30 Days of Video Game Music: Day 1 -- Title Screen Music

I’ve decided to begin the 30 Days Video Game Music Challenge as described in the following image I’ve seen passed around recently:

I will be abiding by hard mode rules. There will be no repeated games, but I can’t promise games from the same series won’t appear more than once.

I notice that the challenge does not specify that a given choice must necessarily be your favorite or the “best” of that type (which may be impossible in Hard Mode anyway), so mine will at times not be. Sometimes I may just want to highlight an underappreciated track, other times I may actually pick my favorite. I’ll make it clear in each post, in any case. I’ll also try to include a good cover for each one (assuming that the given song has one I’m aware of). I really enjoy finding quality VGM covers and would love to share my favorites.

And now, Day 1 “Title screen music”

“Overture” – Koichi Sugiyama*

Game: Dragon Quest (Series) (1986-Pres, Multiplatform)
Original: YouTube
Cover: Dragon Quest Symphonic Suite - Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra (YouTube)
Cover: Guitar Home (YouTube)

Big recency bias here. I just finished the Erdrick Trilogy (games 1-3) mere days ago, but I love this title theme. Something about it fits the tone of the games so well, and it is occasionally (SPOILER) diegetic!

*Note: I wish to express on no uncertain terms that the composer of this piece holds contemptible beliefs that I do not endorse in any way.