The best and most satisfying video game sound FX of all time?

[kisrael]

I got an Arcade 1Up Star Wars machine before the 40th Anniversary edition sold out, though missed the chance to get TRON.

Which is kind of OK, because I really don't have space for it... in fact I think I would almost be satisfied by some kind of big chunky button for my desk that played the "disc blast" sound effect, attached (MP3 + Wav, both ripped off a youtube video)

(Looking at footage -- two of the levels feature TRON guy 360ing his arm around and even though it's sort of a disc, it really feels more like a gun than a movie-esque frisbee. So between the way he's firing "bullets" from his arm, and wearing an electric blue and cyan suit... he could be Mega Man's dad! )

Anyway, what Arcade (or Console) Sound FX would you add to your ultimate video game sound board?

Edited May 30 by kisrael

[mr_me]

Defender and Robotron.

https://seanriddle.com/defstart.wav

 

https://www.101soundboards.com/sounds/477889-robotron

Was looking for a slightly different one from Robotron. 

 

Edited May 31 by mr_me

[bigfriendly]

These clips cover the majority of my favorites from the early to mid 80s.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 31 by bigfriendly

[zzip]

11 hours ago, bigfriendly said:

These clips cover the majority of my favorites from the early to mid 80s.

 

 

 

 

Covers many of mine as well.   Arcade beat consoles by a mile for memorable sound effects back then, but it's hard to narrow down my favorites.

[roots.genoa]

I'm not gonna be original but I've always been impressed by Mario's jumping sound. At the time I had a Master System, which had mostly crackling sounds to be honest, and I found crazy the NES could pull off a sound like that, as if there was a dedicated chip for that or something.

Arcade games always had great sound, but it wasn't always easy to hear them in the context of a crowded arcade room, so I mostly discovered them when I was older, so harder to impress.

[Zoyous]

In Joust, when you are starting a new life and you're temporarily invulnerable. It's a great, growly, ascending sound. I know Williams games often shared sound effects but I don't remember at the moment whether they used this sound effect in other games. Eugene Jarvis said that he used to go around and ask other staffers at Williams for random strings that he would put into the sound generator to come up with new sounds.

 

Also, the fanfare melodies at the beginnings Pac-Man, Galaga, and the beginning of a race in Pole Position. I could always pick those up through the din of all the combined arcade sounds. Whoever was writing the music at Namco was a great composer!

 

The shots in Gyruss are great, too, a mid-range sound with a major descending curve into some extremely deep bass.

 

On 5/31/2024 at 6:08 PM, roots.genoa said:

At the time I had a Master System, which had mostly crackling sounds to be honest

A bit harsh! I have to balance that take with Kenseiden. Not only does it have a huge variety of unique songs for each level, but in particular I remember being really impressed by the way they made the sound of a waterfall slowly fade in as you approach it from a few screens away. Also, Space Harrier's death scream. And the iconic "Get Ready!" from After Burner.

[kisrael]

On 6/2/2024 at 10:57 AM, Zoyous said:

The shots in Gyruss are great, too, a mid-range sound with a major descending curve into some extremely deep bass.

 

that has the music and then the sound fx - what's the time stamp for the blast you're thinking of?

Sidenote: 2600 Gyruss is such a mind blower of a song, given the chip. Right up there with Pitfall 2 and Moon Patrol.

[Zoyous]

3 hours ago, kisrael said:

that has the music and then the sound fx - what's the time stamp for the blast you're thinking of?

The two shots at 2:30. Man, this is great to hear each sound isolated!

[YexxenBlaster]

The game start theme from Popeye, Game Start B from Mario Bros, the coin insert sound from The Simpsons, the death theme from Gun Fight/Boot Hill, pretty much anything from Black Knight and Xenon, the game start theme from Discs of Tron, and (although it's fanmade) the 2000s PC version of Polybius.

[YexxenBlaster]

I forgot the game over theme from Mappy!