Video Game sounds stuck in your head

[sirpigmeat]

Its funny when going back to old games how many of the sounds I instantly remember and go "yeah that sound of course".
Somewhere in the dark recesses of my brain, there is a little vault that stores old video game noises. Its curator is no doubt Qbert.
The main ones obviously are mario bros, pacman, space invaders, of course the ever popular sound of a spectrum loading a game is a big favourite. But some of the more obscure ones are interesting, as hearing them seems to light up long dormant areas of my noggin in a highly pleasurable fashion.
The crummy lazer sounds in Dan Dare pilot of the future are a main tipple of mine for example.

Also theirs stuff that gets frequent use from me, I say "Soon Kali Ma will rule the world" from the Temple of Doom arcade game all too often... and though its probly compounded by watching the film umpteen times, i know its been forced into my skull by the arcade game, because in my head I hear it in low-fi. (which shows how much I used to die in that game!) A lesser used phrase is the mucho retardo "I've been slimed" from the spectrum version of Ghostbusters.

What sounds are stuck in other peoples heads? What sounds do you remember when you play an old game that you didn't know you'd stored in the ol grey matter? How do I remove these noises so I can store something more useful in there place, like math or were I left my keys?

And maybe top five video games sounds of all time!

[kiwimike]

Great topic!

It's amazing how so many of those eight bit sounds n tunes etch into your head and basically stay there for life! So many of those early arcaders for a start, but one that especially leaps to mind for me is a game called Sinbad Mystery off the old Sega SC1000 computer. The ditty has just stuck with me forever despite not actually hearing it for years

[ootini]

Not a particular game but I got myself an old ZX Spectrum a few months back. I’d had one as a kid but had not actually had a go of an actual machine in nearly 25 years. First thing that stuck me was that click click sound it made when you typed. The whole sound of the primitive beeper is very nostalgic for me. Those squelchy, bloopy, clicky type sounds it could produce brings back a lot of early computing memories.

[jdanddiet]

I'm always whistling the theme to sonic the hedgehog and random clips from other megadrive games.

[sirpigmeat]

Not a particular game but I got myself an old ZX Spectrum a few months back. I’d had one as a kid but had not actually had a go of an actual machine in nearly 25 years. First thing that stuck me was that click click sound it made when you typed. The whole sound of the primitive beeper is very nostalgic for me. Those squelchy, bloopy, clicky type sounds it could produce brings back a lot of early computing memories.

I know exactly what you mean about the typing click... Funnily I was going to mention it but couldn't remember if it was the spectrum It was on or some other computer, or if i'd just imagined it all together. Must boot up an emulator and do a Basic type in sometime!

[silvergunner]

Funnily enough a few years back every other advert I swear I kept hearing the sound effect used in DOOM on the PS1 when you picked up health etc... Am I just dreaming this?

[Hiro]

The sampled "Yoooouuu daaaare fiiiight meeeeee?" from the Amiga version of Strider probably tops my list

A close second would be Slimey's Mine on the C64 with all its crazy samples, "Arghhh! Owww! Transfer! Screen Cleared!!"

Also on the C64 the samples from Mega Apocalypse will never get out of my head... but there are surely a lot more!

[SpockIOM]

Great topic! For me it's game soundtracks too numerous to mention, but faves include Mega Man 2, FF7, Sonic 2, Castlevania Series & Super Metroid.
I have a good memory for sounds and one thing that always amuses me is when I hear sound effects reused in different games. Sad, I know!

[SpockIOM]

Saw this on the BBC website today.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-29474695

[ArchaicKoala]

I have a good memory for sounds and one thing that always amuses me is when I hear sound effects reused in different games. Sad, I know!

I'm the same to be honest One for me is when I notice game samples (sound effects mostly) used in music, the amount of time I've heard the Galaxian swoop noise in songs is ridiculous.



The headless bomber screaming in Serious Sam often sticks in my head for hours after playing the game... I remember lying in bed one night after playing it and the noise was somewhat engrained in my memory all night

[thompson9980]

Great topic and a few good suggestions so far. Especially the Speccy clicking cursor.

A few that come to my mind regularly are all Spectrum related:
The fart noise when you shoot something in Jetpac
The Manic Miner jumping noise. You know you're gonna die when it passes a certain point.
The title screen of I-Ball has the worst digitised sample I've ever heard. I always thought it said "OUCH!...my eyeball!" over and over again.

God, theres tons flooding my brain now!

[resident paul]

Asda intercom phone ringing sounding the rocket taking off in speccy's 'Jetpac'

[PostieDoc]

The screeching noise every time a teacher gives you lines in Skool Daze on Spectrum.

[Treguard]

If theres one person here who doesn't make the 'da-da-da-daaaaaaa' noise from Zelda to themselves when opening a box they're not alive.

[resident paul]

Just started humming 'Bubble Bobble' theme tune to myself!