a series that is full of great music, Megaman 2 really is an amazing game.  More on that later.  There are two songs that I hold above all others in the series, both in this game, and this one edges out the other, just barely.  ...you know what?  I'm breaking my own rule.  Here's my runner-up, Bubble Man.


The Legend of Zelda - Overworld

I'll be honest here, I don't know how to break this one down.  It's so simple, but so effective in conveying exactly what it meant to: a world open ahead of you, and adventure to be had.

Goonies 2 - Good Enough

This is the first time I was surprised by game music.  To hear a real song, one that I was familiar with, reimagined as a track in a video game...well, it twisted my brain just a little bit.  Just that one little thing, a chiptune remix, made me realize that the game music I already liked could be so much more.

Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest - Bloody Tears

What's that?  One of the best songs is from a game that nobody likes?  Well...shut up.  I liked it.  Yeah, it was frustrating and often nonsensical and the townspeople flat out lied to you, but...hm.  Guess I don't know why I liked it.  But I did, and the soundtrack was once again a great entry in a franchise known for great music.  Oh, and more drums.

Metroid - Kraid's Lair

This one has always fascinated me.  In a game where you are perpetually lost and alone, there is a track that is simply amazing at making you feel lost and alone.  And no, for the record, I never did beat Metroid.  Damn you, Chris.

Startropics - Dungeon

If you were to ask me which NES track I nearly always had stuck in my head, here you go.  A great song that you heard constantly in a fun, unique game.  Really did get across the tropical theme of the game, too.

Well, there's that.  Hopefully you've enjoyed hearing (or re-hearing) what I consider to be the best.  If you're wondering how I could possibly pick something here over something you like, well, good.  Doesn't change my opinion any, but it means you like something, and that was the whole point.  Next time, I'll be further addressing either games or music, just as soon as I decide which one to do first.

Bonus Video!