We're spending a week looking at the intersection of music and video games
I love note play and I DON'T CARE if it sounds boring
Main illustration: Jinhwa Jang for Polygon
If you felt like riling people up, you could argue that video games are not a single art form, but a combination of other art forms, folding in illustration, design, writing, photography, and many other elements that, on their own, are considered more traditionally be "art". And music ranks high on that list — try playing a Mario game without sound, and your brain will start filling in bouncy jump sounds for you.
Yet the history of game music is not just about fitting in. It's also about standing out. In fact, some of the most memorable moments in gaming history have come from music – from entire game concepts to key story moments, collaborations, marketing deals, and everything in between.
