1991-1995
1991
Super Famicom Arrives in US
Nintendo releases the 16-bit Super Famicom in America and calls the $249.95 console the Super NES (SNES). The system uses a dedicated 8-bit Sony SPC700 sound chip with eight separate channels.
1991
ActRaiser Goes to the Symphony
This Super NES title from Japan is often cited as one of the first to effectively incorporate a sweeping symphonic score. A quirky kind of hybrid, ActRaiser combined side-scrolling action with RPG and world-building elements. Taking its cue from classical Hollywood film score traditions, the soundtrack was indeed beautifully orchestrated. Also, your character was actually a deity called "The Master." So, you know, that never hurts.
1991
Introducing Play-by-Play
Joe Montana Sportstalk Football II for the Sega Genesis debuts, marking the first time a sports game employs continuous play-by-play commentary. Previous games had featured the occasional shout-out, but Sportstalk was the first game to feature an announcer describing the action on the field as it happened. The Madden football franchise would go on to dominate the field, so to speak, upping the commentary ante with each release. Whether or not this is progress depends greatly on your opinion of John Madden.
1991
Word on the Streets of Rage
Sega releases Streets of Rage for the Genesis system. A classic side-scrolling beat-'em-up, the game's techno soundtrack takes full advantage of the Genesis system's advanced sound hardware. The songs include rumbling drum samples, sticky melodies, and innovative use of stereo effects.
1992
Sega CD Released
Sega releases the $299 Sega CD system, as the migration toward superior CD-based storage continues.
1993
3DO Console Arrives
Panasonic releases the 32-bit 3DO console system to rave reviews. The system uses a custom 16-bit processor with 17 separate channels to and from system memory, taking maximum advantage of the CD-ROM format. The $700 price tag cools sales.
1993
Sonic CD Ups the Ante
Breaking new ground in home gaming sound fidelity, Sonic CD for the Sega CD system boasts what is perhaps the first truly CD-quality soundtrack. The music credits read like a professional commercial release, with multiple composers, arrangers, and mixers, as well as individual musician credits for guitar, drums, bass, and synthesizer.
1993
Jaguar Pounces
Atari leaps over its competition by introducing the 64-bit Jaguar Atari, bypassing the 32-bit arena altogether. It's actually two 32-bit coprocessors, affectionately named "Tom" and "Jerry." Jerry, a 32-bit digital signal processor, handles sound duties and is able to produce CD-quality sound with full stereo effects
1993
Star Fox: Space Opera Refined
A high-profile release for Nintendo, Star Fox is a 3D space shooter with polygonal graphics designed principally to highlight Nintendo's Super FX chip. But the designers pulled out the stops on the audio end as well, with voice effects that were state of the art for the time and a suitable space-operatic musical score. Forever shall the voices of your wingmen--Slippy Toad, Falco Lombardi, and Peppy Hare--live on!
1994
Final Fantasy's Apex
Square's wildly popular Final Fantasy series hits a new high with Final Fantasy VI (III in the US in 1999) for the SNES. A great example of Uematsu's brilliance, this soundtrack demonstrates the increasing sophistication of video game music. Character-specific leitmotifs recur throughout gameplay, and the sheer variety of styles employed is audacious. Uematsu is deservedly compared to film composer John Williams. (The game's soundtrack would ultimately place first in GameSpot's Readers' Choice of the all-time greatest video game soundtracks.)
1995
More Sound: Sega 32X
Sega releases its 32-bit console peripheral, the 32X, which enables the Genesis to run a new set of 32-bit cartridge games. The 32X adds two more sound channels with its built-in PCM stereo sound chip.
1995
Sega Saturn
Sega releases its 32-bit, $399 Saturn in the US in May. The system employs two sound processors--a Yamaha FH1 24-bit digital signal processor and a 22.6MHz Motorola 68EC000 sound processor
1995
Sony PlayStation Arrives
Sony releases the 32-bit PlayStation in the US in September at a price of $299. The 24-channel sound chip provides CD-quality stereo sound and has built-in support for digital effects such as reverb and looping.
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A History of Video Game Music
This feature offers a timeline of significant milestones in the evolution of video game music. It includes details ranging from pong on up to the modern era, with audio clips of some landmark games, as well as links to video clips of more modern games.
