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This year we continue the tradition of dedicating a Top 10 list to covers and remixes of PC game music. With respect to AAA titles this is probably irrelevant (as they are often multi-platform anyway) but when it comes to good ol' DOS and Amiga games or indie PC games, well they tend to get left by the wayside.
How the list was made
This year, I scoured the Internet for PC game music covers and remixes and came up with 129 to choose from. This is less than 2023's list but remains more than the first few years I started this. The process probably took way longer than I would've liked, although it's good to know I have a similar number of entries to judge. This list was compiled from various sources including OCRemix, Remix64 as well as several YouTube channels. While this list is by no means an exhaustive one, it at least gives people a taste of what awesome PC game music remixes and covers are out there (if I've missed any released in 2024, be sure to mention them in the comments).
I applied a 0-2 scale scoring system, similar to what has been employed previously and also similar to our other Top 10 features. These are what each of the scores represent:
- 0 = remix that didn't resonate with me and I couldn't get into it. Usually because I'm not a fan of the source material or I don't really recognise it.
- 1 = remix that is good, worth a listen and can be appreciated for its technical merit.
- 2 = My favourites of the bunch. Ones I'm likely to listen to again and again. Remixes I'd want my friends to listen to.
Unlike last year, either the quality of remixes are getting worse or I'm just getting pickier when it comes to choosing which tracks make the cut. Over the years, I've noticed the same games and same tracks being remixed or covered, over and over again, and that's understandable: if a track is popular, more people have heard it meaning more people are likely to remix or cover it. However, as a result, it gets a bit old listening to yet another version of MEGALOVANIA from Undertale or Uncharted Worlds from Mass Effect (although if it really blows me away, it will be included for consideration,a s you shall soon find out).
This year, only 13 tracks achieved a score of 2 (as opposed to the 37 last year) meaning there were only 3 tracks that made it to the Honourable Mentions list this year.
So, I present to you the Top 10 PC Game Covers and Remixes of 2024 as ranked by Choicest Games!
Honourable Mentions
Diablo - Tristram Theme (Gingertail Cover) (Diablo) by Alina GingertailCosmic Contemplation (Mass Effect) by prophetik music
Can't Remove the Pain (Ultima VI) by Alex Nes
#10 Space Quest 1 Theme Cover (Space Quest 1)
Game: Space Quest 1Source: Main Theme
Original Artist(s): Mark Crowe and arranged by Ken Allen
Remix/Cover Title: Space Quest 1 Theme | Mo(Mus)
Artist(s): Manos Ventouras
I'm always up for a cover or remix of Sierra adventures and Manos Ventouras (going by the alias of Mo(Mus) but not to be confused with this Momus) not only did one, but five covers of iconic Sierra game themes. My favourite of the bunch happens to be the Space Quest 1 theme although I'm not sure if this is more closely related to the EGA version of Space Quest (the one played through the bleeps and bloops of the PC Speaker) or the VGA version which used MIDI. The original theme was created by Mark Seibert but Ken Allen created his own arrangement of the iconic theme for the VGA version soundtrack, one that sounds more epic and befitting of a space opera.
I love the fact it sounds like real instruments were used in this cover to almost give the theme that movie soundtrack feel. It's a pity that it's not a very long theme, being only under two minutes but I have so much nostalgia for the Sierra adventures of the 80s and 90s, and this theme helps transport you there.
If you want to check out more of Manos Ventouras's covers, check out their YouTube channel
.#9 Ultima 6 Character Creation Theme Cover (Ultima 6)
Game: Ultima VI: The False ProphetSource: I Hear You Crying (Character Creation)
Original Artist(s): Todd Porter (arranged by Herman Miller)
Remix/Cover Title: Ultima 6 - The Gypsy's Wagon - Character Creation Song Cover
Artist(s): George Nowik
George Nowik's "The Gypsy Wagon", a cover of Ultima VI's Character Creation theme, has a slow, dreamy start and a psychedelic bass. It is then followed by a slower version of the familiar acoustic guitar riff and finishes with very dramatic piano plus synth strings to accompany the guitars. It almost has a 70s/prog rock feel to it and I just hope George happens to find other games he could also apply this treatment to!
This year there was actually a bit of competition in terms of Ultima VI covers: a YouTube channel called BadHairLineProductions has a whole bunch of excellent covers of game music including Ultima VI but they're often rock versions of tracks, which is fine but sometimes overdone in the video game remix/cover space. There's also a cool synthwave treatment of the theme by Alex Nes (listed in the Honourable Mentions above) but I opted for a more mellow, dreamy, otherworldly treatment of the theme which I think George captures perfectly.
If you want to check out more of George Norwik's videos be sure to visit their YouTube channel
.#8 The Curse of Monkey Island Theme Cover (The Curse of Monkey Island)
Game: The Curse of Monkey IslandSource: Main Theme
Original Artist(s): Michael Z. Land
Remix/Cover Title: The Curse of Monkey Island - Theme Song Cover
Artist(s): Espen Grundetjern
Okay Monkey Island tends to be overdone in terms of remixes and covers, especially the main theme. There were also quite a bit of them surfacing after the release of Return to Monkey Island in 2022 but in 2024, not so much. I just had to include Espen's rendition of The Curse of Monkey Island theme though, because it looks like he went to a lot of work making this, singing and playing a whole bunch of instruments in the process. And the end result? It sounds pretty damn authentic which impresses me greatly.
If you're interested in other video game music covers by Espen (mainly Nintendo games it seems) be sure to check out his YouTube channel!
#7 Descent into Cerberon Cover (Quake II)
Game: Quake IISource: Descent into Cerberon
Original Artist(s): Sonic Mayhem
Remix/Cover Title: Quake II - Descent into Cerberon Remake/Cover [Multicam]
Artist(s): Bastian Batory
As mentioned earlier, VGM covers that feature metal/rock renditions of tracks don't often take my fancy nowadays but you can't really go wrong when the series in question is Doom or Quake, Quake II in particular. I remember the days you could listen to the Quake II soundtrack on your CD player and it got played a lot back in 1997 and 1998. “Descent into Cerberon" is the track that plays on the first level of the game so it's instantly recognisable and it really gets you pumped for what unfolds next.
Surprisingly, there were a lot of covers to pick from based off the Quake II soundtrack last year and my only guess as to why is the fact that an enhanced version of Quake II was released in mid-2023 and maybe the artists behind these covers are capitalising on this publicity (albeit a bit late).
I ended up picking Bastian Batory due to the obvious skill it took to pull this off and make it sound like a truly authentic cover of the source material.
Bastian doesn't have too much on his YouTube channel at the moment but if you're interested in Quake II covers, he's got you sorted.
#6 Piano Medley (Quest for Glory IV)
Game: Quest for Glory IV: Shadows of DarknessSource: Quest for Glory IV Soundtrack
Original Artist(s): Aubrey Hodges
Remix/Cover Title: Quest for Glory 4 Piano Medley - Shadows of Darkness OST - Sierra - Aubrey Hodges | Katja Savia
Artist(s): Katja Savia (Augusth on guitar)
Katja Savia has been active for over a decade on YouTube and has been covering music from classic movies to classic games such as Quest for Glory. In fact she has featured on the 2021 list for a beautiful cover of the original “Erana's Peace" from the first Quest for Glory. The piece that features on this list is not just one theme from Quest for Glory IV, but several from the fantastic soundtrack originally written by Aubrey Hodges (which received a respectable 8/10 on Choicest Games). What's even better is that Katja has a guest performer, Augusth, on guitar for the wailing guitar riff you hear in “Erana's Garden" and it's truly the icing on the cake (oh, Katja does an awesome cosplay of Katrina as well, mind you).
If you want to listen to some more video game music and movie music covers check out Katja's YouTube channel
.#5 Drizzle Cover (Age of Empires II)
Game: Age of Empires IISource: Drizzle
Original Artist(s): Stephen Rippy
Remix/Cover Title: Age Of Empires II - Drizzle (Full Cover)
Artist(s): Rich Hatton
Rich Hatton is no stranger to these lists and has featured previously on the 2021 list and 2023 list. If you've followed us on these lists before, it'll come as no surprise that he's yet again created an Age of Empires II cover (he must really like the game and its soundtrack) but oh does he do such a good job of it.
One of the great things about Rich is the fact he uses so many authentic, weird and wonderful instruments in his performances which you can check out in the video. While Drizzle wasn't one of my favourite tracks from the Age of Empires II soundtrack, it was definitely a memorable one and Rich again deserves credit for bringing us another excellent cover.
If you want to listen to some more of Rich's music check out his YouTube channel
#4 Leiliana's Song Cover (Dragon Age: Origins)
Game: Dragon Age: OriginsSource: Leiliana's Song
Original Artist(s): Inon Zur
Remix/Cover Title: Dragon Age: Origins - Leiliana's Song (Gingertail Cover)
Artist(s): Alina Gingertail
Considering the release of Dragon Age: Veilguard last year, I was thinking there would be more Dragon Age covers but I struggled to find that many. A safe bet though is whenever Alina Gingertail does a cover and that's why she's featured not once, but twice on this blog, with a Red Alert 3 Soviet March cover back in 2018 and a cover of the Oakvale theme from the original Fable in 2020. She's at her best when the cover tends to use traditional folk instruments which is often the case with fantasy RPGs (and the soundtracks to these games are the ones she often covers).
As always, Alina does a great job in creating a very authentic tribute to the original, a cover that channels the melancholy well (Leiliana in Dragon Age: Origins apparently sang the song during her mother's funeral). Beautiful and moving, this was easy to recommend.
If you're into Alina's VGM covers, check her YouTube channel out.
#3 Marble Madness Cover (Marble Madness)
Game: Marble MadnessSource: Level 1 and Level 2
Original Artist(s): Larry Reed
Remix/Cover Title: Vivid Orbs
Artist(s): Gaspode
Now this is an interesting entry to the list since it's a game I don't recall ever playing. Yes, I've seen videos and screenshots of the game but I was a bit young when Marble Madness was released back in 1984 and the 1986 Amiga version, which this remix is based off, is a platform I've never played on. However, listening to this remix just transports me back to those days, of wholesome arcade and puzzle games on the PC, with an awesome tracker soundtrack playing in the background. The fact I've never played this game is a testament to how good a job this remix does in channeling that 80s nostalgia: it's an uplifting synthwave masterpiece and it won't be the only track by Gaspode to feature on this list.
Thanks to OCRemix for featuring this remix. If you're interested in curated VGM remixes in general it's worth checking out their website.
#2 Uncharted Worlds remix (Mass Effect)
Game: Mass EffectSource: Uncharted Worlds, Mass Effect Theme
Original Artist(s): David Kates, Jack Wall, Richard Jacques, Sam Hulick
Remix/Cover Title: Sol Searching
Artist(s): The Good Ice
Okay, there are a lot of Mass Effect remixes and covers out there, especially ones based off the iconic map music that features in every iteration of the Mass Effect trilogy called “Uncharted Worlds". While they have been done to death, this was such a damn good remix it was hard to ignore. The Good Ice has doubled down on the synthwave since let's face it, it's a natural fit for the franchise: it really feels like they were channeling sci-fi movies from the 80s and 90s. To top it all off, at 2:40 there is a wailing guitar riff that proves without a doubt this is one cool remix.
There was another “Uncharted Worlds" remix that I was considering to add to this list but it ended up in the Honourable Mentions: prophetik music's take on "Uncharted Worlds" is also very good, but it's got a more dreamy synth vibe that wouldn't be out of place in the Deus Ex soundtrack.
Thanks to OCRemix for featuring this remix. If you're interested in curated VGM remixes in general it's worth checking out their website.
#1 Passion for Exploring Remix (VVVVVV)
Game: VVVVVVSource: Passion for exploring
Original Artist(s): Magnus Pålsson
Remix/Cover Title: Vigorous Pace
Artist(s): Gaspode
The soundtrack to VVVVVV is one that often receives the remix treatment but usually it's the main theme, "Pushing Onwards" that receives the limelight: you know, the one that has "Guile's Theme" embedded in it? Anyway, while it's a catchy tune, my favourite by far is "Potential for Anything". It's just those damn arpeggios man. They get into your head and just won't leave!
Anyway, I told you Gaspode would feature once again on this list and this is the reason why: his totally catchy, totally awesome remix of Magnus Pålsson's “Passion for Exploring". So yeah, it's no "Potential for Anything" but it's still a pretty catchy theme that plays near the beginning of the game. It just builds on the original, adding embellishments here and there, which means it stays true to the original but also sounds as if you're back in the early 90s and you've just downloaded a new MOD composed by Markus Kaarlonen or something. I mean, the original composer of the track even complimented Gaspode in the comments to the video.
"One of the coolest remixes I've heard for my song! :) Well done!" - Magnus Pålsson
Pretty cool, right?
Thanks to OCRemix for featuring this remix. If you're interested in curated VGM remixes in general it's worth checking out their website.
So, what do you think about the list? Did you enjoy any of these tracks? Are there any choicest VGM remixes or covers that I missed in 2024? Make sure to leave a comment.
Oh, there's also a Spotify playlist of every remix and cover that has featured in these articles that are also available on Spotify. This means, I wasn't able to get everything on there (I've only got slightly more than 40 at the moment) but I'm hoping over time it will become a bit more varied.
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