Apropos of nothing, today I wanted to dive into my extensive backlog of unlistened MMORPG music and make a bit of a dent. One of my biggest folders of undiscovered music happens to be, strangely enough, the original EverQuest, with all sorts of tracks, musical stings, motifs, and little sound effects that I stumbled upon a while back.
So enjoy some more music from the world of Norrath as I share with you six great EverQuest tunes that have been remastered and jazzed up from their original MIDI format!
“Academy” (remastered)
Here’s a retooled version of the super-relaxing Freeport Academy theme that a whole bunch of players seem to love. And I can see why! It’s quite soothing and calming, cascading down your spine and right into The Feels.
“Character Screen”
Blending chaos and a high fantasy vibe, the character screen theme is the perfect launching pad of an adventure into a fantastic new world. It’s short, but that’s only because it gets the job done in a minute and doesn’t need to dither around after.
“Jungle”
Can you dig those funky tropical vibes? I totally can! This track gives me a positive association with the Donkey Kong Country game soundtracks, which I consider to be some of the best VGM scores of all time.
“Mystery”
There’s sinister mystery and then there’s what my fellow Battle Bard Syl calls “spooky magical mystery.” This track is most certainly the latter, evoking feelings of delightful discovery and tantalizing secrets.
“Perilous Journey”
One thing that I love about the remastered MIDI here is that it brings it up to the level of ’80s synth scores. This track feels just like some of those great adventure movies of that era, taking players to dangerous yet thrilling realms.
“Home”
Welcome home — it’s like you never left, eh? This warm and playful melody welcomes the listener into a safe space full of familiar comforts.
MMOs are meant to be heard as well as seen, and chances are that music ties your memories to these games more than you might realize. Every two weeks Jukebox Heroes listens through a game soundtrack and picks out the highlights to share and discuss. And if you like this column, then don’t miss the author’s MMO music podcast, Battle Bards!
