We got our groove on and slapped together some of the finest, funkiest tunes ever to grace a video game.
By Thomas Quillfeldt
Track picks by Joe Caithness, Leon Cox, Mat Ombler, Michiel Kroder, Niklas “El Huervo” Åkerblad, and Ryan Hamann
We had a lot of fun checking out how original video game music intersects with various flavours of jazz, so this time we’re diving into another swinging genre.
There doesn’t seem to be much more to say about why game makers harness the awesome power of grooviness other than funk is fun, it’s sexy, it gets people geed-up, and it can add a sheen of cool.
Musically speaking, funk is one of many genres originating from African-American culture that has gone from a well-defined sound (e.g. an emphasis on the first beat of the bar, syncopated/swung rhythms, and driven by bass and drums) to being woven into many other popular genres, including pop, house, hip-hop, and more.
So put on your star shades, strap on your four string, and let’s take a chronological swing through some of the funkiest tunes from video games.
Our highlights are embedded below, or you can check out this…
YouTube playlist
...which includes a further selection of funky goodness from games old and new, big and small.
“BGM4” by Yasuhiro Kawakami
Shinobi (arcade; 1987)
Funky like a synth-ninja
Picked by Michiel Kroder of the Cane and Rinse crew.
“Crash Man” by Takashi Tateishi
Mega Man 2 (1988)
Funky like a bomb
Picked by Joe Caithness, mastering engineer.
“We’ve Gotta Do It” by Masanao Akahori
Cybernator aka Assault Suits Valken (SNES, 1992)
Funky like a mech
Picked by Michiel Kroder.
“Ready Funk” by Yuzo Koshiro
Streets of Rage 2 aka Bare Knuckle II: The Requiem of the Deadly Battle (Mega Drive/Genesis, 1992)
Funky like a chicken (in a bin)
Picked by Mat Ombler, games journalist.
“Mystic Cave Zone” by Masato Nakamura
Sonic the Hedgehog (Mega Drive/Genesis, 1992)
Funky like a flying fox
Picked by Mat Ombler.
“Funk Funk Funk E” by John Baker
ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron (Mega Drive/Genesis, 1993)
Funky like an earthling in a jar
“Power Games” by Takenobu Mitsuyoshi
Sega Rally Championship (arcade, 1994)
Funky like a slapped E string
Picked by Mat Ombler.
“Title” by Dan Hess
Pilotwings 64 (Nintendo 64, 1996)
Funky like a thermal column
Picked by Leon Cox of the Cane and Rinse podcast crew.
“Short Fuse” by Justin Scharvona
Buck Bumble (Nintendo 64, 1998)
Funky like a house with a (UK) garage
Picked by Mat Ombler.
“Title Theme” by Allister Brimble
Driver: You Are the Wheelman (PlayStation/PC, 1999)
Funky like a set of spinning trim rims
Picked by Leon Cox.
“A Ghost's Pumpkin - Pumpkin Hill Theme” by Tomoya Ohtani & Hunnid-P
Sonic Adventure 2 (Dreamcast, 2001)
Funky like an emerald-wielding echidna
Picked by Mat Ombler.
“Romantic Love” by Masaya Matsuura, RYU (as Chop Chop Master Onion), & Dred Foxx (as Parappa)
PaRappa the Rapper 2 (PlayStation 2, 2001)
Funky like a Tamanegi flava
Picked by Niklas “El Huervo” Åkerblad.
“Funky Akuda Bar” by Christophe Héral
Beyond Good & Evil (multi-platform, 2003)
Funky like a photojournalist
Picked by Niklas “El Huervo” Åkerblad.
“Sport Acapulco” by Man and Birdmen
Tiny & Big in Grandpa's Leftovers (PC, 2012)
Funky like an underground funk band (literally)
Picked by Ryan Hamann of the Cane and Rinse podcast crew.
“A-Mazing Post Pounding” by Tomoya Tomita
Yoshi's Woolly World (Wii U, 2015)
Funky like a yarn dinosaur
Picked by Ryan Hamann.
“NuVark - Snow Drift” by The Otherworld Agency
Obliteracers (multi-platform, 2016)
Funky like vehicular manslaughter
Picked by Ryan Hamann.
“Titanic Monarch Zone Act 2” by Tee Lopes
Sonic Mania (multi-platform, 2017)
Funky like a Hard Boiled Heavy
“Beneath the Mask (New Arrangement)” by Shoji Meguro, Lyn Inaizumi, & Rike Schmalz arr. ACE (TOMOri Kudo / CHiCO)
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate/Persona 5 (Nintendo Switch, 2018)
Funky like the Metaverse
Picked by Ryan Hamann.
“BK Squad” by Daniel Koestner & Ben Esposito
Donut County (multi-platform, 2018)
Funky like the Raccoon King
“You Will Never Know” by Bill Kiley
Katana ZERO (multi-platform, 2019)
Funky like a neo-noir assassin
Further listening
Be sure to check out the other tracks on the YouTube playlist, including:
— “The Maker’s Beckoning” by Nobuo Uematsu from Terra Battle
— “Cyber Dance” by Tenpei Sato From Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories
— “Arashi no Saxophone 2 (Arranged)” aka “Stormy Saxophone 2 (Yagami Team Theme)” by Shinsekai Gakkyoku Zatsugidan from The King of Fighters '96
— “Briefing” by Tim and Geoff Follin from Spider-Man and the X-Men in Arcade's Revenge
— “Main Theme” by Atsuko Asahi & Yasuaki Iwata from ARMS
Of course we've barely scratched the surface of funky game tunes. Let us know your favourite grooves on our Facebook page (article post is here) on Twitter (tweet) or on Instagram (post).
And now...
