Video Game Music for the Holidays - Volume II

The holiday shopping scurry has begun and the jolly jingles now permeate every public space.  If you're looking for some variety to these holiday hums, then look no further as we continue our collections of music from video games, carefully selected to still fit the holiday vibe and general ambience.

This week's volume was compiled back in 2014, to which I was amazed at the incredible soundtrack that was featured in a simple card game like Hearthstone at the time.  Using that as a starting point, this music selection looks to offer more flavor and soul than before.  From the jazzy percussion of Phoenix Wright to the grandeur strings of Zelda, there is a wide assortment of spirited tracks to behold.  Another goal that has remained consistent with each volume I've consorted is to also have a good balance of music direct from the games as well as various remixes / renditions.  It can be surprising sometimes how good the original source material is or the untapped potential that was always there.  So have a listen and see if you can take a guess which songs come direct from the games themselves.  And stay tuned each week as I upload another past collection of tunes for your listening pleasure, all leading up to the release of this year's Holiday Ambience: 2017 Edition.

Go to the playlist on YouTube for time stamps to jump to the desired track, and for links to support some of these many talented artists.  If you have a particular favorite track or other notable music from games you wish to share, please comment and discuss below!  Thanks and happy humming!

Fun Fact: Hearthstone's background music was composed by Peter McConnell, best known for composing music for LucasArts' Star Wars games.  Combining Celtic with blues and rock influences, McConnel came up with what would become "Bad Reputation", one of the game's core tracks which conveys a sense of swagger and attitude, but still a light-hearted and whimsical tone.